There’s nothing quite like Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival.
Every year, at the end of March, people from all over Georgia, the United States, and even the world unite in the heart of Macon for a fun-filled week of food, shopping, live entertainment, and wiener dog races. It’s a great way to celebrate Macon’s culture, support local businesses, and share unforgettable experiences with neighbors and strangers alike. Oh yeah, and everything is pink.
Now that this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival has come to a close, we want to take a moment to look back at the festival’s roots…tree roots, that is. What’s the story behind the Cherry Blossom Festival? Why have we been crowned the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World” (no, seriously)? And, most importantly, where did it all begin?
Enter William Arthur Fickling, Sr.
You may recognize the last name “Fickling”, as it’s a very prominent name in Macon. This name is most notably attributed to Fickling & Company, a real estate and development firm that’s been in business for almost 90 years. One of its co-founders was none other than real estate magnate William Arthur Fickling, Sr., who in 1949, hired landscapers to help plant dogwood trees in his yard. However, rather than finding the dogwood’s trademark white blooms, Fickling instead discovered pink blooms. Unbeknownst to him, these blooms turned out to belong to the Yoshino cherry tree, a tree species native to Japan (and extremely rare to find in the South!). Fickling had no idea what this tree was, but he was in love, and he began asking around in search of answers. Surprisingly, nobody knew.
In 1952, Fickling went on a business trip to Washington, DC, and it was there that he discovered a tree that looked suspiciously like the one he had back at home. He compared some cut samples with the ones found in the Tidal Basin, and eureka! The trees were a match. After returning home, Fickling propagated his cherry tree and distributed clippings with the community, becoming Macon’s very own Johnny Appleseed. The number of Yoshino cherry trees in Macon grew throughout the years, slowly turning the city into a pink-tinged attraction for both residents and newcomers.
One of these newcomers was Carolyn Crayton.
In the early 70s, Carolyn Crayton had just relocated from North Carolina to Macon, and unsurprisingly, she was drawn to the Yoshino cherry trees that had been popping up all over the city. In fact, she was so enamored by these trees that she met up with Fickling and asked about the possibility of planting more in Macon. Fickling agreed to donate his trees…if she planted them.
The community loved the idea of this, and everyone from local families to small businesses got together to fund the project. On November 24, 1973, Macon saw approximately 500 Yoshino cherry trees planted, with the first trees being planted along Wesleyan Woods, Guerry Drive, and Oxford Road.
But that wasn’t the end of Crayton’s vision. With her appointment as Executive Director of the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission, she proposed the idea of a Cherry Blossom Festival, one that would celebrate the blossoming of the Yoshino cherry trees and honor Fickling’s contributions to the community.
And so, Macon’s first Cherry Blossom Festival launched on March 23, 1982 in Third Street Park. This date was significant not only because it was Fickling’s birthday, but it is also coincidentally the peak blooming day for Yoshino cherry trees. The festival was so popular among Macon residents and visitors that the city continued to celebrate the trees each March, growing from a 3-day festival to a month-long celebration. The festival also plays a significant role in Macon’s economic and cultural growth. Last year, the festival generated an economic impact of $6.5 million with over 200,000 visitors coming from Macon, out of state, and even out of the country! Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival has also been listed as one of the Top 20 Events in the South, Top 50 Events in the US, and Top 100 Events in North America!
Today, the Fickling Family Foundation continues to honor Fickling Sr.’s legacy by planting more and more trees in Macon. In fact, Macon currently has over 350,000 cherry blossom trees!
So, next time you find yourself at the Cherry Blossom Festival, take a look at the thousands of cherry blossom trees and thank Fickling Sr., Carolyn Crayton, and the Macon community for coming together to create an unforgettable celebration of Macon’s beauty!