Bicentennial Events
Visit. Celebrate. Explore. Learn.
Throughout Macon’s bicentennial year, 2023, we will be hosting a series of unique commemorative events and exhibits to highlight Macon200.
Be sure to bookmark this page to get all of the latest information on all of our upcoming events.
Make History in Macon This Year
Upcoming Events
Wini McQueen's Canopy Gallery: Grand Finale Celebrations
Fridays and Saturdays | 12PM – 4PM
Macon Mall
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy.
Macon, GA 31206
Throughout the month of December, stop by Wini McQueen’s Canopy Gallery for family friendly art displays, music, time capsule visitor experience and last minute holiday gift shopping!
Bicentennial Grand Finale: 200 Years of Song and Dance
TBD – Stay Tuned!
A spectacular concert will end the bicentennial in Macon’s brand-new state-of-the-art amphitheater with an overview of music and arts throughout our history, spanning 200 years and beyond of music heritage.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series, Part 12: Businesses
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
December 19, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on businesses and a survey of the enterprises that have fueled the economy for 200 years.
*Sanctioned event.
Past Events
Nutcracker of Middle Georgia, Inc.*
December 7-10, 2023 | 7:30PM
The Grand Opera House
651 Mulberry St.
Macon, GA 31201
Now in its 37th year in Macon, the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia’s annual December performances will be held at The Grand Opera House at 7:30 PM. There will be multiple performances December 7-10, 2023.
Mayor's Second Annual Sneaker Ball
December 8, 2023 | 8PM
Macon City Auditorium
415 1st St.
Macon, GA 31201
Bicentennial Arts Soirée
December 7, 2023 | 4PM – 6PM
Macon Mall
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy.
Macon, GA 31206
We are partnering with Macon Magazine for an evening of art and community, featuring artists Wini McQueen and Tanner Coleman.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series, Part 11: Iconic Maconites
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
November 21, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation about the heroes and villains who have shaped Macon’s story.
2023 Annual goodWill Gala
November 3, 2023 | 7PM
Anderson Conference Center
5171 Eisenhower Pkwy., Suite D
Macon, GA 31206
In collaboration with Goodwill and Helms College
ocmulgee to Okmulgee Art Exhibit
September 16- November 18, 2023
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays | 4-8PM
McEachern Art Center
332 2nd Street
Macon, GA 31201
An exhibition presented by McEachern Art Center featuring Randy Kemp (Euchee/Muscogee/Choctaw) and Bobby C. Martin (Muscogee)
All Blues Music and Arts Revival
Saturday, October 21, 2023 | 12PM to 12AM
Mill Hill Auditorium and Park
213 Clinton Street
Macon, GA 3121y
All Blues Cultural Preservation Society, the Macon-Bibb County Bicentennial Committee and Visit Macon present the inaugural All Blues Music & Arts Revival.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series, Part 10: Architecture & Neighborhoods
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
October 17, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on architecture and neighborhoods – celebrating the city’s rich and varied styles and types of buildings.
Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra Bicentennial Performance
October 16, 2023 | 7:30PM
The Grand Opera House
651 Mulberry St.
Macon, GA 31201
A bicentennial-themed work will premiere onstage during the 2023-2024 season opener of the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra.
Mercer University's Building the beloved community symposium
October 12 & 26, 2023 | 6-8:30PM
Willett Science Center Auditorium
1501 Mercer University Dr.
Macon, GA 31207
Split over two different evenings, this event features the release of a new video series that digs into Macon’s racial past.
Bragg Jam Presents Second Sunday
Sunday, October 8, 2023 | 6PM
Macon, GA
Featuring Macon’s own, Sean Solo! This is a free, family-friendly event open to the public.
Play Streets Macon: Main Street
October 7, 2023 | 2-5PM
Main Street – Clinton Street – Hydrolia Street
Macon, GA
Come and connect with friends and neighbors, spanning from Main Street to Clinton Street to Hydrolia Street, adjacent to the Mill Hill community, and the future site of Bicentennial Park!
"Fanning the Flames" With Bright City
Friday, October 6, 2023
2nd Street Alley
Macon, GA
Sponsored by NewTown Macon
Hispanic Celebration
Sunday, October 1, 2023 | 10AM – 4PM
Smiley’s Flea Market
6717 Hawkinsville Road
Macon, GA 31216
Bicentennial Art Show: A sense of Place
Opening September 22, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Macon Mall
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy.
Macon, GA 31206
Defining the essence of what makes our fair city uniquely Macon. A Sense of Place is a theme that implies nostalgia and attachment to the ground we walk on, while exploring what more that Macon could become.
Featuring Wini McQueen’s “The Canopy” Exhibit and rotating exhibits from March – end of the year.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 9: Places of Worship
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
September 19, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on places of worship: churches, synagogues, temples and mosques.
Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration
September 16-17, 2023 | 10AM – 5PM
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
The Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration features Southeastern Native American artists, craftsmen, and educators who share their cultures through music, dance, demonstrations and more.
firestarters: Indigenous Film Festival
September 14-16, 2023
Grand Opera House | Macon, GA
Fire Starters Film Festival complements the power of the Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration on the other side of the river, siting downtown Macon as a place to contemplate contemporary culture in the Muscogee (Creek) homelands.
Otis Redding Homecoming Weekend
September 8-9, 2023 | 8PM
The Capitol Theatre
382 2nd St.
Macon, GA 31201
Macon City Auditorium
415 1st St.
