What a way to market a city!
The City of Brookhaven held its annual Cherry Blossom Festival on the afternoons of March 23 and 24.
An estimated 58,000 people came both days to enjoy musical acts that normally would cost a pretty penny to hear: Barenaked Ladies, LIVE, Crash Test Dummies, Sister Hazel, Lisa Loeb, Moon Taxi, Takiya Mason and Koyal.
Attendees also could enjoy an extensive artists’ market, a classic car show, a kids’ area and a food court.
The kicker? It was all free.
So, how is it possible to bring top-level bands and present the entire festival free to the public?
It’s because the City of Brookhaven is committed to giving back to its residents and visitors.
“Brookhaven’s founders envisioned a city that brings people together, which is a priority I intend to carry forward,” said Brookhaven Mayor John Park in a statement. “The first Cherry Blossom Festival took place when Brookhaven was barely three years old, and every year is a reaffirmation that we are fulfilling that vision.”
The 2024 festival was the largest ever in the eight festivals that have taken place over the past decade (remember COVID?) It attracted 13,000 more people than the 2023 festival. It is such a popular event that MARTA provides a frequent, direct shuttle from the Brookhaven Station to the festival, which takes place at DeKalb’s Blackburn Park.
“We had a few issues that can be improved upon for next year,” Park said. “And we begin that work on 2025 Cherry Blossom starting right now.”
The City of Brookhaven understands the value of putting on a free festival that attracts tens of thousands of people to its community.
“We could do an advertising campaign and not get the kind of benefits we get from putting on the festival,” explained former Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, a champion of…
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