MACON, Ga. — The streets of Macon will be filled with Cherry Blossom events again on Friday and Saturday, if the weather cooperates.
One of them is the Mulberry Street Arts & Crafts Festival put on by the Middle Georgia Art Association. It began in 1970 before Carolyn Crayton brought the Cherry Blossom Festival to life.
The pandemic is still impacting the gallery’s bottom line, but that could change if you want to shop this year. The gallery has about 300 members and it’s ‘all hands on deck’ this time of year.
John Meyers is its board president. He says they start planning the next festival the day after every festival, and there’s a good reason why they put so much time into the event.
"That's where we make our money. That's our big fundraiser, it's way important," he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped the event off the books in 2020. The gallery already collected vendors fees for 2020, but the circumstances falling as they did, they gave vendors 50% off a booth this year.
Add in the pandemic restrictions in 2021 and the gallery is projected to lose around $50,000 this year.
"We usually have around 150 vendors. This year, because of social distancing, we will have more like 75-80,” Meyers projected.
He thinks they’ll survive, but it will be tight. If the gallery goes under, so does the arts and crafts festival.
"Which would be really sad because so many people look forward to Mulberry every year,” he said.
If you go this weekend, expect to get your temperature checked, and you'll see other changes too.
"We are requiring masks to be worn, and the vendors will be required to wear masks and social distancing,” said Meyes.
The show will go on with hopes of continuing as a Cherry Blossom Festival tradition for many years to come.
The Mulberry Street Arts & Crafts Festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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