The 2012 Cherry Blossom Festival offered a variety of events in downtown Macon to celebrate the blooming of the cherry blossoms.
Each year, events are held along Cherry Street and in surrounding parks. A pink line is painted down Cherry Street along with cherry blossom flowers at the intersections. The line tracks the route of the parade each year.
Almost everything at the event was colored pink from trashcans to tablecloths to popcorn. There were even pink margaritas.
Drew’s Amusements was the company that produced the snacks and rides for the carnival. A few new rides opened this year including the X-Factory and the Wave Swing ride.
Angela Sabot at the Funnel Cake Stand said the carnival travels throughout the southeast region.
People come from all over North America each year to partake in the festivities. The festival attracted citizens mainly from the southeast, but residents of Canada also attended.
A Macon resident, Kaleigh Ferguson said, “Every year I enjoy the carnival rides, but I look forward to the alligator show.”
“Kachunga and the Alligator” show is a free event in which Kachunga, an animal contender, wrestles alligators.
Another event involving animals is the Petting Zoo with camels, geese, llamas, donkeys and more.
Activities a few vendors and attendees suggest to visit included the parade, some of the night concerts, and the Grand Finale Fireworks Show.
Emily Farlow and Amanda Pugsley are freshman at Mercer University who enjoyed attending the parade their first year at the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Pugsley said she liked the marching bands because of “the upbeat music and the excitement you could see people had when they were able to dance to the music.”
Music was also present at concerts played each day and night for no admission charge. The night concerts at the festival consisted of Floco Torres, HERO, The Grapevine, Sons of Sailors, Foxx City Band, Alter Eagles and more.
The Sunglass Booth and the Energy Armor booths sold products next to the stage at Central City Park. Both representatives set up their booths for the two most recent Cherry Blossom Festivals, and said that they would continue to sell their products at the festival in years to come.
The Third Street Park Festivities was another location that offered food, live music and horse carriage rides for the festival.
Catering for the event ranged from carnival snacks, such as snow cones and funnel cakes, to local restaurant tastings.
Next year, the Think Pink Campaign that organized the events will try to make a more profitable and beautiful Cherry Blossom Festival. They plan to incorporate different bands, more floats and more pink.