Cherry Blossom Season is one of the most beloved limited-time events in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bringing soft pink scenery, floating petals, and exclusive craftable items to your island. This full guide covers every key detail for the ACNH Cherry Blossom Season 2026 event, including exact dates, schedules, collectible items, full DIY recipe lists with materials, must-do activities, and more to make the most of this seasonal event. 

ACNH Cherry Blossom Season 2026 Dates & Changes (Both Hemispheres)

The Cherry Blossom Festival originated in first-generation Animal Crossing games, with a formal celebration at the wishing well from April 5-7. While ACNH does not feature the dedicated festival gathering, it retains the iconic pink foliage and floating petals. In ACNH, this season is purely a crafting-focused event centered on the exclusive Cherry Blossoms Series furniture, decor, and clothing—no in-game NPC gatherings or special festival activities beyond crafting and collecting petals. It is critical to note the hemisphere differences for Animal Crossing Cherry Blossom Season, as the event timing flips between Northern and Southern Hemispheres in ACNH—this is a core rule for all seasonal events in the game. Below are the confirmed 2026 Cherry Blossom Season dates for both hemispheres, straight from in-game seasonal mechanics:

Northern Hemisphere (2026)

• Full Cherry Blossom Season Duration: April 1, 2026 – April 10, 2026

• Cherry Blossom DIY Recipes Available: April 1, 2026 (first day) – April 10, 2026 (last day)

• Key Change: All hardwood trees (excluding cedar trees) turn pink, and delicate cherry blossom petals float through the air across your entire island.

Southern Hemisphere (2026)

• Full Cherry Blossom Season Duration: October 1, 2026 – October 10, 2026

• Cherry Blossom DIY Recipes Available: October 1, 2026 – October 10, 2026

• Key Change: The same pink tree visuals and floating petals apply here, just during the Southern Hemisphere’s spring season.

Seasonal Overlap Notes (2026)

In some years, Cherry Blossom Season overlaps with other seasonal events, and 2026 follows ACNH’s fixed overlap rules:

• Northern Hemisphere: Cherry Blossom Season may overlap with Bunny Day (spring egg event), meaning Bunny Day DIY recipes will spawn alongside Cherry Blossom recipes from balloons and bottles.

• Southern Hemisphere: Cherry Blossom Season overlaps with Halloween, so Halloween DIY recipes will appear alongside Cherry Blossom recipes during the October event.

ACNH Cherry Blossom Petals Catching & Mechanics

Cherry Blossom Season in ACNH revolves around one main collectible: the cherry-blossom petal. Mastering how to collect petals and find recipes is the key to completing the full Cherry Blossoms Series. 

How to Catch Cherry Blossom Petals in ACNH 2026 (3.0)?

Cherry-blossom petals are the star crafting material of the season, and they’re easy to collect with a few simple steps:

• Equip your net (any basic net works) and swing it at floating pink petals in the air—just like catching snowflakes or maple leaves. Petals spawn consistently across the island during the 10-day season, so keep your net handy at all times.

• Petals stack up to 10 per inventory slot, making them easy to store. Each petal sells for 200 Animal Crossing Bells if you want to earn extra cash, but it’s highly recommended to save them for crafting instead.

• Extra Petal Source: Visit the special Cherry Blossom Island via Kapp’n’s boat tours for a guaranteed extra supply of petals—this island is only accessible during Cherry Blossom Season and has endless floating petals to collect.

How to Find Cherry Blossom DIY Recipes?

All exclusive Cherry Blossom DIY recipes are limited-time, so you must collect them during the 10-day season. There are three reliable ways to find recipes:

• Shoot Down Balloons: Pop floating present balloons (both red and yellow) with your slingshot—balloons spawn every 5-7 minutes, and Cherry Blossom recipes are a common drop.

• Message Bottles on Beaches: Check your island’s beaches daily for washed-up message bottles; each bottle contains a random seasonal DIY recipe, including Cherry Blossom ones.

• Special Island Bottles: On Kapp’n’s Cherry Blossom Island, you’ll also find extra message bottles with exclusive seasonal recipes to round out your collection.

Pro Tip: Run a full island loop every 10-15 minutes to check for balloons and bottles—this ensures you don’t miss any recipes before the season ends on April 10 (Northern Hemisphere) or October 10 (Southern Hemisphere).

