Sharing my Google review here as well to hopefully spare at least one person from the disappointment that this festival is. One day...you're going to decide you want to see the cherry blossoms in DC, and then you're gonna check the hotel and ticket prices and decide that's not happening this year. Then you're gonna ask your good old buddy chat gpt if there is any other place you can see cherry blossoms over the weekend, and it's gonna tell you...omg did you know that Macon, Georgia is the CHERRY BLOSSOM CAPITOL OF THE WORLD???? And you're gonna be like omg I didn't know that! That's a 5 hour drive, it must be a hidden gem I have to go see the CHERRY BLOSSOM CAPITOL OF THE WORLD!!! And on that day when you decide you're gonna drive to the CHERRY BLOSSOM CAPITOL OF THE WORLD... please just don't. Just save some money and go to DC or Seattle or Japan. This " festival " is smaller than any weekly street fair in any town I've ever lived in. And also less interesting. And there are maybe a few cherry blossom trees. There's rides for kids... but I don't know how you could manage to spend more than 2 hours here. To see the blossoms you have to drive around people's neighborhoods. You can't just walk around and see the blooms, you have to awkwardly drive in front of people's homes and decide how you feel about taking pictures of blossoms in front of random people's houses. The marketing team for Macon definitely deserves a raise though, they had me sold read more

I went to the cherry Blossom festival on the 29th which was a Saturday. It was pretty busy and lively. I used to take my kids when they were small and it was very exciting and there was always so much to see and do. The entertainment was very lacking and even the vendors were sparse compared to 15 and 20 years ago. I like to go see the vendors and also the food trucks. For the most part, I believe it is quite overpriced for arts and crafts as well as the food trucks. I tried a burger and fries from the burger Brothers food truck for $16. The patty on the burger was probably half the size of the bun and it was overcooked and dry and the bun fell apart immediately. The french fries tasted like they have been fried in fish grease. Needless to say the entire plate went into the trash and I really regretted losing $16. I also went the day before and tried to eat at the parish restaurant. I had an appetizer of tiny crab claws, which were overcooked and extremely salty with a bowl of gumbo which tasted as if it had been scorched and added too much water because there was absolutely no taste except for the scorch. I also had a Caesar salad with grilled chicken. The salad was quite tasty, but the chicken might have been maybe 2 ounces. Not even a half of a chicken breast. I did explain to the waitress about the crab claws and the soup and she just told me she was sorry and gave me my $60 bill. All this saddens me and is probably the last time I will go to the cherry blossom festival. read more

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It was an okay experience overall, but it felt overcrowded and somewhat limited in drink options. The atmosphere was pleasant, though the overall vibe from others felt only moderately welcoming. read more

Drove 500 miles based on amazing search findings. Stated Macon had 350,000 cherry trees. Never found more than a few at a time. Some residential streets were lined with several, but nothing spectacular as was reported. Huge disappointment. Thought we had done good research. read more

So didn't see any Cherry Blossom near the festivals, however, the city did a great job of hosting. The market was huge with a great variety of vendors. Parking was easily, accessible, and walkable. We parked adjacent to the carnival and walked the market for a few hours then headed over to the carnival. The carnival was huge with lots of rides for every levels. The unlimited armband was 30, entrance was free. I felt very safe - police everywhere. Near the back they had performances and an option to ride a tethered hot air balloon. Unfortunately the weather wasn't suitable to ride the day I attended. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for fun outdoors but would not if looking for Cherry Blossoms. read more

There are no cherry blossoms. It's like a cheap carnival; def not worth the drive. The title is just for theming, there aren't actually many cherry blossoms. Very disappointing. read more

I was expecting sooo much more! I have wanted to visit for years. I mean, they even have an App for this event. Maybe the timing was wrong maybe the weather didn't cooperate or maybe it's changed. I have a special liking to cherry blossoms. Having grown up in NJ, I had the unrivaled pleasure of having seen some of the most beautiful cherry blossoms anyone can lay eyes on in the most unexpected of places: Newark. There was a place called cherry blossom land at Branch Brook Park. Breathtaking! We chose to take our wedding pictures there and it was all we could imagine. Then, Washington DC! OMG can you think of a more gorgeous place to have a cherry blossoms backdrop? Of course my expectations were high when we were told that the cherry blossoms at Macon were even more glorious. While the party in pink Concept was totally cute, the cherry blossoms were so few that they could be counted on one hand. I wish the social media groups or handles or pages would keep it real as to the cherry blossom sightings. But.... we like to make the best of things. Some great restaurants, great beer, cute architecture in the downtown area and ancient mounds in a nearby National Park. After enjoying our day walking around and even seeing a hot pink standard poodle we found a bunch of beautiful cherry blossoms. At the Geico headquarters nonetheless! We then started searching for the gecko because if it was possible to find the admirable cherry blossoms in that parking lot, why not a gecko? Do make it a point to visit Macon. Stop by for a great beer and some walkable streets and beautiful architecture. Street art is a definite feature here. read more

