Festival trivia? The more, the cherrier

I’ve knocked off the rust on some Cherry Blossom trivia for the opening weekend of the festival.

1. Where has Macon been cited since 1983 as “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World?”?

(A) Congressional Record (B) Kelley Blue Book. (C) Twitter (D) Julia Childs cookbook.

2.What NBC “Today” weatherman gave the festival instant credibility when he appeared in Macon to do a live television remote?

(A) Jack Frost (B) Ben Jones (C) Al Roker (D) Willard Scott.

3.Which former U.S. president ceremoniously planted a cherry tree in Third Street Park?

(A) Bill Clinton (B) Ronald Reagan. (C) George H.W. Bush (D) George Washington.

4.In 1992, the local Yellow Cab Co. got in the festival spirit by doing what?

(A) Painting four taxis pink (B) Offering free Uber rides. (C) Raising garbage fees on pink trash cans. (D) Sponsoring a taxi driver demolition derby exhibition at Central City Park.

5.On Saturday mornings during the festival, the Macon-Bibb County firefirefights serve what traditional dish at Central City Park?

(A) Macon Bacon (B) Pink pancakes (C) Cherry hummus (D) Escargot.

6.Which of the following was not the name of one of the pink poodles?

(A)Tedi (B) Casper (C) Lacie (D) Uga.

7.The late William Fickling Sr. — often known as the festival’s Johnny Cherryseed — could predict when the Yoshino trees would bloom based on which significant date in his life?

(A)His birthday, March 23 (B) March Madness (C) St. Patrick’s Day (D) April Fool’s Day

8.What is the long-standing theme of Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival?

(A) The More, the Cherrier (B) #iluvpinkistan (C) Love, Beauty and International Friendship. (D) I’d Go a Long Way for a Nu-Way.

9.The National Cherry Festival, where you actually can eat the cherries, was founded in 1926 in what Northern city?

(A)Massillon, Ohio (B) Traverse City, Mich. (C) Green Bay, Wisc. (D) Pink Lake, Minn.

10.Macon-born actress Cassie Yates, who was grand marshal of the festival parade in 1985, was a star on what popular ABC-TV show?

(A)“Dukes of Hazzard” (B) “Matlock (C) “Miami Vice” (D) “Dynasty”

11.Which of following celebrities has not been a parade grand marshal?

(A)Nancy Grace (B) Whoopi Goldberg (C) Barbara Eden (D) Jimmy Carter

12. Macon was one of four national test markets for which product during the 1985 festival?

(A) Orville Redenbacher Bing Cherry Popcorn (B) Cherry-O’s (C) Cherry Coke (D) Cherry Poppins

13.Which recording artist was featured in concert in 1994 in the city where he recorded his first two hit singles, “Please, Please Me” and “Try Me.”

(A) James Brown (B) Little Richard (C) Tiny Tim (D) Lee Greenwood

14.Which popular TV talk show host taped shows at the Macon City Auditorium on visits to the festival in 1987 and ‘90?

(A) Oprah (B) Phil Donahue (C) Sally Jesse Raphael (D) Ellen DeGeneres

15. Which commission did festival founder Carolyn Crayton also create that was one of the first of its kind in the nation and provided the roots for the Cherry Blossom Festival?

(A) NewTown Macon (B) Keep-Macon Bibb Beautiful (C) Bragg Jam (D) Friends of the Library Old Book Sale

ANSWERS: 1. (A). 2. (D). 3. (C). 4. (A). 5. (B). 6. (D). 7. (A). 8. (C). 9. (B). 10. (D). 11. (B). 12. (C). 13. (A). (14.) C. 15. (B).

SCORE: (12-15) Pink ribbon. (8-11) Blossom worthy. (4-7) No cherry ice cream for you. (0-3) Assigned to clean-up duty after the street party.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Festival trivia? The more, the cherrier."