BIBB COUNTY, Ga. — The largest park in Macon now bears the name of the founder of the Georgia International Cherry Blossom Festival, Carolyn Crayton.
The renaming of Central City Park to Carolyn Crayton Park was granted Tuesday night by the mayor and Macon-Bibb County commission.
Commissioners Larry Schlesinger, Joe Allen, Valerie Wynn, Mallory Jones, Bert Bivins and Elaine Lucas all co-sponsored the resolution saying it was needed after her 50+ years of service to Macon-Bibb County.
Carolyn Crayton's has been awarded numerous honors and recognition from all over the world.
She founded the International Cherry Blossom Festival, and she played a major role in the distribution of cherry blossom trees in Macon.
Not only is she the founder of the festival, but she also founded the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission, which planted cherry blossom trees in the Wesleyan Woods neighborhood.
Today, the mission of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission continues and Macon is now home to more than 300,000 of the blossoming beauties.
The list of honors she's received is long, but to name a few, she's received the the Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson award, the Georgia Festival Director of the Year award, and the Clean and Beautiful Woman of the Year award, which was renamed in her honor.
In 2001, US Senator Saxby Chambliss, introduced a resolution honoring Crayton for her dedication to Macon-Bibb.
The park is the largest in Macon at 250 acres and is located at 150 Willie Smokie Glover Dr.
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