Full List of ACNH Cherry Blossom Items 2026

The Cherry Blossoms Series is a full set of exclusive furniture, flooring, rugs, wallpaper, and clothing only craftable during Cherry Blossom Season. None of these items are available for purchase in shops—they can only be made via DIY crafting. Below is the complete item list, including type, sell price, and key notes:

The cherry-blossom wand is unlocked during Cherry Blossom Season and uses petals as a material, but it is NOT part of the Cherry Blossoms Series. It’s classified as a tool, not furniture, and has a separate crafting recipe.

ACNH Cherry Blossom DIY Recipes & Crafting Materials

This is the full list of every Cherry Blossom DIY recipe, including exact material counts and item type. Gather these materials ahead of time to craft every item as soon as you unlock the recipes!

Key Material Reminder:Cherry-blossom petals are the core ingredient—stock up as many as possible, as most recipes require 5+ petals. Gather extra wood, hardwood, clay, stones, and weeds early to avoid last-minute grinding.

• Cherry-blossom pond stone: 10x Stone, 3x Cherry-blossom petal
  

• Cherry-blossom-petal pile: 5x Cherry-blossom petal

• Cherry-blossom bonsai: 6x Cherry-blossom petal, 2x Hardwood, 3x Clump of weeds, 3x Clay

• Cherry-blossom branches: 8x Cherry-blossom petal, 4x Tree branch, 5x Clay

• Outdoor picnic set: 10x Cherry-blossom petal

• Blossom-viewing lantern: 6x Cherry-blossom petal, 4x Hardwood

• Cherry-blossom clock: 5x Cherry-blossom petal

• Cherry-blossom-trees wall: 10x Cherry-blossom petal, 5x Hardwood
  

• Sakura-wood wall: 5x Cherry-blossom petal, 10x Wood

• Cherry-blossom flooring: 10x Cherry-blossom petal, 20x Clump of weeds

• Sakura-wood flooring: 5x Cherry-blossom petal, 10x Wood

• Cherry-blossom rug: 6x Cherry-blossom petal

• Cherry-blossom umbrella: 7x Cherry-blossom petal
  

• Cherry-blossom pochette: 6x Cherry-blossom petal

• Cherry-blossom wand: 3x Cherry-blossom petal, 3x Star fragment

Top Things to Do During ACNH Cherry Blossom Season 2026

Maximize your 10-day Cherry Blossom Season with these actionable, priority tasks to complete the full collection and enjoy the seasonal scenery:

1. Prioritize Recipe Collection First

Recipes disappear after April 10 (Northern) or October 10 (Southern), so spend the first 3-4 days of the season focusing on popping balloons and checking beaches for message bottles. Don’t waste time crafting until you have most or all recipes—you don’t want to miss a rare recipe by using all your petals early.

2. Farm Petals Efficiently

Set aside 10-15 minutes every in-game day to catch floating petals. Take Kapp’n’s boat tour to Cherry Blossom Island at least once for a massive petal haul—this island has zero distractions and endless petals, making it the fastest way to stock up.

3. Craft the Full Series & Customize Items

Once you have all recipes, gather leftover materials and craft every item in the Cherry Blossoms Series. Don’t forget to customize the two customizable items: use a DIY bench or visit Cyrus at Harv’s Island to change the Blossom-viewing lantern (Dark/Light Wood) and Cherry-blossom clock (Pink/Pink-White) for unique island decor variations.

4. Design a Cherry Blossom-Themed Area

Use the outdoor picnic set, cherry-blossom branches, and pond stones to create a cozy cherry blossom viewing area on your island. Pair the series with pink flowers and custom paths to highlight the soft seasonal aesthetic—this is a fan-favorite activity for island designers.

5. Stock Up for Future Use

Craft extra copies of popular items (like the outdoor picnic set and blossom-viewing lantern) to trade with friends, sell for extra Bells, or use for future island redesigns. Petals and recipes won’t return until next year’s Cherry Blossom Season, so extras are always useful.

6. Enjoy the Scenery & In-Game Ambiance

Beyond crafting, take time to explore your pink-hued island! The cherry blossom visuals are only active for 10 days a year, so snap in-game photos, chat with villagers, and soak up the calm, springy atmosphere—ACNH is all about slow, relaxing gameplay, and this season is perfect for it.