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Certainly not a pity party, came in on Saturday the 18th expecting this would be like a typical festival with vendors and things to look at other than rides?? Unfortunately, the pink pancakes don't make up for the fact I clearly was mistaken I won't be coming back to this event anytime soon and they shall Ashley post somewhere very clearly what is going down on every weekend Some of us don't ride amusement rides, and are looking to have other types of entertainment and shopping The pink pancakes are good, but there's not much else the first weekend of this festival read more

I didn't like that there was no re-entry into the festival after paying. It's more like a fair than a festival though. read more

Cherry Blossom Festival - Cherry blossom tree in downtown - Festivals Near Me - Macon, Georgia

I've been to a few Cherry Blossom Festivals thru out the years. Macon did a excellent job with this festival!!! Everything was very organized and well thought out. Once we arrived we stopped into the event store to get a event booklet that has all the activities. I picked the events we were interested in and all was flawless. The city is decorated and we loved all the pink fountains! No parking issues what so ever and it was free, you won't get free parking in DC or any other fest in the USA. They have something for everyone to do, nothing was left out. Lots of bands, carnivals, markets, and you must see the mattress race, so much fun!! Plenty of food all over... Check the online site for the line up, I highly recommend this fest, it takes a village to put on a 2 weekend event. Excellent job and Thanks to all who put the wonderful event together! read more

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Unprofessional staff. This individual made my son and his cousin go back to the end of the line after they waited the entire time. I don't know what made him say or do that but this was a horrible experience. They waited in line for 15 minutes like everyone else. They were not rude or disrespectful to anyone. I asked to speak to the manager and he didn't speak a single word of English. I do not recommend anyone coming to Macon carnival for $10 entrance and tickets for rides. The staff needs to be properly trained. read more

Cherry Blossom Festival - This is the unprofessional worker. - Festivals Near Me - Macon, Georgia

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First time visiting this carnival. I was pleasantly surprised at all of the rides available for my granddaughter. The food and drinks were seriously pricey, but they had all types of foods there. I enjoyed the human cannon, and the staff at each ride was friendly. I rated the way I did because of an incident that did not have to happen. A worker was measuring children to ensure that they met the requirement for a ride. I did ask him regarding this, and I was advised that someone was injured a year prior, and stricter policy enforcement was not in place. I completely understood that I would not want to be a part of a child getting hurt either. Some parents complained to management that this operator would not let children ride. The manager came over in an accusatory manner and yelled at the operator in front of a crowd. He was so close to the operators face yelling, "Shut up, SHUT UP!" The operator said that he stopped the ride bc management told him too. Parents took their children off of the ride. When the manager saw that parents were looking at him, he tried to soften his approach. It was a horrible scene in which the operator took his bag and left that site. This manager is a horrible example of what a leader should demonstrate. This manager was aggressively and verbally assaulting this worker in lieu of de-escalating the issue. He could have explained to the parents the new policy. Instead, without research, he took their word and verbally assaulted this worker. I even spoke to a member of the sheriff's department, and he even stated that he witnessed the operator doing his due diligence with measuring the children to ensure safety. The sheriff did state that the operator received complaints regarding how he communicated with patrons. TBH, and my own opinion, the operator spoke as if he were someone with special needs. I also have family members who were diagnosed and speak in a similar manner. If this is truly the case or not, this situation could have been handled in a much better way. My heart sank, and as the operator walked off, I thanked him because he helped to make my granddaughter's experience at that particular ride (who has special needs) a memorable one. It is a proven fact that people every day leave jobs, and the majority of those who left have a similar reason, which is management. People leave management, not jobs. Do better. read more

Fake festival with no cherry blossom. Just a village style six-flags park not even compareble in size. Do not waste your time.

