Original reporting: March 27, 2020. This retrospective was published in September 2026.
Featured image: Third Street Park fountain, from WGXA’s original report.
When Macon’s in-person Cherry Blossom Festival was canceled in 2020, the celebration found a way to reach people at home. WGXA’s March 27 report covered the virtual festival experience and the release of Cherry Blossom Party Time.
The story named Larry Najera Designs among the collaborators, alongside Macon Pops, the Otis Redding Center for Creative Arts, Mercer Music at Capricorn and the McDuffie Center for Strings.
Bringing the celebration to the screen
The production brought music and festival imagery together at a time when people could not gather for the usual events. It gave the community a way to share something familiar from a distance.
The video remains part of Larry’s Cherry Blossom creative work, connecting the festival’s live experience with an audience online. Its later recognition is covered in a separate article about the 2022 Gold awards.