Celebrating the Heart of Georgia
Macon is known as the Festival Capital of Georgia. Our community hosts more than 20 festivals and events throughout the year with seasonal attractions for attendees of all ages. Witness the magic of wintertime by viewing a ballet or musical performance at the Grand Opera House. In March, stroll along and admire more than 350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees accompanied with concerts, exhibits, and food to fuel your walk. From food and beverage to artistic and cultural goods to celebrations of ethnic heritage, Macon has an event for everyone and every season.
- Spring Festivals
- Summer Festivals
- Fall Festivals
- Winter Festivals
- Cultural Festivals
Spring Festivals
Macon is the beloved home to more than 350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees – so it only makes sense that the International Cherry Blossom Festival is hosted right here in the Heart of Georgia. Established in 1982, this bed-racing, food truck-filled festival has become an essential part of what spring means in Macon. The Mulberry Street Arts & Crafts Festival highlights local vendors, crafts and one-of-a-kind pieces. Fired Works is a nine-day event hosted by the Macon Arts Alliance, showcasing more than 4,000 functional and sculptural installations by regional and local artists. The Magnolia Soap Box Derby (dating back to the 1930s) is as wholesome as it gets. Hundreds of people come out to watch professional-grade and community-built vehicles race down Magnolia Street hill in this long-standing Macon tradition. To quench your thirst, the Just Tap’d Craft Beer Festival offers music, games, and food to usher in spring and the warm weather.
Summer Festivals
The Bragg Jam festival showcases a series of concerts featuring local, regional and national acts with family activities benefitting the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and other civic improvements. Promoting the spirit of ingenuity and creativity is the Macon Film Festival, where the talents of independent filmmakers are showcased on the big screen. Other summertime activities include a series of Farmers Markets, where the community comes together through the power of fresh food.
Fall Festivals
Welcoming crisp, cider-filled days is easy in Macon. The popular Macon Beer Fest offers more than 100 varieties of beer ranging from IPAs to stouts to ciders. For those who prefer to surround themselves with burgers instead of beer, join us for Macon Burger Week. You can find all the fixin’s and burger creations at this popular finger-licking festival. If you’re not a foodie, there’s always the Fire & Ice Pottery Show, a seven-day exhibition featuring more than 30 ceramic and glass artists from Central Georgia and the Southeast. Check out this festival for tours, events, and artistic workshops. To kick off your holiday season, immerse yourself in the Festival of Trees, featuring trees decorated by local Macon businesses, artists, and community organizations.
Winter Festivals
Winter has never felt so warm in Macon. Our Main Street Christmas Light Extravaganza features more than 80 restaurants and retailers along a walkable and decorated downtown. The parade is illuminated by 500,000-plus lights which move and shine in sync with music performed by the Macon Pops orchestra. Other local wintertime favorites include the annual Goodwill Gala, featuring live entertainment with food and beverages prepared by Helms Culinary College chefs and students, and the performance of the Nutcracker at the Grand Opera House. Rounding out the winter months is the lively and soulful All That Jazz Concert and Ball fundraiser, with proceeds donated to the Tubman Museum.
Cultural Festivals
The Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration, which hosts one of the largest Native American gatherings in the Southeast, invites craftsmen, dancers, and storytellers to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The Central Georgia Greek Festival, features live music, dancing, traditional meals and tours of the restored Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church. The Tubman Museum hosts the Pan African Festival, a two-day festival centered on themes of unity, love, and peace. Music, dance, art, and stories stemming from the African Diaspora are shared during this festival.