I love this festival. We look forward to coming every year, although sometimes we don't make it in time. Well, 2015.. we made it here. The weather finally turned decent for a weekend and we made the drive from ATL to Macon. Took us 2+ hours, because every year, at the same time, the highway is being repaired. I kid you not, we've been down here 3-4 times and every year, they fix the freeway. We arrive around 3ish and the festival was in full swing. Music, arts and crafts, and food trucks. Tons of people, the blooms were pretty as usual. Walking around Macon sorta takes you back in time. Downtown is kinda dead, but there is so much potential. The buildings and storefront looks like they were untouched since the 50's. I am hoping we can revive this town. We enjoyed the traditional festival stuff, and the food trucks were a hit. So many people and so many trucks. I don't know why but the food truck business has gone uppity lately. Prices are way high and customer service is way low. I had to wait for some burger for an hour. And it wasn;t even burgers. They made me wait for 1 whole hour, for French fries, with bbq pork on top. The called it the Southern. I call it bullcrap. Other than that, the festival was a lot of fun. We just kinda strolled around. Just chilling out. Spring is here! Hurray! read more

Cherry Blossom Festival - Food truck. Mac n cheese - Festivals Near Me - Macon, Georgia

While you all were so busy checking for clear bags, you forgot to check for damn guns!!!!

Macon street party and fun events at the park. Macon seems to be getting pretty good at this festival. They had lots of bands lined up and lots of fun activities for kids. I think the prices are reasonable for the event, there is a great local beer place inside the event and the food was kind of like fair food. I do wish they had better food trucks but overall the event was spot on with the events but they are laid back here and they let you bring in chairs which some places don't. read more

Not as expected. Not even one cherry blossom very disappointed. Need more activity for travelers read more

You have to have a clear bag and if you need medicine bag l don't recommend and they do not have cherry blossom trees read more

Cherry Blossom Festival - Festivals Near Me - Macon, Georgia

Well I was really excited to go and attend this festival, I gave it low rating because I didn't like it but there are some pros and cons to this festival: Pros: 1. In a small city like Macon this is big festival 2. If you have kids then this is good place to spend a family holiday 3. Lot of rides for kids and adults and Great variety of good food Cons: 1. It is expensive - they first have an entrance fee and then when you want to take rides you have to buy ticket for each ride, food is expensive inside- $5 small cone of ice cream 2. There were not a lot of shows which I expected 3. Not well- structured If you are teenager or married couple with no kids then it's not a place for you read more

Cherry Blossom Festival - Festivals Near Me - Macon, Georgia

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I called the visitor's center promoting this festival several times prior to going trying to get some kind of information as to when the trees would be at peak bloom. I was advised at the first of March to watch their Bloom Cam, which went live on March 1st. Kept watching, but the trees never did anything. We finally went the week of the festival, and could find very few cherry blossom trees blooming. Went to the visitor's center and was told to drive the cherry blossom trail but still didn't see many. When we went to the location the Bloom Cam was showing, the trees were still doing nothing and discovered that THE TREES THEY WERE SHOWING WERE NOT CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES!!! Went back to the visitor's center to ask about this, and they acknowledged that they were aware of this. They claimed that their camera was put in the wrong place. Yet, knowing this, they still left the camera live and continued to tell people to watch it. It's still up live today! Bottom line, there are some cherry blossom trees lining maybe three or four blocks of downtown Macon, which appears run down. (There were more homeless people lining the streets than trees and probably more vacant storefronts than trees.) The rest of the 300,000+ cherry blossom trees they claim to have are apparently spread out over the 255 square miles of Macon, so you don't see much. There were a few restaurants downtown that we enjoyed, but from my experience overall, I view this festival as lame at best and practically non existent. In my opinion, the way it is over-hyped by the organizers at the visitor's center is really what makes it a rip-off, and given reviews I've seen for previous years, they will likely continue to do so in the future. I wish I could give it 0 stars. read more

The Ice Skating Was A Disgrace ,, It's Just Greased Up Chunks Of Plastic Stuck Together . The Guys Who Were Working Were Great But It Was An Overall Garbage Experience read more

I was expecting to see tons of Cherry Trees, however, the Cherry Trees were located sparingly through out the town. I am pleased to report that Cherry Street was lined with Cherry Trees, though limited to that one section. I went to the festival on a Sunday with my daughters, there was a number of vendors selling roasted corn, ice cream, dipping mix, bags, clothes, candles, etc... Overall my main goal was to see the Cherry Trees in bloom, take some pictures and the festival was a nice added bonus. read more

Not really sure where to start but to say how terrible this festival was. When I think of festivals I think of tents lined up and down the street wth food vendors, beer vendors and just random odds and ends tents with arts and crafts. However, when we got downtown they were holding some sort of fire fighter charity event and that was it.... not to knock on firefighters but isn't this the cherry blossom festival? Not to mention none of the cherry blossoms were in bloom which is the only reason we went. Then we found out the festival was actually in the city park not the address that the website gave us. Even so the festival looked like a city fair and there was an entry fee.. I was so confused. We drove two hours to see this festival and stayed an hour and left cause it wasn't as good as perceived on the website. read more

We had a awesome time on sunday ESPECIALLY when the band SIX GUN SADIE performed !!! they were AWESOME Hope to see them next year !!!

