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Garden Festival

Garden Scene

the annual Sacred Heart Garden FestivalFor serious and novice horticulturalists alike, there is another spring event (besides the golf tournament) that they have grown to love – the annual Sacred Heart Garden Festival.

This year’s event is scheduled for 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center.

Friday and Saturday activities include a vendor market in the Great Hall, educational speakers, food trucks and more. Plant and garden vendors will join the festival outdoors on Saturday.

Festival-goers can learn more about local public gardens as well. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 during the event. For more information, visit sacredheartaugusta.org.

Flying High

Buzz

Air Dot Show U.S. Navy Blue AngelsEnergetic, elite aerobatics will fill the skies at a popular air show

The Air Dot Show is back. This year, however, the show is coming to town a month earlier than usual as Augusta is the first stop on the eight-destination tour that celebrates military and civilian aviation excellence.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline the show with a combination of solo and formation maneuvers. The performance also will include an A-10 Thunderbolt II Close Air Support Demo, a P-51 Mustang Demo with Scott “Scooter” Yoak, the SOCOM Para-Commandos, the Georgia State Patrol, aerobatic pilot Michael Goulian and more.

A variety of aircraft will be on static display inside the event site as well.

Spectators can bring sunscreen, ear protection and up to a one-liter sealed bottle of water. Those who purchase general admission or lawn box tickets also should bring their own chairs. However, no tents, awnings or canopies will be allowed. Backpacks, bags, wagons and strollers will be permitted.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or on the day of the event. However, all tickets must be purchased before arrival at the show.

If You Go:

What: Air Dot Show Augusta

When: Noon – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27; gates open 9 a.m.

Where: Augusta Regional Airport

How Much: Seating options and prices vary; children ages 5 and under are free in general admission section

More Info: augustaairshow.com

Tiny Home Village

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Ivey Homes is partnering with Bridge Builder Communities, a nonprofit that supports 18- to 25-year-olds who are aging out of the foster care system, to construction Tiny Home Village.Ivey Homes is partnering with Bridge Builder Communities, a nonprofit that supports 18- to 25-year-olds who are aging out of the foster care system, to construction Tiny Home Village.

The campus, located on Merry Street in downtown Augusta, will include 25 tiny homes, shared community spaces and comprehensive life skill development programs to encourage independence and long-term success.

Each tiny home will be furnished with the items needed to start a new home, including a new bed with linens; pots, pans and kitchen utensils; a table and chairs; and bathroom supplies. Upon graduating from the community, the resident will take all the items originally found in the home with them to begin their post-graduation, independent life.

Other community partners in the project include Bill Beazley Homes, RW Allen Construction and McMillan Padzen Smith Architecture.

Spring Fair

LIFE + STYLE

Columbia County Spring Fair returns this year April 18-27The Columbia County Spring Fair returns this year April 18-27 with fan favorites as well as new attractions. Entertainment includes midway rides and games, a demolition derby, magician, petting zoo, Fireguy Show and other special entertainment.

Admission is $7 in advance or $10 at the gate. Parking is free, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Unlimited ride passes are $18. After 7 p.m. ages 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent.

For more information and details on admission and ride specials, visit columbiacountyfair.net.

Clarity of Cal by Vulfpeck

Listen To This

Clarity of Cal by VulfpeckLike wafts of fresh-cut grass on the wings of spring, Vulfpeck’s Clarity of Cal arrives with a refreshing gust of groove, shaking off the last bits of seasonal pollen.

This album is a sonic bouquet — a vibrant mix of funk, soul and playful energy that blossoms with each passing note. Recorded live during their California shows in September 2024, this isn’t just an album; it’s an invitation to step outside, stretch toward the sun and boogie down with rhythmic revival.

With their signature blend of effortless tightness and laid-back charm, Vulfpeck crafts a soundscape that feels like spring itself — bursting with color, buzzing with life and just unpredictable enough to keep things interesting. Tracks like “Big Dipper” invite you to sink into the groove, while “New Beastly” revives a classic with fresh energy, its basslines rippling like the first waves on the lake.

The velvety vocals, ever-buoyant basslines and crisp interplay of the band create an atmosphere where every song feels like the perfect soundtrack to a sunlit adventure. Whether you’re cruising with the top down, swaying on a back porch or cracking open a window or refreshing beverage to usher in the spring vibes, Clarity of Cal delivers a warmth that lingers. Break out the flip-flops, turn up the volume and let its rhythm of renewal take over.

