Our world is about to turn pink

The Pinkest Party on Earth may not be in full bloom the first few days of Macon’s 35th annual Cherry Blossom Festival, but the theme of love, beauty and international friendship will be flowering.

The more than 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees planted here over the past few decades remained shy and bare when the 10-day festival kicks off Friday.

“We are just so very excited about it,” festival board Chairwoman Stacy Ingram said. “We’ve tried to listen to the community and see what they would like (this year). So, of course, the Street Party is back. That was one of the No. 1 thing we kept hearing about that people missed.”

The street party planned for April 1 at Cotton and Poplar streets will include performances from Me and Molly, JD McPherson, Mavis Staples and Chuck Leavell with the Randall Bramblett Band. Tickets are $20 in advance and no coolers are allowed, Ingram said.

More Midway rides, a new acrobat show, puppet show and butterfly exhibit are additions to the park this year, festival President and CEO Stacy Campbell said.

There are two open parking lots along Walnut Street near Central City Park. Festival-goers also have the option to park and ride a shuttle to and from four locations, including 520 Fifth St., 615 Fifth St., the Macon Coliseum and at New Street and Riverside Drive. Parking in the park is only available for the handicapped.

Also this year, the festival gift shop will be located at Travis Jean at 530 Cherry Street instead of in Central City Park. A flyover by F-15 jets will start the annual parade at 4 p.m. Sunday.

In the festival’s first year, only 30 events were planned during a five-day period. Today, the number of events has more than doubled.

The festival is about “just bridging all age groups, all race, all sides of town,” Ingram said. “It’s just kind of a coming together of the whole community.”

 

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Our world is about to turn pink."