By Deb Etzweiler Rowe CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Cherry Blossom Festival in Millersburg has been in full bloom for 30 years. The festival is always held the first Saturday in May, and began when approximately 28 local retailers formed the Millersburg Area Merchants Association, now known as Millersburg Area Working Together. These local business people were looking to promote the town’s virtues at its most beautiful time of the year. While many of these retailers are no longer present, new retailers have opened, and the festival is continuing to thrive. Each year, the event organizers hope the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom, but Mother Nature does not always cooperate. There have been years when the blossoms either bloomed early before the festival or were delayed until after the festival. Either way, the cherry blossoms are something that the local residents have always noticed and appreciate for the season. The Cherry Blossom Festival began as a three-day event with an Alumni Basketball Game Friday evening, a 5K Race Saturday and a dance Saturday evening.
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The 30th anniversary Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 4 in downtown Millersburg from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit millersburg pa.org/cherry-blossom-festival