About 500 cyclists kicked off the yearly Cherry Blossom Festival Saturday morning with a series of races through Branch Brook Park in Newark.
It's a chance for the park to show off its 4,000 cherry trees.
But few were flowering as the event hosted races ranging from 15 miles to 50 miles. The cold temperatures, though, did not keep riders away.
The cherry blossom festival continues Sunday with a 10K run, then next week with a fun run and Essex County Day.
It's next week when the trees are supposed to be in full bloom.