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Atlanta is a busy city, and there is always
something fun going on. It can be hard to remember
everything; we have compiled a month-by-month guide
to the best annual events happening in the city.
Be sure to check our monthly
Family Fun Guide
Calendar for the most up-to-date listings for
events in your neighborhood!
January
Atlanta Parent Camp Expo. With booths
from dozens of favorite overnight and day camps,
find the one that fits your kids. Several expos
per year. 678-222-1915. www.atlantaparent.com.
Martin Luther King Jr. Historical site. To honor
Marin Luther King Jr. Day, visit this historical
landmark. 404-331-5190 or 404-331-6922.
Baby and Kid Expo. Parents-to-be and veterans
alike can explore an array of baby and child
products. Cobb Galleria Center; 770-395-7900.
Special Olympics Georgia State Indoor Games.
Athletes in this annual event compete in various
sports, from hockey and basketball to bowling
and weightlifting. Cobb Civic Center;
770-414-9390. www.specialolympicsga.org.
Winter Storytelling Festival. Come in from the
cold and enjoy a few heart-warming tales as
entertainers explore this age-old form of
sharing cultures and history through
storytelling. Kennesaw State University Center;
404-329-9950. www.kennesaw.edu.
February
Braves Winter FanFest. At this meet and
greet, Braves fans can meet their sports heroes
face to face, get autographs and more. Turner
Field; 404- 614-2363.
Southeastern Flower Show. A benefit for
the Atlanta Botanical Garden, this event
features displays, demonstrations, workshops and
children’s activities. Georgia World Congress
Center; 404-351-1041. www.flowershow.org
Groundhog Day Festival. Come celebrate
the possible coming of spring with jugglers from
around the world, yo-yo competitions, live music
and more. Grady High School; 770-427-3903.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Be dazzled by the lion tamers, amazed by the
acrobats and tickled by the clowns at this
world-renowned circus. Philips Arena;
404-249-6400. www.ringling.com.
Big Apple Circus. You’ll be entertained
by clowns and other European-inspired circus
acts at this one-ring circus. Stone Mountain
Park; www.bigapplecircus.org.
UniverSoul Circus. Featuring traditional
circus acts set to gospel, jazz and blues music,
UniverSoul proclaims itself to be the only
African-American-owned circus. Turner Field;
404-588-1235. www.universoulcircus.com.
Black History Month Events. Celebrate
Black History month with educational events held
at the Atlanta History Center, Fernbank Museum
of Natural History, The King Center and the MLK
Historical site.
• Atlanta History Center. 404-814-4000.
www.atlantahistorycenter.com
• Fernbank Museum of Natural History.
404-929-6300. www.fernbank.org
• The King Center. 404-526-8900.
www.thekingcenter.org
• MLK Historical Site. 404-331-5190.
www.nps.gov/malu
March
Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival. This
month-long event includes art exhibits,
music, a road race, sports tournaments and
more. International Horse Park;
770- 602-2606. conyerscherryblossom.com.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Get in the
spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with this parade that
runs through the heart of the city and includes
family-fun entertainment, music and Irish dancers.
Downtown Atlanta; www.stpatsparadeatlanta.com.
Purim Carnival. Come in a costume,
play games, win prizes, and enjoy a Megillah
reading, eating hamantaschen and more. Marcus Jewish
Community Center; 770-396-3250. www.atlantajcc.org.
April
Children’s Fishing Rodeo. Fisher guys
and gals 15 and younger can enter fishing
competitions to win prizes at this annual
event at the John Tanner State Park.
Carrollton;
770-830-2222.
Yaarab Shrine Circus Carnival.
Clowns, elephants and more will gather under the big
top in this fun-filled carnival and circus for all
ages. Jim R. Miller Park, Marietta; 770-425-2331.
Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Adults and
children will enjoy this outdoor arts festival, with
exhibits by local and national
artists, children activities, food, music and more.
Piedmont Park; 404-817-6642. www.dogwood.org.
Georgia Renaissance Festival. Only
the dragons are missing as jesters, kings and other
merrymakers come to Georgia and relive the olden
days of Camelot. Fairburn;
770-964-8575. www.garenfest.com.
