Tag Archives: front

Think Pink

Georgia

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.

By Morgan Davis

Relief, Return & Regrowth

Buzz

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.”

New Festival

Buzz

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

Buzz

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

From 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

Buzz

Augusta 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

Inspired 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

Buzz

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 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.

Shows of Love

Buzz

Augusta Symphony will offer valentines to everyone with the concerts it has scheduled this month.

Violinist Anastasia Petrunina will join the orchestra as a guest artist for Sounds From the Heart on Saturday, February 8. The concert will include Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Ravel’s Boléro. Tickets are $27 to $79.

In a change of pace, symphony-goers can rock to The Music of Tina Turner on Thursday, February 20. This concert will feature performances of the star’s mega hits like “Proud Mary” and “River Deep, Mountain High” sung by Broadway star and American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones as well as Matt Johnson and Nova Y. Payton. Tickets are $49 to $102.

Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at Miller Theater. For more information, visit augustasymphony.com.

Made in the Shade

People

A generous giveaway is helping to restore the area’s tree canopy after Hurricane Helene.

It’s amazing what can happen when people put their heads together to do something for the greater good.

As the recovery process has dragged on since Hurricane Helene struck in September, Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate employees decided to brainstorm about ways to help the community bounce back from the devastation of the storm. They came up with the idea to give away two trees per family in an initiative called “Rooting for Augusta: Restoring Augusta’s Tree Canopy.”

“Our two partners, Troy Jordan and Dennis Trotter, really value the community and giving back to the community,” says Riley Morris, marketing associate. The company partnered with GoBuyPlants and Four Seasons Landscaping Inc. for the giveaway.

Initially planned as a two-hour event that was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday, January 11, all of the trees – 700 in total – were distributed in an hour and 15 minutes.

People started showing up for the drive-through event in front of the Family Y track on Wheeler Road at 7:15 a.m., Riley says, but they didn’t start giving out trees until 9 a.m. as scheduled.

They loaded trees into truck beds, back seats of cars or trunks.

“People came in everything from trailers to Honda Accords,” says Morris. “It didn’t matter what kind of vehicle they had. We made it work.”

The giveaway included native tree species such as magnolias, cedars, red and white oaks, sycamores and elms.

“Our employees went car-to-car and took everyone’s tree order,” says Morris. “The magnolia and cedar trees went really fast. The red oaks and white oaks went right after them. Even though two trees won’t replace the 20 trees that people might have lost, you have to start somewhere.”

The giveaway not only was designed to help restore Augusta’s tree canopy. The event also was a community-driven effort to replant, revitalize and regrow the landscape for future generations.

“Everyone lost a lot in the storm. Some people lost their homes or cars,” Morris says. “There was so much devastation, and everyone was looking for some glimmer of hope. We all want to see the CSRA restored to what it once was.”

The real estate company also is considering holding another tree giveaway in the future.

“I think it turned out better than we ever could have imagined,” says Morris. “We’ve had great feedback, but we would like to hear from the community to see if this is something they would like for us to do again.”

Ohio Players by The Black Keys

Listen To This

The Black Keys are back, and they’ve brought more swagger than a vintage leather jacket at a Midwest thrift store.

With Ohio Players, their latest release, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney remind us why they’re the kings of gritty blues-rock while tossing in enough surprises to keep things interesting.

Think of this album as a musical casserole: hearty, comforting and with a few unexpected ingredients to spice things up. It’s the kind of record that sounds like it’s been playing on a jukebox in a roadside diner for decades, waiting for you to stumble upon it.

From the first note of “This Is Nowhere,” the album’s opening track, you’re dropped straight into the smoky dive bars and backroads of Ohio.

Auerbach’s guitar snarls like a junkyard dog, while Carney’s drumming stomps through the track like it’s wearing steel-toed boots. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to roll down your windows and drive nowhere in particular, preferably on a road with lots of potholes for added authenticity.

Tracks like “Don’t Let Me Go” and “Beautiful People” mix their signature grit with gospel-tinged backing vocals and a vibe that’s equal parts Sunday morning redemption and Saturday night chaos.

Ohio Players is a record for the dreamers, the drifters and anyone who’s ever found solace in a dusty vinyl or a crackling radio signal from the middle of nowhere.

The Keys have delivered a collection that’s equal parts nostalgia and innovation — a love letter to the music that shaped them. It’s proof they’re still capable of bringing the heat —which we could all use right now.

– Chris Rucker

Property Damage Assessment

Buzz

Columbia County’s Chief Appraiser, Morgan Aune, urges property owners affected by Hurricane Helene to report any damage to their homes to the county.

As part of the county’s annual property valuation process, Aune emphasizes the importance of residents contacting the assessor’s office to ensure accurate damage assessments.

While the county has conducted initial assessments, some homes may have been missed due to inaccessibility or unseen damage.

Property owners are encouraged to reach out if their property was affected by the storm, particularly if it has not yet been assessed. Providing estimates from contractors or insurance adjusters also will assist in determining accurate property values.

To report damage, residents can visit the tax assessor’s office at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Building C, First Floor; call the office at (706) 312-7474; or email assessor@columbiacountyga.gov.

The tax assessor’s office will continue to assess properties until late February or mid-March.

AU – FBI Partnership

LIFE + STYLE

Augusta University’s Career Services recently partnered with the FBI to host the FBI Collegiate Academy for students from AU, Paine College, the University of South Carolina Aiken and Augusta Tech.

Of the 50 students who enrolled in the four-week 12-hour educational program, 43 of them completed the course. Nineteen of the graduates were AU students (pictured above), and AU was the only institution with a 100% student retention rate.

The academy covered topics including forensic accounting, domestic terrorism, operations and leadership, cybercrime, violent crimes against children/human trafficking, drugs and gang activity, active shooter training and employment pathways.

House Love by Patric Richardson

Literary Loop

Discover the joy (yes, joy) of cleaning with this cheery guide to tidying up and turning your house into a home.

Patric Richardson is known as “The Laundry Evangelist,” but his love for household chores extends far beyond the laundry room. His newest book, House Love, is his sunny guide to freshening up every inch of the house — from the entryway to the attic, the backyard to the bedroom.

In it, Richardson shares his best design inspiration, DIY projects and cleaning tips so you can fall in love with your home all over again — or for the very first time.

His book also grants you permission to shake things up. Keep bath salts in a cookie jar? Sure. Display a surprising mishmash of pillows? You bet. Discover your personal design style? He helps you do that, too.

Plus, the cleaning genius shares lots of expert advice like which three cleaning tools are worth splurging on and how you can create a powerful and antibacterial cleaning spray with lemon and thyme.

Complete with playlists, recipes and step-by-step instructions for cleaning every type of room, House Love brightens up life’s most common chores. You’ll learn new ways to transform your home with Patric’s stories and humor guiding you every step of the way.

Red Kettle Generosity

LIFE + STYLE

Through the generosity of donors, the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign was able to help a number of area residents during the holiday season.

The Salvation Army served more than 62,000 meals, including 5,000 served during Hurricane Helene relief efforts; helped 125 individuals transition from homelessness to permanent housing and provided utility assistance to 340-plus families.

In addition, more than 1,300 children received gifts through the nonprofit organization’s Angel Tree donation distribution program.

Funds raised through the campaign also sustain vital programs at the Center of Hope, where individuals and families in crisis receive shelter, meals and life-changing casework.