May flowers are nice and all, but spring is already blooming with the Cherry Blossom Festival running from April 5 through the 19. Celebrate with a stroll through Fairmount Park, where the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia plants and annually maintains 1,000 of the pretty-in-pink trees. Then head out to one of the many restaurants celebrating sakura matsuri, as the trees are known in Japan.

Don’t sweat it if you missed the sake tasting and four-course dinner from Japanese chef and cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo (The Sushi Experience and The Japanese Kitchen) last night at Fork. From the 14th through the 18th, Roy’s, Shiroi Hana, Umai Umai, Le Champignon de Tokio, Genji, Kaizan, Raw, Fuji Mountain, Zento, and Yakitori Boy are all offering a 20-percent discount. Snag the coupon at Jasgp.com. (You’ll need it at Kaizan, where the well-balanced artisan cocktails made with orange blossom water, fresh basil and hand-pressed tangerine juice average $12.)

On the 11th and 12th Madame Saito, sushi-making instructor at Temple University, is hosting sushi-making classes at Le Champignon de Tokio for $30 per person. Test your newly learned skills on the 17th at the Pyramid Club, where Saito will judge an amateur sushi-making contest.

Tonight, learn (and drink) all about sake at the 2008 Sake Fest. Taste American and Japanese brands, learn to pair sake with food and enjoy snacks courtesy of Morimoto, Ansill and more. The party happens at the Loews; $65 at the door.

In other non-cherry blossomy news, Dante & Luigi’s in South Philly is hosting a fun (if self-serving) memory contest. D&L has been around since 1899 and they’re betting customers new and old to recount about the place. Contact danteandluigis@breslowpartners.com to submit your story.

We reported a few weeks ago that Cherry Hill, N.J., was getting a McCormick & Schmick’s. Now the word is the seafood house will be sharing a kitchen with sister chain William Douglas Steakhouse. Named for founders Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick, the steakhouse will serve midwest grain-fed beef, tableside desserts and a private stock of ports, sherries and single-malts. The space will rock an equestrian theme as homage to the deceased Garden State Park track… minus the crotchety degenerates, of course.

In election news, the Night Kitchen Bakery in Chestnut Hill is getting into the Hillabama battle with—what else—iced shortbread cookies! Customers are coming in by droves and supporting their candidate by purchasing a Hillary ’08 or Obama ’08 cookie. The Bakery is keeping a count, and the results will be announced Mon., April 21. Di Bruno’s on Chestnut Street is hosting a similar election-themed promo with two sandwiches designed to reflect each candidate’s personality. The Windy City-inspired Barack Bratwurst is topped with Kobe beef chili and a Chicago-style poppy seed roll, while the Hillary Big City Sandwich features pastrami, pickled tomatoes, green olive tapenade, shaved onion, Swiss cheese and spicy New York-style mustard on pumpernickel. The winner will be announced on April 22, the day of the Pennsylvania primary.