Photography by Larry Najera
Celebrate spring in full bloom at this award-winning festival in middle Georgia.
Anyone would be tickled pink to hold a world record, especially when they can celebrate it with 300,000 of their best buds year after year.
Just ask the folks who are ready for the 43rd annual Macon, Georgia International Cherry Blossom Festival.
“We have the Congressional Record for having the most cherry blossom trees in the world,” says Hannah Theus, the festival’s director of marketing. “There are more cherry blossom trees in Macon than there are in Washington, D.C.”
Family Fun
In fact, Macon is home to more than 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees, and, depending on how cold the winter has been and when temperatures begin warming up, the trees typically bloom the last week of March. If there hasn’t been a lot of rain, the blossoms last roughly two weeks.
“Cherry trees are like peach trees,” says Theus. “They love the cold weather.”
This year, she says, the trees are predicted to peak on March 23. Coincidentally, this also is the birthday of the late William A. Fickling Sr., a Macon Realtor who discovered the town’s first Yoshino cherry tree in his backyard in 1949.
Festival-goes not only will feast their eyes on beautiful blossoms, however.
“When you come to Macon, you will see a lot of pink,” Theus says. “We call ourselves ‘The Pinkest Party on Earth.’”
The festival also is one of the Top 20 Events in the South, Top 50 Events in the United States and Top 100 Events in North America. Founded in 1982 around the principles of “love, beauty and international friendship,” it has grown from a three-day 30-event affair to a month-long celebration featuring more than 100 activities for all ages.
“We have family friendly events,” says Theus. “We emphasize safety and original programming. We’re always looking for ways to grow. Spring is such a wonderful time of year.”
Highlights include the Wiener Dog Race, Musical Chairs, Bed Race, Cherry Blossom Parade, Food Truck Frenzy and Cherry Market.
The Wiener Dog Race features 50 dachshunds, clad in pink outfits as they dash to the finish line. Afterward, visitors can watch the Ultimate Air Dog Dock Diving Competition or Musical Chairs, which is played by local dignitaries wearing inflatable animal costumes.
Spirited rivalries have developed for the Bed Race where teams build their own four-wheeled beds to vie for trophies and bragging rights.
While Food Truck Frenzy features vendors from across the country, local vendors set up shop at the Cherry Market. The Cherry Blossom Parade features floats, marching bands and more.
During the week, festival-goers gather at Third Street Park to listen to music and enjoy free ice cream and Coca-Cola products.
In addition to the festival’s signature events, there are about 100 additional activities ranging from floral shows to gaming competitions.
“About 80% of our events are free,” says Theus.
Midway rides, concerts and food in Carolyn Crayton Park, which is named in honor of the festival founder, span the event’s full 10 days. Admission is $10, but children under 10 are admitted for free. Hours vary, and a clear bag policy is enforced.
The festival’s 300,000 visitors come from across the country and from around the world, particularly Japan. About 200,000 of them attend the planned events, and the remaining visitors drive along the Cherry Blossom Trail.
Located in north Macon, which has the community’s greatest concentration of cherry trees, the 18-mile trail begins downtown at the Visitor’s Center. Visitors also pass many historic buildings in Macon, which has 12 historic districts and more than 6,500 structures on the National Register of Historic Places, along the trail.
“The purpose of the festival is to bring people together from all walks of life to enjoy food, fellowship and the beauty of the trees,” Theus says.
Growing in Numbers
The event, which has won countless awards from the International Festivals & Events Association, also honors the people who made the festival possible including its founder Carolyn Crayton and Fickling.
When he first discovered the tree, Fickling was unaware that it was a Yoshino – a rarity in the South. He began inquiring around town as to its species, but no one – not even his gardener – knew.
During a business trip to Washington, D.C., in 1952, however, Fickling spotted a tree that looked exactly like the one in his backyard. In a subsequent trip, he compared a cutting from his tree to those around the Tidal Basin. They were a perfect match, and he learned to propagate the Yoshinos to share them with his adopted hometown.
As the years passed, the cherry trees quickly grew in number. They attracted the attention of long-time residents and newcomers alike such as Crayton, who moved to Macon in the early ’70s. She envisioned drenching the town in the pink blossoms, and she asked Fickling if he would donate trees to plant in her neighborhood. He agreed to donate the trees if she would organize the planting.
When Crayton served as the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission executive director, she proposed launching a Cherry Blossom Festival.
The Yoshinos’ numbers keep growing as the Fickling Family Foundation donates thousands of cherry trees to Macon-Bibb residents each year.
To plan a visit, people can download the Cherry Blossom Festival app. They also can see a schedule of events and watch the trees bloom on a BloomCam at cherryblossom.com.
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