The National Cherry Blossom Festival is returning with all its pageantry, hailed by organizers as the unofficial start of Washington’s reemergence from the two years of pandemic lockdown. This year’s cherry blossom trees will reach peak bloom between March 22 and March 25, according to National Park Service (NPS) estimates. The festival kicks off with a March 20 with opening ceremony and runs through April 17, with a full schedule of concerts and events, including a parade on Saturday April 9. A similar event two years ago was dominated by questions about whether the festival would happen at all in the face of the COVID-19 virus. Sure enough, within days of that event,  Bowser declared a public health emergency and banned all mass gatherings. Festival organizers spent the month frantically coming up with long-distance ways for residents and visitors to enjoy the annual rite of spring, include a live Bloom Cam …