Featured Image: Visit Macon
In March, Macon, Georgia, wears pink.
Each spring, it becomes the pinkest place in America. The city has hundreds of thousands of Yoshino cherry trees—more per capita than Washington, D.C.—earning the city the title of Cherry Blossom Capital of the World. When the blooms open, the whole place turns cotton candy pink for a multitude of reasons.
The International Cherry Blossom Festival has been happening since 1982, and it’s grown into a full-blown spectacle, getting quirkier every year: wiener dog races, bed races through downtown, the world’s largest game of musical chairs, and enough pink food to warrant its own trail.
It started when local realtor William A. Fickling Sr. discovered a Yoshino cherry tree in his yard and began propagating and sharing them—his efforts were later championed citywide by Carolyn Crayton. Today, those original trees have multiplied into a citywide canopy, gracing the community and, now, droves of visitors, with their stunning pink blooms year after year.
Here’s everything you need to know about Macon’s International Cherry Blossom Festival.
The Pink Provisions Trail
Macon’s restaurants and bakeries fully commit to cherry blossom season, cranking out creative confections and all-pink everything. The Pink Provisions Trail maps the city’s most photogenic offerings. In years’ past, that’s been everything from cherry blossom cocktails at downtown bars to rosy pastries at local bakeries, pink lemonade made with actual cherry blossoms, and loaded nachos on top of pink tortilla chips. It’s just as photogenic as it is tasty, so remember the golden rule: phone eats first (and tag Visit Macon!).
The Can’t-Miss Events
While the trees certainly speak for themselves, Macon has upped the ante on the festivities by adding a raucous lineup of events and activities that can only be defined as wonderfully weird. You’ll see what we mean.
Wiener Dog and Pig Races
It’s like the Kentucky Derby of Dachshunds. A bunch of pups sprint down a 50-foot track while their owners holler words of encouragement, and the crowd cheers them theatrically. At the end, one wiener is crowned the winner. Separately, a series of pig races take place during the festival.
Bed Races
The races continue, only this time with humans. Teams of five race through downtown Macon while pushing decorated beds on wheels… They’re all themed, with past entries including “Wizard of Oz” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and the competitors are grown adults which makes this all the more entertaining.
Musical Chairs
From local celebrities to community members, Hundreds of people dressed in ridiculous inflatable costumes circle hundreds of chairs in the street. Just like in grade school, when the music stops, mayhem ensues.
The Grand Parade
The festival’s closing ceremony comes in parade form, winding through downtown with floats, marching bands, and, of course, plenty of pink touches.
Getting There and Staying There
Macon sits at the intersection of I-75 and I-16 in the middle of Georgia, about an hour south of Atlanta. If you’re flying, ATL is your closest airport for a rental car, but Contour Airlines offers direct flights from Dulles straight into town.
Hotel Forty Five is centrally located downtown and is within walking distance of most festival events. Macon’s Airbnb scene includes some cool music-themed rentals (this is the birthplace of the Allman Brothers and Little Richard, after all).
Need to Knows
Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate, but Macon throws a memorably pink party whether or not the trees bloom. If you’re determined to catch the trees at their pinkest, check the live BloomCam at visitmacon.org/bloomcam.
But the blooms are only the beginning of springtime magic in Macon. Beyond the International Cherry Blossom Festival, come visit for strawberry picking at local orchards, fresh-cut flower experiences, and sips at Longleaf Distillery, where every bottle sold equals a longleaf pine tree planted.
Spring is also a celebration of the area’s Indigenous heritage at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park and through culinary projects spotlighting native plants on menus.
This article is presented in partnership with Visit Macon, a Modern South Founding Partner.
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