MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County officials gathered Wednesday morning to honor the unofficial queen of the Cherry Blossom Festival!
Central City Park, the longtime home base for the festival, is now officially Carolyn Crayton Park!
Crayton helped found the festival in the 1980s, and she helped run the world's pinkest party for decades.
Crayton also founded the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission, which planted thousands of cherry trees around the city.
On Wednesday, the county dedicated a newly renovated entrance to Macon's largest park with her name.
Several people spoke at the ceremony, including Mayor Lester Miller, Commissioner Valerie Wynn, Cherry Blossom Festival Chair Kenny Burgamy, and more.
Lots of people dressed in pink to honor Crayton and the festival. She said she was proud of the park's benefits to the Macon community.
"Ten days of wonderful activity right here, every year. And we're so proud of it. It's great to have this park and be able to show the festival off to the world," she said.
Mayor Lester Miller spoke highly of Crayton and agreed that the park is a beautiful landmark in Macon.
"Ms. Carolyn Crayton is a true icon in our community," he said. "She has always gone above and beyond to showcase the beauty Macon-Bibb has to offer, and that includes this amazing park which hosts the Cherry Blossom Festival, back-to-school bashes, baseball games, skating, and hundreds of family gatherings."
The Commission passed a resolution to rename Central City Park to Carolyn Crayton Park in June 2020. In 2022, crews removed the gatehouses and ticket booths to make room for a renovated entrance, including a sign with the park's new name.