The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival runs March 19-28, 2027, according to the festival’s own site — a confirmed ten-day window built around the city’s roughly 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees. The ticketed festival hub, Carolyn Crayton Park, charges $10 a day (kids 10 and under are free), while the free half of the festival — the driving trail, neighborhood tree displays, and downtown events — costs nothing.
This guide covers confirmed dates and hours, what’s free versus ticketed, where the trees actually are, parking, and the honest answer on whether peak bloom lines up with the festival calendar (it doesn’t always). Macon sits about 85 miles south of Atlanta, roughly 1 hour 25 minutes via I-75 South, so this is an easy day trip or overnight.
Quick answer: book Carolyn Crayton Park admission and a hotel now if you’re planning around 2027, watch the festival’s live BloomCam in the two weeks before you travel, and don’t expect the trees to be at peak bloom just because the calendar says festival week.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does it cost? | The driving trail and neighborhood tree viewing are free; Carolyn Crayton Park charges $10 per day for ages 11 and up, and children 10 and under are free. |
| How long should we budget? | Two to four hours for Carolyn Crayton Park, or about half a day if you drive the Cherry Blossom Trail. |
| When is it in 2027? | March 19-28, 2027, per the festival official site; in other years, expect roughly ten days each March. |
| What is the best time to go? | Weekday mornings. Monday-Thursday before 5pm is the least crowded stretch, and Saturday is the busiest day. |
| Where do we park, and what does it cost? | Parking at Carolyn Crayton Park is free, and downtown Macon garages are typically free on weekends during the festival. |
| Are dogs allowed? | Service animals only inside Carolyn Crayton Park. The free trail and public sidewalks downtown are generally pet-friendly. |
| How far is it from Atlanta? | About 85 miles, roughly 1 hour 25 minutes via I-75 South. |
What is the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival?
The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual, roughly ten-day celebration of the city’s Yoshino cherry trees, split between a ticketed park venue and free citywide viewing. It started in 1982 under the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission, founded by Carolyn Crayton, and the first festival was held March 23, 1982 at Third Street Park as a birthday tribute to William A. Fickling Sr. — the Macon resident in whose backyard the city’s original Yoshino tree was discovered in 1949.
The first organized planting followed in 1973, when about 500 Yoshino trees went into the ground along Wesleyan Woods, Guerry Drive, and Oxford Road. Today the festival’s own count puts the citywide total at more than 350,000 trees, concentrated along the Cherry Blossom Trail — which includes Wesleyan Drive — plus Third Street Park and residential streets across Macon, not just inside the ticketed park.
When is the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival in 2027?
The confirmed 2027 Macon Cherry Blossom Festival runs March 19-28, 2027, per the festival’s official site. If you’re reading this in a different year and no dates are posted yet for the edition you’re planning around, use the recurring pattern instead: about ten days each March, timed loosely to bloom rather than a fixed calendar date.
| Day | Carolyn Crayton Park Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday-Thursday | Noon-9pm |
| Friday | Noon-10pm |
| Saturday | 10am-10pm |
| Sunday | Noon-9pm (varies by week — confirm before you go) |
Those are gate hours for Carolyn Crayton Park (CCP), the festival’s paid venue. The free driving trail and neighborhood tree displays have no set hours — you can drive or walk them any time of day during the ten-day window.
How much does the festival cost?
- Carolyn Crayton Park gate: $10 per day for ages 11 and up; children 10 and under enter free, per the park’s official hours-and-admission page.
- Carnival rides inside CCP: a separate pay-one-price wristband — $20 Monday-Friday, $25 Saturday-Sunday — is required on top of gate admission, per the festival’s ticket page.
- Nightly Concert Series: included with CCP gate admission — no extra ticket needed.
- Downtown events: the driving trail, neighborhood tree viewing, and events like Food Truck Frenzy have no gate fee — they’re free.