I went to this "festival" in order to see cherry blossoms, having never seen one in my life. Website (by the promoters) convinced me to go, the website essentially promoted two things 1)cherry blossoms in abundance and 2)an international festival. I went to Macon GA and saw neither of the two. It just felt like a big scam, there weren't even signs for the event and the only signs (banners) available led to a local carnival which had nothing to do with cherry blossoms at all. First thing to note here...once you get to Macon, don't follow the signs or banners that tout the cherry blossoms, it will eventually lead to a local carnival and they will get 10 dollars out of you for parking. The carnival has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with cherry blossoms or anything else that was promoted on the website. Inside the carnival, you'll find a lot of food vendors and rides that are mostly geared for children 10 and under. Great for the family, but the food prices are high. There's also musical enterntainment featuring local bands and talent. What suprised me the most was that none of the locals knew anything about the cherry blossoms. I asked around everywhere and they were all clueless. Macon Ga is a great place to visit in and of itself but this "International" "Cherry Blossom" thing is obviously just a degenerate ploy by the locals to get outsiders to come to Macon and spend money on things that aren't at all cherry blossom related or international in nature. read more

UNFORTUNATELY, MORE HYPE THAN SUBSTANCE! This festival is about 80% hype and 20% substance. The venue that is described as a park was really more of a place where you would have a fair with exhibition buildings. There is a gate surrounding the property to ensure that you pay the $5 admission fee. However, if you decide to leave the venue and return later in the evening, you can get an arm band to do so. This is really a carnival with rides, food vendors, a petting zoo and an entertainment stage. In one of the buildings, there was a really nice train exhibit for kids. It featured the Island of Sodor, Thomas, the conductor, Sir Topham Hat, James, the rail cars and Emily. It was really cool. Another building housed the nonfood vendors including: a couple who crafted and sold harps, the leather guy (belts, hats, hair accessories, wallets, bags), inexpensive bags and jewelry, a wood finisher, homemade candy and service providers such as AAA. There were very few vendors and not at all of the quality of the ones that you would see at the festivals north of Atlanta. The ones worthy of mention are mentioned below. The one act that we really wanted to see was the Extreme Pogo team. Unfortunately, they were rained out and if someone had been more astute with planning, this team could have easily been moved to one of the large buildings that would have easily accommodated them. Other activities that were scheduled (throughout the week), occur on other days or are located downtown. For example, the bed race occurred downtown today and there will be a symphony performance downtown tomorrow. If they would have all the activities in one area and concentrated the acts on the same day, this would probably feel like an actual festival. They also need to at least triple the number of vendors attending. As far as the cheery trees, I can actually see more just walking through my neighborhood. This was the biggest disappointment of all. How this activity ever came to be identified as an International Cherry Festival totally escapes any logic or understanding. While I understand the tendency to exaggerate and embellish, this just borders on false advertising and is really an embarrassment to the community. I believe in making an informed decision based on accurate information, and I hope that this review will be helpful for others who may consider a trip to Macon for the festival. Now you know! *****One of the vendors we saw, was a vendor who was demonstrating a multi-purpose vegetable peeler called the Superpeeler. This particular peeler is very unique because it is made in Switzerland, has a lifetime guarantee, and although very simple, can be used in a variety of ways. It was originally made for individuals with Arthritis who may have difficulty gripping. This one only requires the use of your pinky finger. The demo included simple peeling, shredding cabbage for cole slaw, slicing for potato chips, and cutting for French fries. While slicing, my husband hit the hand of the demonstrator who pointed out that this tool has a built in safety feature so that you don't cut yourself. It promises that the blade will never get dull and carries a lifetime warranty. Just having another slicer in the kitchen that does a great job of lightly removing the skin from veggies was good enough. However, knowing that this tool was multi-purpose was a real bonus. My husband was very impressed so we eagerly purchased one. Although I love my current slicer, I would trade it for this one in a heartbeat! *****We also purchased Worley's Wonder which is this really great jewelry and eyeglass cleaner that was used on my husband's eyeglasses and my wedding set. It did a great job and two days later I noticed that it still looked good because it seemed to create a barrier against dulling agents. Since I use my hands quite a bit and wash them frequently, my rings just never seem to stay clean until now. This product has a clean, subtle smell, has no acid, ammonia or abrasives and is environmentally safe. It is safe for ALL jewelry including silver, stones, and even chrome, stainless steel and aluminum. I can't wait to try it on everything! ****Lowcreek Leather has great leather products and my husband was able to purchase the perfect belt. It was reviewed separately. read more