– Chris Rucker

Walking with Greatness: My Caddie Life on the Tour with Tiger, Fuzzy, Fred, and More by Cayce Kerr

Literary Loop

Walking with Greatness: My Caddie Life on the Tour with Tiger, Fuzzy, Fred, and More by Cayce KerrMaryland-raised Cayce Kerr began his caddying career at the storied Congressional Country Club in 1986 and within a year had managed to work his way onto the PGA Tour, rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the world of golf.

Armed with quick wit and deep golf knowledge, he quickly established himself in the top echelon of his profession and never looked back, partnering with more than two dozen major champions and even working 30 Masters tournaments in a row from 1987 until 2016.

In Walking with Greatness, Kerr reveals what really goes on inside and outside the ropes at the highest levels of golf.

With a cast of characters including Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Fuzzy Zoeller and Tiger Woods, this true insider’s memoir pulls no punches in portraying life on the PGA Tour.

Spanning indelible triumphs, improbable mishaps and no shortage of hijinks, Kerr’s adventures and observations will leave golf fans illuminated, entertained and often literally laughing out loud.

Film Concert and Season Finale

LIFE + STYLE

Augusta Symphony winds up its 70th anniversary season with special concerts in April and May. On Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25, the symphony presents Star Wars: A New Hope. While the orchestra plays the film soundtrack by John Williams, the movie will be shown on screen.

The symphony concludes the season on Saturday, May 3 with Celebrating Augusta. This concert highlights the history of the orchestra, the Miller Theater and the region in a program that includes Khachaturian’s Suite from Spartacus, Still’s Symphony No. 1, Lalo’s Cello Concerto and Respighi’s Pines of Rome.

To celebrate Augusta and the CSRA, Still’s Symphony No. 1 includes videography by photochoreographer Nicholas Bardonnay. The guest artist choreographs his pictures to music, and featured photos have been procured from the Augusta Museum of History archives and from people in the community.

The program includes another guest artist, 2024 Youth Concerto Competition winner Neel Krishnan, as well. All of the shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Theater.

Tickets for Star Wars are $49 to $102. Tickets for Celebrating Augusta are $27 to $79. For more information, visit augustasymphony.com.

Relief, Return & Regrowth

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Just like humans, wildlife is adapting to the new post-Helene storm normal.Just like humans, wildlife is adapting to the new post-Helene normal.

Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, not to mention the cold winter, have been trying for all of us. Spring, however, finally may bring some much-needed relief to creatures great and small.

We also can laud the resiliency of our feathered and four-legged friends.

“Animals are extremely adaptable,” says I.B. Parnell, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division regional supervisor. “If they don’t adapt, they’ll die.”

He says downed trees from the storm affected them in two ways – loss of habitat and loss of food sources such as insects, larvae and acorns.

To adapt, a songbird now may make its home in vegetation that’s lower to the ground like a box shrub instead of an oak tree.

John McPherson, a Georgia Forestry Commission ranger, also says that while prey animals including birds, squirrels and rabbits will nest in debris piles out of convenience, they’ll find new homes as the piles are removed.

However, he adds, “With spring and warmer weather coming, people need to be careful around debris piles because they are prime habitat for snakes.”

Parnell also says animals likely are shifting in the area rather than leaving altogether. Tripp Williams, Columbia County Extension coordinator and agriculture and natural resources agent, agrees.

“From small birds to white-tailed deer, there has been a shift in their travel patterns,” he says. “Plants and trees will start to regrow, though, and wildlife will potentially come back.”

To encourage wildlife to return, McPherson recommends that people put birdfeeders as well as native flowering plants and trees in their yards. Native tree species include ash, beech, birch, black walnut, cedar, cherry, elm, flowering dogwood, hickory, magnolia, maples, oaks, pines, sassafras and sycamore.

“People shouldn’t plant Bradford pear trees,” adds McPherson. “I know people like them, but they’re an invasive species. They’re brittle, and their limbs break off in windstorms.”

While fall is the best time to plant, Williams says, people can plant any time if they have the proper irrigation.

McPherson also says the hurricane allowed sunlight to reach the forest floor.