- Presale tickets: unlimited-ride and presale gate passes for CCP are sold in advance on the festival’s site; buying ahead is worth it if you already know which day you’re going.
In short: if your goal is just to see cherry blossoms, you can do the entire Macon Cherry Blossom Festival for free by sticking to the driving trail. The $10 gate only buys you into the concerts, vendors, and rides at Carolyn Crayton Park.
| Ticket or pass | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Carolyn Crayton Park gate, ages 11 and up | $10 per day | Entry to the ticketed park: vendors, grounds and the Nightly Concert Series |
| Carolyn Crayton Park gate, children 10 and under | Free | Same park entry |
| Carnival ride wristband, Monday-Friday | $20 | Pay-one-price rides inside the park, required on top of gate admission |
| Carnival ride wristband, Saturday-Sunday | $25 | Pay-one-price rides inside the park, required on top of gate admission |
| Nightly Concert Series | Included with gate admission | No separate ticket needed |
| Cherry Blossom Trail and neighborhood tree viewing | Free | No gate fee, no set hours during the ten-day window |
| Downtown events such as Food Truck Frenzy | Free | No gate fee |
| Parking at Carolyn Crayton Park | Free | Two paid lots also on site, plus free park-and-walk areas flagged along Walnut Street |
Where do you park, and what does it cost?
Parking for the festival at Carolyn Crayton Park is free, and multiple downtown Macon parking garages are also free to the public on weekends during the festival, per the festival’s plan-your-stay page.
- At Carolyn Crayton Park: the festival’s FAQ describes two paid lots plus free “park and walk” areas marked with pink flags along Walnut Street; accessible parking is inside the park at the United Building lot.
- Downtown Macon (non-festival rate): five garages charge $1 per hour with a $6 daily maximum on weekdays, per Park Macon — but expect weekend garage parking to be free during the festival window, per the festival’s own guidance.
- Shuttles: no dedicated festival shuttle is advertised on the official site. Downtown is flat and walkable once you’ve parked, and the Macon Transit Authority runs regular city buses Monday-Saturday, 5:30am-11pm, for anyone without a car.
- From Atlanta: Groome Transportation runs shuttle service between Hartsfield-Jackson and Macon if you’re flying in and skipping the drive.
What is the best day and time to avoid crowds?
Weekday mornings and early afternoons at Carolyn Crayton Park are your best bet for smaller crowds — Saturday is the longest and busiest day, with 10am-10pm hours and the highest ride price ($25). If you only want to see blossoms and skip the park entirely, drive the trail on a weekday morning before 10am, when traffic and foot crowds on residential streets like Wesleyan Drive are lightest.
- Least crowded: Monday-Thursday, especially before 5pm.
- Busiest: Saturday, all day — plan to arrive at CCP right at gate opening (10am) if you’re going that day.
- Trail driving: early morning light is also better for photos of the trees along the residential streets.
What is the festival like with kids?
Kids 10 and under get into Carolyn Crayton Park free, and the pay-one-price ride wristband covers the carnival-style rides inside the park. The Nightly Concert Series is included with gate admission if you want to make an evening of it as a family.
- Strollers: welcome at CCP, but every stroller is searched and tagged by security at the gate, and the tag must stay on the stroller while you’re inside.
- Restrooms: limited indoor facilities at CCP; the festival adds portable restrooms outside the park and around downtown events.
- Bag rules: only a clear bag and one unopened water bottle are allowed inside CCP, so plan snacks accordingly before you go through the gate.
- Chaperone rule: kids 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older inside CCP.
- Free family option: the Pink Provisions Trail, a food-and-drink trail you follow through the Tour Macon app, works well for families who’d rather skip the paid gate entirely.
- Pair it with a break from crowds: Amerson River Park and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, both covered in our guide to things to do in Macon, GA, are free and give kids room to run between festival stops.
Can you bring a dog to the festival?
