More spring festivals in Georgia

Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival – March 28 -29 at the Georgia International Horse Park. There are 300 booths of arts and crafts, food and fun, as well as live music. There is a $5 parking fee ($8 for both days) but no admission. They ask that you not bring pets. Conyers is east of Atlanta on I-20.

Fire Ant Festival, Ashburn – March 28.  In addition to the normal fun festival events (art show, Miss Fire Ant contest, pet parade, 5K run, poker run, street dance, pet parade and funnel cake) there’s a strawberry cookoff, a carnival with rides, and a Fire Ant “Fly In”, which includes a competition to bomb the fire ant hills. (They offer free rides for kids also.) Ashburn is about an hour south of Macon on I-75.

Folklife in Georgia Festival, Danielsville – April 1 from 1 – 5. If you are looking for the rural south that has, for the most part, disappeared, this is the place to see it. There’s food, arts and crafts including blacksmithing, oak and bark baskets, spinning and weaving, pottery, herbal soap-making, quilting, painting, woodcarving, even corn shuck dolls. There’s also a cookie contest, an old fashioned barn-dance (from 6 – 9 p.m.) and a pinto bean and corn bread dinner. There will be a variety of old-time music too – spirituals, traditional, blue grass and blues. Danielsville is east of a line drawn between Commerce and Athens, in Madison County. From Athens, follow 29 north, Memorial Park is on the right just before the courthouse. The dance is inside the Old Danielsville Elementary School gym, next to the park. If the weather is bad, the entire festival will be inside. No charge for the festival, $5 admission to the dance. Bring a canned good or staples for the Madison-Banks County food pantry.