Cherry Blossom Festival begins as hopes for blooms loom

When 78-year-old Janet Molony came down from Ohio to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival with her sister, few of the pale pink flowers greeted her in Macon.

“I wish the Cherry Blossoms would bloom before I go home” said Molony, who’d traveled from Cincinnati for her 25th festival experience.

At the opening ceremony for the festival in Central City Park on Friday, Bill Fickling III said he expected the buds would become blooms in the coming few days.

“I have three huge trees and they’ve got billions of buds on them,” said Molony’s 73-year-old sister, Irene Saunders, from Macon. “They just need rain and more sun.”

As the sisters sat in front of the stage and relaxed in the sunshine, each of them noticed this year’s festival was a little bit different in its additions and drawbacks.

Recently, about $3.6 million in upgrades was completed in the city park.

“I didn’t even recognize it,” Molony said. “It’s unbelievable what they’ve done. It’s nice.”

However, parking was a challenge for the sisters.

“We went to one shuttle place, the guy knew nothing about it (such as) when the buses would be running,” Saunders said. “But when anything new starts, that’s just the way it is.”

Saunders said they’d planned to take a shuttle from the Macon Coliseum parking lot but ended up parking in a lot off Walnut Street.

Molony said she also “didn’t like that you had to purchase tickets online.”

The two plan to attend their favorite event, the fashion show, and both said they look forward to seeing Mark Ballard.

They’ll also eat pink pancakes on Saturday with Macon-Bibb County firefighters.

“We always, always go to the pink pancakes on Saturday,” Molony said. “It’s good. It always tastes good. I don’t know what I’d do without those crazy firemen.”

Over near the Midway, Sammie Lee Davis held his granddaughter’s hand as they walked behind his daughter, stopping by a trampoline on the way to kiddie rides.

“You can’t get in the swing, you’re too tiny” Davis, of Monroe County, told little Saya.

Saya’s mom, Alisia Burney, said the family comes every year. Burney is most excited about the street party next Saturday.

“We’ve been missing that for years,” Burney said. “I love the street party.”

Burney said she wasn’t able to tell much of a difference in the park, but “it’s clean and it’s beautiful and it’s relaxing and the sun is shining. I’m glad to be here.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Cherry Blossom Festival begins as hopes for blooms loom."