--- title: SR 976. Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr976 cite_as: SR 976, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr976 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr976.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr976/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74180 date: 2026-03-19 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr975.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr977.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr976.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 976 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-19 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Tonya Anderson - Kenya Wicks - Ed Harbison - Freddie Sims - Emanuel Jones - RaShaun Kemp - Sally Harrell - Michael Rhett - Jaha Howard - Randal Mangham - Nan Orrock - Kim Jackson - Elena Parent - Harold Jones text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR976/2025 upstream_id: 2135915 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival - Georgia Senate resolution - Rockdale County - cultural events - Georgia-Japan relations --- # SR 976. Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival; commend ## Text Senate Resolution 976 By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Wicks of the 34th, Harbison of the 15th, Sims of the 12th, Jones of the 10th and others A RESOLUTION Commending and congratulating the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival for its outstanding efforts to foster a long and steady friendship between the City of Conyers and country of Japan; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the 45th Annual Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival, presented by Robins Financial Credit Union with Signature Sponsor Render Turner Lake, will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22, 2026, at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia—the 2026 theme, "Rooted Together," celebrates the festival's deep roots of friendship, culture, and shared community legacy; and WHEREAS, the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival unites tens of thousands of participants from the region each year to encourage a greater understanding of Japanese culture and other diverse nations while celebrating 45 years of cultural history through international music, dance, arts, crafts, cuisine, games, and family entertainment; and WHEREAS, the history of the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival stems from the gifting of several Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees that were planted throughout the City of Conyers, signifying an alliance and symbolizing friendship between communities and cultures; and WHEREAS, these cherished gifts, also known as Sakura, were presented by Hideo Ogino, former President of Maxell Corporation of America, to represent the friendship between nations, the renewal of spring, and the ephemeral beauty of life; and WHEREAS, in 1982, Maxell and the Rockdale-Conyers Chamber of Commerce held the first Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival, scheduled during the blossoming of the beautiful Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees, which have been the subject of admiration in Japan since the Heian period more than 1,000 years ago; and WHEREAS, traditionally, the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival featured cooking classes, silk flower arranging, Oriental doll exhibits, Origami demonstrations, Kabuki theater, bonsai tree exhibits, karate demonstrations, and a Haiku contest—the festival continues to honor these cultural connections through international performances, art displays, and educational experiences; and WHEREAS, due to continued growth in attendance and exhibitors, the festival relocated from the grounds of Maxell to the Georgia International Horse Park in 1997, where it has flourished as one of the Southeast's most anticipated spring traditions; and WHEREAS, the 2026 festival also celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Georgia International Horse Park, the historic venue built for the 1996 Olympic Games, and in recognition of this milestone, it will feature the Running of the Torches, a ceremonial children's fun run honoring the Olympic spirit of 1996 and commemorating the venue's enduring Olympic legacy; and WHEREAS, the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival continues to carry on the tradition of this important community event, becoming one of the largest and most successful festivals in the Southeast; and WHEREAS, the festival remains deeply committed to children's education, art, and community engagement through year-long student initiatives including art projects, photography contests, poetry contests, and creative installations that beautify public spaces and celebrate local talent; and WHEREAS, partnerships with organizations such as the Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts, Rockdale County Public Schools, and the Rockdale County Chamber of Commerce help cultivate young artists and promote creativity through student art exhibits, community art installations, and public recognition ceremonies; and WHEREAS, additional community traditions surrounding the festival include auxiliary events such as scavenger hunts, student competitions, and sporting events including the GQHA Cherry Blossom Speed Class and the Cherry Blossom Open at the Iron Hoof Disc Golf Course; and WHEREAS, through the support of the City of Conyers, the Georgia International Horse Park, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners, the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival has received numerous honors, including recognition at the 2026 Kaleidoscope Awards presented by the Southeast Festivals and Events Association, earning Bronze for Best Children's Event, Bronze for Best Program, and Gold for Best Event with a Budget Under $75,000, one of the organization's top honors; and WHEREAS, the festival was also named Best Festival in the Best of the Best Awards presented by The Rockdale Citizen and has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Signature Event of the Southeast. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend the City of Conyers and the Georgia International Horse Park for their dedication to fostering cultural appreciation, community pride, and artistic expression through the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body congratulate the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival on the remarkable occasion of its 45th anniversary; extend sincere appreciation to Robins Financial Credit Union as Presenting Sponsor and Render Turner Lake as Signature Sponsor; recognize the many community partners, sponsors, volunteers, and organizations whose support helps make the festival possible; and offer best wishes for its continued success in strengthening unity, celebrating culture, and bringing communities together for many years to come. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution commends the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival on its 45th anniversary, recognizing its role in building cultural ties between Conyers and Japan. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate honoring the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival, which marks its 45th year in 2026. The resolution recounts the festival's history, starting with Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees gifted in 1982 by Hideo Ogino of Maxell Corporation of America to symbolize friendship between Conyers and Japan, and traces its growth into one of the Southeast's most recognized spring festivals. The Senate formally commends the City of Conyers and the Georgia International Horse Park for supporting the festival, congratulates festival organizers on the anniversary, thanks sponsors including Robins Financial Credit Union and Render Turner Lake, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to the festival. The resolution creates no new law, funding, or legal requirement; it is purely a formal expression of recognition. ### What it does - Commends the City of Conyers and the Georgia International Horse Park for supporting the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival. - Congratulates the festival on reaching its 45th anniversary in 2026. - Formally thanks Robins Financial Credit Union and Render Turner Lake for sponsoring the event, along with other community partners. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the festival organizers. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the City of Conyers, the Georgia International Horse Park, the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival organizers, and sponsors such as Robins Financial Credit Union and Render Turner Lake. It has no legal effect on the general public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences; it does not change any Georgia law or create funding. Its significance is symbolic, giving formal state recognition to a long-running local festival and the cultural relationship it represents between Conyers and Japan. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount the festival's founding in 1982 and its origin in Yoshino Cherry Blossom trees gifted by Hideo Ogino of Maxell Corporation of America. - The first resolved clause commends the City of Conyers and the Georgia International Horse Park for fostering cultural appreciation through the festival. - The second resolved clause congratulates the festival on its 45th anniversary and thanks named sponsors and community partners. - The final resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to the festival. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-19) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-19) - Sponsors: Tonya Anderson, Kenya Wicks, Ed Harbison, Freddie Sims, Emanuel Jones, RaShaun Kemp, Sally Harrell, Michael Rhett, Jaha Howard, Randal Mangham, Nan Orrock, Kim Jackson, Elena Parent, Harold Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74180 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr976.md?full=1