Only service animals are permitted inside Carolyn Crayton Park — regular pets, including dogs, are not allowed at the ticketed venue, per the festival’s own policies and procedures page. Downtown Macon events tied to the festival, like the driving trail and neighborhood tree viewing, are outdoor and generally pet-friendly on public sidewalks, but the paid park is a hard no for dogs.
If you want a dog-friendly cherry blossom trip, skip CCP and stick to the free trail, or plan a stop at Rose Hill Cemetery or Amerson River Park — both leash-friendly and detailed in our Macon guide linked above.
Where to Stay
Festival week is Macon’s busiest of the year, so book lodging as early as possible once dates are confirmed. The festival names an official Carolyn Crayton Park hotel (Hilton Garden Inn, near Mercer University Stadium) and an official VIP hotel (Hotel 45, downtown), per the festival’s plan-your-stay page — both are convenient if you’re spending most of your time at CCP or downtown events.
For a broader look at where to eat and what else to see downtown, use our full Macon, GA things-to-do guide. If you’re combining Macon with a longer trip from Atlanta, see our weekend getaways from Atlanta itinerary. Planning more than one festival this year? Our Atlanta Dogwood Festival guide and the full Georgia events calendar cover what else is on the schedule.
What to Skip and Common Mistakes
- Don’t assume festival dates equal peak bloom. The festival window is set roughly a year in advance; bloom timing depends on that spring’s temperatures and can land before or after the ten days.
- Don’t assume the trees are only at Carolyn Crayton Park. Most of the 350,000-plus trees are in neighborhoods and along streets like Wesleyan Drive, not inside the ticketed venue — the free driving trail is the better way to see volume.
- Don’t bring a cooler, tent, outside food, or drone into CCP — all are banned at the gate, and bags are subject to search.
- Don’t bring your dog to CCP. Service animals only.
- Don’t wait until Saturday if you want cheaper rides — the $20 wristband on weekdays jumps to $25 on Saturday and Sunday.
Will the trees be in bloom when you go?
Be honest with yourself about bloom risk: the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival’s dates are fixed well ahead of time, but Yoshino cherry blossoms respond to that year’s actual weather, not the calendar. March 23 was the peak bloom day the year the festival began in 1982 — a coincidence that doesn’t repeat every year. A warm February can push peak bloom before the festival starts; a cold snap can push it past the festival’s final day.
The festival runs a live BloomCam pointed at Wesleyan College — check it in the two weeks before you travel rather than booking blind around fixed dates. No official rain-cancellation policy for outdoor festival events was published on the festival’s site as of this writing; confirm day-of conditions on the official site or its social channels before heading out.
Which version of the festival should you do?
| If you… | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only have a few hours | Drive the Cherry Blossom Trail, Wesleyan Drive included, on a weekday morning before 10am | The trail is free, has no set hours during the ten-day window, and holds the bulk of the city’s 350,000-plus Yoshino trees. Traffic and foot crowds on the residential streets are lightest before 10am. |
| Want to do it for free | Skip the Carolyn Crayton Park gate and stick to the trail, Third Street Park, Food Truck Frenzy, and the Pink Provisions Trail in the Tour Macon app | All of those carry no gate fee. The $10 per day gate only buys you the vendors, carnival rides, and the Nightly Concert Series inside the park. |
| Can only come on a Saturday | Be at the Carolyn Crayton Park gate right at 10am opening | Saturday runs the longest hours of the week, 10am-10pm, and is the busiest day of the festival. The carnival ride wristband also costs $25 Saturday and Sunday versus $20 Monday-Friday. |
| Have a toddler and a stroller | Bring the stroller to Carolyn Crayton Park, but eat before the gate | Strollers are welcome, though security searches and tags every one and the tag has to stay on inside. Only a clear bag and one unopened water bottle are allowed through, and kids 10 and under get in free. |
| Are bringing the dog | Skip the ticketed park and walk the free trail and downtown sidewalks instead | Only service animals are permitted inside Carolyn Crayton Park. The driving trail and neighborhood tree viewing are outdoors and generally pet-friendly on public sidewalks. |
| Are worried the trees will not be open yet | Watch the festival’s BloomCam, pointed at Wesleyan College, in the two weeks before you travel | The ten-day window is fixed about a year ahead, but Yoshino bloom follows that spring’s weather – a warm February can push peak bloom before the festival, and a cold snap can push it past the final day. |
| Do not have a car | Base yourself downtown and use Macon Transit Authority buses, or take Groome Transportation in from Hartsfield-Jackson | Downtown is flat and walkable once you have parked, city buses run Monday-Saturday from 5:30am to 11pm, and no dedicated festival shuttle is advertised on the official site. |
FAQ
When is the next Macon Cherry Blossom Festival?
