Performers, butterflies, rides bring fun to Central City Park

Central City Park will live up to its name, as it becomes the center of live entertainment and fun during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Festival goers will flip over the Zuzu African Acrobats, performing daily. Originally hailing from Mombassa, Kenya, the performers dance, tumble, juggle and more, combining “ ‘circus’ acrobatics with popular dance moves set to live and taped African music,” according to their website. The fast-paced “musical circus” includes feats of balance, pyramid building and contortion.

Since coming to the United States in 1999 with six acrobats, the group has performed at NBA games, opened for artists such as Monica and 98 Degrees, and appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “America’s Got Talent.”

Weekday show times are 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and weekend shows are at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., with each show lasting 20-25 minutes.

Also juggling in the park will be stilt-walker Carrie McQueen, who will perform during festival hours while walking amongst the crowd rather than on a stage.

McQueen is known for bringing a sense of humor to her act, often performing while costumed as a hippy, a Southern belle, a cowgirl and a fairy godmother.

The Atlanta Puppet Show also will take the stage in Central City Park. Master Puppeteer Peter Hart has performed as head puppeteer in more than 70 different professional puppetry productions and in venues including Walt Disney World, Six Flags over Georgia and Centennial Park. The interactive shows feature marionettes and other puppetry styles.

Shows will be daily at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 pm. and 7:30 p.m. and will last 20-25 minutes.

Another area for guest interaction will be the Butterfly Encounter, a walk-through exhibit featuring more than 200 butterflies from six different species. Visitors can feed butterflies, learn about their lifecycles and even learn how to fix broken wings.

Fifteen-minute shows will be performed at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and the exhibit will be open until 8 p.m. each weeknight and 9 p.m. on the weekends.

During all park hours, Drew Exposition will provide midway rides that include the family-friendly Balloon Wheel, a Ferris wheel with vehicles shaped like hot air balloons; Catterpillar, a roller coaster sized just for kids; Wild Jungle, a fun house featuring slides, climbing nets and suspension bridges; and other fun attractions such as Bumblebees, Flying Elephants, Kite Flyer, Circus Train, a Merry Go Round and bumper cars.

Braver souls can try the Cyclops, where “riders sit in one of the 24 suspended seats and are secured with over-the-shoulder harnesses. Soon, the ‘claw’ begins to spin and the giant pendulum begins to rock back and forth, eventually reaching full swing at over 75’ in the air,” according to Drew’s website.

The Seattle Wheel, a Ferris wheel more than 90 feet tall; the X-Factory, a long gondola mounted on revolving arms and tipping forward approximately 20 degrees from the vertical; and Zoogvogel, a 90-foot-tall tower that swings riders out and over the midway, also will be available for more daring riders.

Classic fair rides will include the full-size swinging ship the Pirate, a clown house, Tea Cups, Super Slide and Tilt-a-Whirl.

Admission and ride specials will be available on certain days, and parking will be free in two lots within walking distance and four nearby lots with shuttle service to the park. To learn more about admission costs and getting to Central City Park, see page 7.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 7:08 AM with the headline "Performers, butterflies, rides bring fun to Central City Park."