Macon, GA 31201
September 8, 2023 | 8PM at The Capitol Theatre
September 9, 2023 | 8PM at Macon City Auditorium
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 8: Cemeteries
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
August 15, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a journey through the many burial grounds where generations of our citizens have been laid to rest.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 7: Education
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
July 18, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on schools and colleges and the story of the city’s efforts to educate its young, traced through all 200 years.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 6: Mayors
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on Mayors and government officials, famous and infamous, from 1823-1923.
Juneteenth Freedom Festival & Parade*
June 17-19, 2023
The festival is June 17-18, with a parade in downtown Macon on June 19.
Bicentennial Art Show: Untold Stories
June 16, 2023-September 1, 2023
Macon Mall
3661 Eisenhower Pkwy.
Macon, GA 31206
Evoking important names, faces, and places that have been buried or unknown to Macon. Untold Stories is a theme that can simultaneously challenge our history and uplift Macon’s future by focusing on those who may feel forgotten or unappreciated. Featured artists Christopher I. Smith, Matt Odom, and DSTO Moore using the lens of photography.
Featuring Wini McQueen’s “The Canopy” Exhibit and rotating exhibits from March – end of the year.
Annual soul Jam*
May 28, 2023 | 3PM – Midnight
Henderson Stadium
2172 Anthony Rd.
Macon, GA 31204
Mr. Douglass's Theatre - The Documentary*
May 19, 2023 | 7PM
Douglass Theatre
355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Macon, GA 31201
“Mr. Douglass’s Theatre – The Documentary” is a feature-length film which covers the life of Macon’s only African American theatre in existence, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 5: Sports
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
May 16, 2023 | 6PM – 8PM
Peyton Anderson Amphitheater | Taylor Hall Building
4760 Forsyth Rd.
Macon, GA 31210
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm for a presentation on athletics and athletes in Macon.
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series: Part 3: Music & the Arts
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
March 21, 2023
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm.
4760 Forsyth Rd, Macon, GA 31210
Cherry Blossom Festival
March 17-26, 2023
Each March, Macon becomes a pink, cotton-spun paradise as over 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in all their glory. Originally a sleepy southern town, Macon has now become a bustling center of beauty and international friendship.
Bicentennial Art Show at Macon Mall
March 16, 2023
The Macon Mall will be hosting series of rotating art exhibits throughout 2023, starting with “Blossoming, Untold Stories, Sense of Place” featuring Wini McQueen’s “The Canopy.”
Nicole Persley Program
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
February 25, 2023 – 1:30pm
Join us on February 25th at 1:30PM at The Cannonball House for a special presentation from writer and genealogical researcher, Nicole Persley. Sponsored by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Please call (478) 745-5982 to reserve a seat now!
Macon200 Shines: A light on Our Journey
Part 2: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
Sponsored By The John S. And James L. Knight Foundation
February 21, 2023 – 6pm
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm.
4760 Forsyth Rd, Macon, GA 31210
Bicentennial Reception at the Tubman Museum
February 19, 2023 – 3-5pm
Join us at Tubman Museum, 310 Cherry St, Macon, GA 31201
This exhibition features portrait photos by Atlanta-based artist and photo-journalist Johnny Crawford, along with painted portraits by Macon’s own Wilfred Stroud.
The images by both artists pay tribute to Maconites who have contributed to the quality of life for all citizens, many without receiving any public recognition. We will present the Act of Courage Award to Mrs. Mary Stroud on behalf of her husband Wilfred Stroud at this event.
Julia Ellen Craft-Davis Presenting
February 6, 2023 – 6-8pm
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheatre 4760 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA 31210
Julia Ellen Craft-Davis will tell her story about the greatest escape from slavery by her great, great grandparents William and Ellen Craft and the autobiography entitled, “Running a Thousand Miles For Freedom.” Her great, great grandparents escaped slavery by traveling by train and steam boats and arriving in Philadelphia, PA. where slavery had been abolished. Seating is limited. RSVP to 478-745-5982 to reserve your seat!
Julia Ellen Craft-Davis Presenting
February 4, 2023 – 1:30-3pm
Join us at The Cannonball House, 856 Mulberry St., Macon, GA 31201
Julia Ellen Craft-Davis will tell her story about the greatest escape from slavery by her great, great grandparents William and Ellen Craft and the autobiography entitled, “Running a Thousand Miles For Freedom.” Her great, great grandparents escaped slavery by traveling by train and steam boats and arriving in Philadelphia, PA. where slavery had been abolished. Seating is limited. RSVP to 478-745-5982 to reserve your seat!
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey - Part 1: Origins - on First Friday Sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
February 3, 2023 – 6pm
Watch from Rosa Parks Square (415 First Street) as part one of Macon’s journey unfolds via artistic 3-D mapping along the walls of Macon City Auditorium in a sequence titled Origins. This cutting-edge technology has never been displayed in Macon – until now. This free event is open to the public.
Black History Celebration Game - Mercer Men's Basketball Game Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Integration at Mercer University
February 2, 2023 – 7pm
Join us at Hawkins Arena -University Center, 1400 Coleman Ave, Macon, GA 31207
Macon Trailblazers Activists Exhibit
Opens January 20, 2023
This exhibit will be hosted at the Tubman African American Museum.
310 Cherry Street. Macon, GA 31201
Macon200 Shines: A Light on Our Journey
Bicentennial History Series
Part 1: History of Macon-Bibb County 1823-2023
Sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
January 17, 2023
Join us at Wesleyan College, in the Taylor Hall Building at the Peyton Anderson Amphitheater from 6pm to 8pm.
4760 Forsyth Rd, Macon, GA 31210