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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 MACON MAGAZINE I 57 differently. We're going to use the food-truck craze that is going around the country so it will be the Food-Truck Frenzy." e Street Party will also differ slightly with one main stage. But Ferro said there will be multiple performers representing a range of music. e festival also includes a number of sanctioned events. One of the largest is the Mulberry Street Arts & Cra Festival, which happens on March 23-24, and features unique vendors from around the country. "(Middle Georgia Art Association) does a fabulous job with that," Ferro said. "ey are a great partner." Some of the other bigger sanctioned events include a 5K race and golf tournament. e festival also is working to line up a performance of students from China and an interactive kids show, as well as a return of a 3D chalk art event that was new in 2012. "e bulk of the events throughout the 10 days … are free," Ferro said. Cherry Blossom will close out with the Grand Finale at Wesleyan College where, as in years past, there will be music, kids activities and fireworks. Upcoming Events e planning for Cherry Blossom began months ago and includes several events leading up to opening day. "We kicked off the year with the ball drop," Ferro said of the New Year's Eve event. "It was a great way to kick off the festival. As we turn the corner from that great activity, we've got ourselves a lot of work to do, a lot of loose ends to pull together to lead up to a fabulous 10-day event." ere are several events lined up in February as Cherry Blossom draws closer. e festival will unveil its official artwork on Feb. 6 with a painting done by local artist Sterling Everett. Everett also designed a plate and mug for the festival while Mark Ballard Cherry Blossom Festival President and CEO Jake Ferro with the festival staff.