Drizzle doesn’t deter ice cream enthusiasts at Third Street Park

It wasn’t exactly ice cream weather Monday, but Middle Georgia residents and visitors alike still lined up for the free cherry treat at Third Street Park.

A persistent drizzle and temperatures in the 50s didn’t prevent Bill Baker, 66, from taking in the festivities. He and his wife, Jan, were in town from Bristol, Vermont, visiting family, and he said they have enjoyed what they’ve seen so far at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

“It’s nice even if it’s raining -- community spirit,” he said.

Carolyn Ragin, 75, is a former Bibb County school system employee. Even though it’s just her second time visiting the festival, she has pins from all 33 years on a pink hat. She wore that hat Monday as she munched on an ice cream cone and listened to music in the downtown park.

Along with the free ice cream, she mentioned vendors, exhibits and pink pancakes at Central City Park as highlights of her Cherry Blossom experience so far.

“I think it’s just wonderful,” she said. “It gets the old people to come out.”

They had plenty of company, though, especially for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

Workers from Elam Alexander Academy’s Elberta Road campus in Warner Robins brought a group of students as part of their reward system for positive behavior.

Employee Clarissa Woodard-Robinson said it marked the second year the school has brought a group to the event.

“They had such a good time last year, we decided to bring them back this year,” she said.

For others, the Cherry Blossom Festival is about reliving childhood experiences.

Caroline Royal, a 26-year-old alumna of First Presbyterian Day School, works at a women’s shelter in New York City but came back to Macon to get some ice cream with her family, including her preschool-age nephews, Jack and Steve-o.

That will be the “next generation” of Royals to embrace the festival.

“It’s something that I really enjoyed as a child,” she said. “I have sweet memories of cherry ice cream and carriage rides in Third Street Park.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Drizzle doesn’t deter ice cream enthusiasts at Third Street Park ."