WISCONSIN STATE SOCIETY
THE ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
A D.C. Tradition Since 1948
Meet Our 2026 Cherry Blossom Princess:
Congratulations, Charlie Zastrow!
About our 2026 Princess:
Charlie attends Marquette University, and is from Weyauwega, Wisconsin. She is currently interning for Congressman Tony Wied of Wisconsin, and plans to attend Marquette Law School in the fall. Being a native Wisconsinite, she loves Packer Sundays, cheese curds, Door County, camp fires, and being from a small town. She also enjoy sunsets, lake days, and being a big sister.
She can’t wait to meet women from around the world and learn from each of them while being a part of this program. She is so excited to be the Wisconsin Cherry Blossom Princess and represent the true Wisconsin culture in D.C.
WISCONSIN CHERRY BLOSSOM RECEPTIONS PAST
THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
A Tradition Since 1948
The Cherry Blossom Princess Program is a cultural, educational, and professional development program for women leaders ages 19 to 24 held each year during one week of the National Cherry Blossom Festival© in Washington, DC. It is sponsored and managed by the National Conference of State Societies (NCSS), the non-profit, voluntary umbrella association for State and Territorial Societies in the National Capital Area.
Since 1948, State and Territorial Societies along with many Embassies and Consulates in Washington, DC, have enabled more than 3,000 young women leaders from across the United States and world to participate in this program and the celebration of the unique and enduring friendship between the United States and Japan. As Cherry Blossom Princesses, these young women represent their respective states, territories, and countries in both public and private events held each day across the Washington area and engage with leading government, business, arts, media leaders and role models.
At the conclusion of the week-long Cherry Blossom Princess Program, a new United States Cherry Blossom Queen is chosen at the Official Cherry Blossom Grand Ball and Sushi Reception by a random spin of a wheel of fortune from among the Princesses representing States and Territories. The following morning, the newly crowned United States Cherry Blossom Queen and her Japanese counterpart, along with the State, Territory, and International Princesses are invited to participate in the National Cherry Blossom Parade® and the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival.
(Pictured: Rachel Bohn, Wisconsin's 2016 Cherry Blossom Princess, was crowned the Queen of the Cherry Blossom Festival.)