Longtime food vendors return for 43rd Cherry Blossom Festival

The Pinkest Party on Earth has seen some vendors return for decades.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – For some food vendors traveling year-round along the east coast, there’s something about the Cherry Blossom Festival that sets it apart from all the other stops.

“We come out here for great entertainment, a great time, to serve some great pizza and enjoy all our friends here in Georgia,” said Brian Gillette, the owner of Gillette’s Pizza and Lemonade.

Gillette says he travels from New York to Florida with a variety of pizzas, calzones, pasta bowls and much more. The item most likely to catch your attention, though, is his signature dill pickle pizza.

“I think it was a mistake one night, I’m not sure,” Gillette said. “I saw it somewhere online, and we tried it. It’s evolved. We’ve been doing it for about four or five years now, and every year it gets more and more popular.” 

Charlene Brown manages the Popcorn Wagon and says this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival is her 39th. She says her personal and the fan favorite item on the menu is the cotton candy, but there are several other options to choose from as well.

“We have cotton candy, candy apples, funnel cakes, fried Oreos, chicken tenders, fresh lemonade, slushies, we have it all,” Brown said. 

Based in Newport, Tennessee, Brown says her business also travels the east coast, with the Cherry Blossom Festival being the first stop on her calendar.

“The freshness of spring, the trees blooming, it’s just nice to be here,” Brown said. “This is our first spot, so we’re getting back into work. We’ve been off since November.” 

More than four decades into the business, Brown says the festival stands alone.

“There’s just nothing like it,” Brown said. “We don’t do anything else like this. The Cherry Blossom is just different.”

As for Gillette, this is year 30 at the festival. He says the enthusiasm of the team putting on the event and the crowds make the Pinkest Party on Earth stand out.

“The staff here, the management, the cherry blossoms, it’s a great atmosphere,” Gillette said. “It’s a fun time. We’re right next to the stage. You’ve got great food, great rides. Everything about it, it’s just an awesome event.”