Brookhaven is preparing to hold the first major music festival in metro Atlanta since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city is hosting the Cherry Blossom Festival summer block party this weekend at the Brookhaven MARTA station parking lot. With free performances from Collective Soul, Rick Springfield, The Revivalists and several other bands, it’s poised to be the second-largest music festival this weekend in the U.S., second only to Lollapalooza in Chicago, said Mayor John Ernst.
The mayor, who touted the idea for the festival earlier this year while events were still be canceled due to COVID fears, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he anticipates a good turnout Friday and Saturday. He said it’ll show the city’s resilience throughout the pandemic.
“I wanted us to be one of the first in the region. We were the first city to shut down. We were the first on lots of different things in Brookhaven,” Ernst said Thursday morning. “We wanted to be one of the first to say, ‘Let’s start celebrating the successes we have had,’ keeping in mind that it’s still not over, but for those vaccinated, it’s pretty much over.”
The block party comes at a time when COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising throughout the country, especially among unvaccinated populations. The recent rise in cases has prompted a few Georgia cities, namely Atlanta and Savannah, to reinstate their indoor mask mandates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued more strict mask guidelines.
Ernst said the Cherry Blossom Festival was always intended as an incentive to get vaccinated. Masks will not be required at the festival.
“If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask,” he said. “Everyone should feel safe.”
The festival, which is named after the city’s annual spring Cherry Blossom Blossom Festival, will take place from 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. The outdoor event will be at the MARTA parking lot on Apple Valley Road and Dresden Drive.
Ernst said it’s the first festival like this to take place on MARTA property. MARTA police will provide security for the event, which is free to attend. There is no on-site parking, so attendees are encouraged to take MARTA, one of the city’s shuttles or use a rideshare service. Masks are required on MARTA trains and buses.
In addition to the music performances, the festival will have a kids zone, food trucks and other vendors. This is the warmest week metro Atlanta has seen so far this year, and Ernst said cooling stations and free water will be available. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own water, but coolers are not allowed. Only clear bags will be permitted.
“I expect to see families bringing out their kids, and they’ll be in the bouncy houses,” Ernst said. “I expect people going up and down Dresden Drive, eating, drinking and having fun. I expect to see a lot of people walking in from the neighborhoods and MARTA trains full of people coming in.”
On Saturday, the Budweiser Clydesdales will lead a noontime parade in honor of healthcare workers and first responders.
Ernst said that while COVID hangs over the event, he expects people will be able to “have some good times and be safe out there.”
“This is a way for the vaccinated folks to come out safely,” Ernst said. “... Obviously the pandemic is not over and we didn’t expected it to be over when we announced it, but (the pandemic) is over for the most part for the people who are vaccinated.”
For more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit brookhavenga.gov/festival.
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