The 2027 festival is confirmed for March 19-28, 2027, per the festival’s official site. If you’re checking for a later year and no dates are posted, expect the same pattern: roughly ten days each March.
Is the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival free?
The driving trail, neighborhood tree viewing, and events like Food Truck Frenzy are free. Carolyn Crayton Park, the ticketed venue with concerts and rides, charges $10 per day for ages 11 and up; kids 10 and under are free.
Will the cherry trees actually be in bloom during the festival?
Not guaranteed. Bloom timing depends on that spring’s weather and doesn’t always line up with the fixed festival dates. Check the festival’s BloomCam in the days before you travel for a real-time read.
Are dogs allowed at the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival?
Only service animals are allowed inside Carolyn Crayton Park. The free downtown driving trail and neighborhood tree viewing are outdoors and generally pet-friendly on public sidewalks.
Where can I see the most cherry blossom trees in Macon?
The Cherry Blossom Trail, which includes Wesleyan Drive, along with Third Street Park and residential neighborhoods across Macon, hold the bulk of the city’s more than 350,000 Yoshino trees — not Carolyn Crayton Park itself.
Where should I park for the festival?
Parking at Carolyn Crayton Park is free, with paid and free options on-site. Downtown Macon’s parking garages are typically free on weekends during the festival; on weekdays they run $1 per hour with a $6 daily maximum.
Should we go on a weekday or a Saturday?
Go on a weekday if your schedule allows. Monday through Thursday at Carolyn Crayton Park is the least crowded stretch, especially before 5pm, and the carnival ride wristband is $20 Monday-Friday instead of $25 on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday runs longest, 10am-10pm, and is the busiest day of the festival.
Is the $10 Carolyn Crayton Park gate worth it, or is the free trail enough?
It depends on what you came for. The $10 gate is the only way into the concerts, vendors and carnival rides, and the Nightly Concert Series is included with it. If you mainly want blossoms, the free Cherry Blossom Trail and neighborhood streets hold the bulk of the 350,000-plus Yoshino trees, so the free half is enough.
Is the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival doable as a day trip from Atlanta?
Yes. Macon is about 85 miles south of Atlanta, roughly 1 hour 25 minutes via I-75 South, and the festival needs two to four hours at Carolyn Crayton Park or about half a day for the driving trail. A weekday works best: drive the trail in the morning, then go through the gate when it opens at noon Monday-Thursday.
What should you do if you only have a couple of hours in Macon?
Drive the Cherry Blossom Trail, which includes Wesleyan Drive, and skip the ticketed park. It costs nothing, has no set hours during the ten-day window, and holds the bulk of the more than 350,000 Yoshino trees. Go on a weekday morning before 10am, when crowds on the residential streets are lightest and the light is better for photos.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- International Cherry Blossom Festival – official site
- Cherry Blossom Festival – About the Festival
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Cherry Trees history and locations
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Carolyn Crayton Park hours & admission
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Plan Your Stay (parking, lodging, transportation)
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Policies & Procedures
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Help / FAQ
- Cherry Blossom Festival – Tickets
- Cherry Blossom Festival – BloomCam
- Park Macon – downtown parking options & rates
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
