WASHINGTON The National Park Service has announced a series of new and enhanced visitor services for the 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The festival begins Saturday, March 31 and runs through Sunday, April 15, in Washington.

A key logistical and informational focal point for the event will be the Cherry Blossom Festival Welcome Station on the Washington Monument grounds along Independence Avenue, SW. It will be staffed daily by park rangers, as well as festival staff and volunteers, to answer questions, distribute festival guides and brochures, and assist visitors.

There also will be gift, book and food sales at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Station, as well as information displays about the festival, the National Park Service and festival partners.

New and upgraded visitor services this year include:

Ranger-led visitor programs. These include Cherry Blossom Walks, conducted six times daily along the edge of the Tidal Basin at regularly scheduled times; Lantern Walks, similar to the Cherry Blossom Walks but held in the early evening hours, and Bloomin' Junior Rangers for visitors ages 7 to 11. The three programs originate or take place at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Visitor information banners. Banners with maps and information about programs will be hung on festival tents, along the Tidal Basin and at the Metro station.

Food. The Park Service food concessionaire will provide sandwiches, snacks, roasted nuts, ice cream and beverages from kiosks and portable carts.

First Aid. A fully-equipped first-aid tent will be erected next to the Tidal Basin at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Portable restrooms. Portable restrooms will be positioned throughout the Tidal Basin, the Washington Monument grounds and along Ohio Drive, S.W.

Visitor Access. Southside access to the Lincoln Memorial reopens to tour buses, beginning Saturday, March 31.

The Park Service has completed reconstruction of 23rd Street, S.W. and Daniel French Drive, providing bus pick-up and drop-off space. This area is in addition to tour bus pick-up and drop-off locations also serving the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the north side of the Lincoln Memorial along Henry Bacon Drive.

Web cam. For the first time, the Park Service will provide a live Web cam feed that will offer continuous images of the cherry blossoms on the Tidal Basin during the festival. For access, go to www.nps.gov/cherry and click on the Web came icon on the right side of the page. The Web address is: www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/cherry-blossom-web-cam.htm.