5 Cherry Blossom Festival events you won't want your kids to miss

There are new sights and tastes to explore each year at Macon’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival — and many returning events. They’re the things many families turn into a family tradition.

Here are five festival events you won’t want your kids to miss:

1. Pink pancake breakfast

Get a helping — or two — of the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department’s signature pink pancakes at Central City Park on Saturday, April 1, from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Plates, which include coffee, milk or orange juice, cost $5. Children 5 and under eat for $3.

2. Amusement park rides

Take a spin on the midway rides at Central City Park and fill up on some fair food. The park is open from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Admission to the park costs $5 per person. Children 10 and under are free. Rides cost extra, but there are specials throughout the festival.

 

 

3. The butterfly encounter

New this year, check out a walk-through, interactive exhibit that features more than 200 butterflies. Learn about the butterflies’ lives and how to fix a broken wing. Visitors can also feed butterflies and buy a kit to take one home. The free exhibit is housed at Central City Park and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and until 9 p.m. on the weekend.

 

 

4. Meet Petals and Blossom

Pose for photos with festival mascots Petals and Blossom.

 

 

5. Grand finale fireworks

Take a picnic blanket to Wesleyan College April 2 beginning at 4 p.m. to listen to live music, let the children play in a kids zone with a bounce house and take a ride in a tethered hot-air balloon. Fireworks are set to go off at dusk. The event is free, although there’s a fee for kids zone activities and hot-air balloon rides.

 

 

This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 1:29 PM with the headline "5 Cherry Blossom Festival events you won't want your kids to miss."