Tips from a local for the Macon, Ga. Cherry Blossom Festival. My list of must-see events and more tips for visiting Macon during the festival.
Known as “the pinkest party on Earth”, this will be the 40th year of the Macon, Ga. Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s a ten-day event held on March 18-27, 2022.
As a local, I’d like to share with you my Macon, Ga. International Cherry Blossom Festival don’t miss events. My family and I have been attending our favorites since the festival began in the early 1980s.
Macon is known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World for the thousands of Yoshino Cherry Trees that bloom here each spring.
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Cherry Blossom Fun In The Park
We always make the trip downtown to Carolyn Crayton Park aka Central City Park which is the hub of the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival.
The park itself is a wonderful large tree-lined outdoor recreation area with picnic tables, fields perfect for playing frisbee, and playgrounds. It stretches along the southernmost part of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and you can often feel a breeze from the Ocmulgee River.
Historic Luther William Field is located at the park. Luther Williams Field, built-in 1929 has been home for farm teams such as the Macon Braves and is a popular movie location site.
There is a variety of entertainment at the park and every year it may be different. Check the Cherry Blossom Festival site, linked below. This year, 2022, there is a Jurassic Kingdom dinosaur show and a transforming robot car I’d like to see for myself among other things.
Amusement rides, food vendors with all those favorite fair foods will be there. You can spend a few hours riding, eating and watching the shows.
This is also the location of the Pink Pancake breakfast sponsored by the local fire department. They usually also sell Hot Boiled Peanuts at the park.
Daily performances on the Coco-Cola entertainment stage at various times during the day and evening. Plan to grab a bite of food then have a seat and enjoy a performance.
Where To See The Cherry Blossom Trees
The festival site has a nice driving tour guide here you can download to follow the blooms. It is quite a pleasant drive through some of the beautiful neighborhoods of Macon.
You will see more than Yoshino Cherry Trees in bloom. Crepe myrtles, azalea, daffodils, and pansies will be showing their colors as well along this scenic drive. We make the drive every year and never get tired of how gorgeous it is.
As you drive out the Rivoli and Wesleyan Drive area, if you end your driving tour that way, you will be dangerously close to the Shoppes at River Crossing, a huge outdoor shopping mall with lots of restaurants too. Plug it into your GPS and go shopping and poke around at the plethora of stores and restaurants there.
There are plenty of Yoshino Cherry Trees in bloom in the downtown area as well. If you visit the arts and crafts festival, you will have an opportunity to snap some pictures of the trees and other downtown sites.
The city of Macon was founded in 1823 and has a rich cultural history. Classic Greek revival architecture and Victorian-style homes are a part of that heritage with over 6,000 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Be sure to ride through downtown and take in some of those sights. My daughter’s wedding was held at The Hay House located downtown, which will be open for tours during Cherry Blossom.
Mulberry Street Arts & Crafts Festival
The arts and crafts festival is a personal favorite in my family. We have been going for more years than I can remember. It’s a very pleasant walk in downtown Macon.
This festival is situated on closed-off city streets with a wide park-like divider between each side of the street. It’s a very pleasant outdoor event.
Food Truck Frenzy
Outdoor festivities downtown include the Food Truck Frenzy during the last weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival. It is just plain fun to order and eat the variety of foods offered at these food truck events.
Southern Food Trucks will be coming from all around so there is much variety to choose from. This year the Food Truck event is located at Third Street and there will also be a DJ playing favorites.
Side Walk Chalk Art: Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
We love to walk down to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame during the Cherry Blossom Festival to see the sidewalk chalk art. It is absolutely amazing. You can’t believe the depth. Bring a selfie stick because you will want to take pics. Every year the art is different.
Take Your Own Nearby Walking Tour of Downtown Macon
While you are downtown for the Arts & Crafts Festival and Food Truck Frenzy, go ahead and take a walking tour to see a few notable sites right where you are. We are not even going to leave Mulberry Street.
My recommended sites to see include going up Mulberry St. to the Grand Opera House which is right next door to the Court House. Keep going up the hill to see the historic Mulberry St. United Methodist Church where they may possibly be allowing tours.
Cross over the street carefully and come back down the other side. There you will see the First Presbyterian Church with its spire soaring 183 feet in the sky. The building was finished in 1858 so the architecture is stunning.
As you continue back down the street, you will see the beautifully restored building of Lawrence Mayer Florist next door to the First Presbyterian Church. Macon Pharmacist G. Payne built and owned the building in the 1840s.
Mr. Payne cautioned a pharmacy customer in the spring of 1846 against taking medicine prescribed by Macon physician, Ambrose Baber. Dr. Baber took issue with the fact that Pharmacist Payne didn’t believe his prescription to be correct. To prove he was not wrong, he drank the medicine himself and promptly died. Dr. Baber is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery which is another place you should visit while in Macon.
Tunes & Balloons Festival Finale is a must see
The finale takes place at my alma mater, Middle Ga. State University. Bring your own chairs. there will be live music by the Macon Pops. You can take a tethered Hot air balloon ride for a fee. Bounce houses for the children and fireworks display to end the evening.
You are allowed to bring in a cooler, see the site for more info.
More Cherry Blossom Events
I couldn’t possibly tell you all of the events which take place during Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival. These are a few of my family favorites we try not to miss.
We have also enjoyed the parade in years past. Although I have never seen the Bed Race in person, I have heard nothing but good things about it and would love to watch it in person one year.
Visit the Cherry Blossom Festival site right here for more info about the 10-Day International Cherry Blossom Festival.
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