“That sunlight allows seeds that have been germinating for years to start their regrowth process. That’s good for deer and turkeys. It will open up feeding areas for wildlife,” he says. “It’s possible that we’ll see more wildlife in the area because of the increase in their food sources. You have to look for the silver lining in everything.”

Williams sees another silver lining on the horizon as well.

“With the amount of regrowth that will be happening in the area,” he says, “the spring should be pretty green.”

Think Pink

Georgia
MACON GEORGIA INTRNATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

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.”

Macon, Georgia International Cherry Blossom FestivalFamily 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.

By Morgan Davis

New Festival

Buzz

The inaugural Columbia County Cultural Festival is coming to Evans Towne Center Park. The inaugural Columbia County Cultural Festival is coming to Evans Towne Center Park.

The event, which will be held on Saturday, March 29 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., will give festival-goers an opportunity to experience different cultures through food, music, dance, arts and other entertainment. Admission is free.

For more information, visit columbiacountyga.gov.

New Sculptures

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Pictured is “Nitrogenous” by Hanna Jubran.

Ten new sculptures recently have been installed along the Augusta Sculpture Trail by the City of Augusta and the Greater Augusta Arts Council. They were selected from more than 70 submissions from across the country and will remain on display for two years.

The trail now features 18 sculptures, and eight of them are permanent donations to the collection.

A digital walking tour can be accessed from any mobile device to help visitors learn about each work of art. For more information, visit augustasculpturetrail.com.

All Means, No End by Birdtalker

Listen To This

BirdtalBIRDTALKER the band’s newest release, All Means, No EndFrom the hills of Nashville, Birdtalker swirls out a beautiful sonic breeze to usher in springtime. Listening to the band’s newest release, All Means, No End, is like stumbling into a hidden garden party on a perfect spring Sunday. The sound feels both intimate and expansive, and the lyrics invite listeners to embrace the idea that there’s meaning in both the quiet moments and the messy ones.

The opener, “Falling Forward,” feels a little chaotic, but undeniably alive. “Dogs & Rocks” barrels in with the energy of an off-leash pup racing through a field of tall grass — scrappy, playful and a reminder that spring isn’t just about picture-perfect blooms but also about wild abandon.

When “Roll Down” comes around, you can almost feel the sunlight warming up the patio or your favorite outdoor spot. It’s the kind of track that pairs perfectly with a stroll, where the harmonies wind and whip with wide-open fresh air.

This is an album that reflects familiar feelings of home and good times to come — warm, hopeful and unafraid of a little Southern chaos. It invites you to embrace the mess of life, roll with the sunshine and soak up every moment.

– Chris Rucker

Symphony Sounds

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Sounds of the Classics Sounds From the East on Saturday, March 29. Cellist Santiago Cañon-ValenciaAugusta Symphony will entertain audiences this month with two concerts – Sounds of the Classics on Saturday, March 8 and Sounds From the East on Saturday, March 29.

Cellist Santiago Cañon-Valencia will perform as a guest artist with the orchestra for Sounds of the Classics. The program will include Abels’ More Seasons, Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1.

Guest artist Adam Golka will join the symphony on the piano for Sounds From the East. The symphony will perform Mozart’s Overture from The Abduction from the Seraglio, Saint Saens’ Africa, Say’s Silk Road and Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade.

Tickets for both shows are $27 to $79. They will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Miller Theater. For more information, visit augustasymphony.com.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Literary Loop

Isola, by Allegra GoodmanInspired by the real life of a 16-century heroine, Isola, by Allegra Goodman, is a gripping saga of survival and faith, named one of Time’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian — a cruel and volatile man — spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France.

Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

College Scholarship

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The Columbia County Historical Society will award a $2,000 scholarship to a Columbia County resident who is graduating from high school in the Class of 2025The Columbia County Historical Society will award a $2,000 scholarship to a Columbia County resident who is graduating from high school in the Class of 2025 and planning to pursue a college education in the fall.

While students must reside in Columbia County to qualify for the scholarship, they can attend any public, private or charter high school in the area.

Homeschooled students are eligible for the scholarship as well. The scholarship money will be paid directly to the higher education institution that the winning student will attend in the fall.

The completed application packet must be postmarked no later than April 1 and sent to the Columbia County Historical Society, Attention: Scholarship Contest, P.O. Box 203, Appling, GA 30802.

For more information, visit the organization’s Facebook page: Columbia County Ga. Historical Society.