Opening Day at Turner Field. April
means baseball, so support the Braves on their
Season Home Opener. Braves souvenirs are handed out
to early-bird fans while fun on the field keeps kids
entertained. Turner Field; 404-522-7630.
www.atlantabraves.com
May
Atlanta Jazz Festival. Local talents,
as well as national musicians, will showcase
their range and abilities at this annual
music festival. Grant Park; 404-817-6815.
www.atlantafestivals.com
Snellville Days. This city-sponsored
festival features over 150 handmade crafts and food
vendors, a children’s activity area, live
entertainment, a dog and disc show, and historical
display. Briscoe Park; 770-985-3535.
www.snellville.org.
Sweet Auburn Festival. With food and
merchandise vendors, entertainers, art, music and
more, this is boasted to be the largest street
festival in the Southeast. Atlanta; 404-886-4469.
www.sweetauburn.com.
The Green Market. Running every
weekend through October, this open-air market
features fresh, local produce and herbs, fresh cut
flowers, baked goods, specialty foods and more; live
entertainment and kids’ activities also add to the
fun. Piedmont Park; 404-876-4024.
www.piedmontpark.org
June
Virginia-Highland Summerfest. As an
annual neighborhood event, Virginia-Highland
residents put together this free party that
includes local foods, bands and children’s
activities. John Howell Park; 404-222-8244.
Georgia Shakespeare Summer Festival.
Come one and all to this season-long event of
outdoor theater, where the crowd is also encouraged
to pack a lunch and picnic on the lawn. Oglethorpe
University; 404-264-0020.
Magnolia Storytelling Festival.
Spread a picnic under one of the large tents and
listen as storytellers, musicians and interpreters
from throughout Georgia and the Southeast gather to
entertain you and your family. Bulloch Hall;
770-640-3253.
RockFest. Gem, mineral and fossil
dealers from all over the Southeast display and sell
their geologic treasures on the lawn of the museum.
Weinman Mineral Museum, Cartersville; 770-386-0576.
Screen on the Green. This popular
film series is a great way to introduce kids to a
variety of classic Hollywood films. Bring dinner and
a blanket and enjoy a great film underneath the
stars. Piedmont Park; 404-876-4024.
www.piedmontpark.org
July
Butterfly Festival. Kids can view and
feed over 600 varieties of butterflies, as
well as ladybugs, honeybees and others, at
these large events. Chattahoochee Nature
Center; 770-992-2055.
www.chattnaturecenter.com. Dunwoody Nature
Center; 770-394-3322. www.dunwoodynature.org.
National Black Arts Festival. With
venues spread throughout the city, come see artists
of African descent perform dance, music, plays,
literature, visuals arts and more. Various
locations; 404-730-7315. www.nbaf.org.
Salute to America Parade. Bring your
family downtown for WSB’s annual Fourth of July
celebration. Centennial Olympic Park; 404-897-7855.
Fourth of July Fireworks. Come
celebrate Independence Day with at the largest
fireworks show in the Southeast. Lenox Square;
404-233-6767.
August
Festival of India. With displays rich
in both history and culture, this festival
explores all aspects of Indian life.
Gwinnett Civic Center; 770-623-4966.
www.myiaca.org.
Jewish Festival. This outdoor
festival is designed to showcase music,
foods, exhibits and dance that celebrate the
Jewish culture. Marcus Jewish Community
Center; 770-396-3250. www.atlantajcc.org.
Dino Dash. With a kid’s fun run and
5K race, this event is an activity that will get the
whole family moving. Perimeter Mall; 770-518-8002.
www.dinodashrun.com.
September
Yellow Daisy Festival. Arts and
crafts booths, as well as plenty of food and
music, will line the trails of the park as
over 400 vendors show their wares. Stone
Mountain Park; 770-498-5690.
www.stonemountainpark.com.
Atlanta Greek Festival. This four-day
festival is dedicated to celebrating the Greek
cultural with traditional foods, arts, music and
dance, all organized by members of the Cathedral
Congregation. Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the
Annunciation; 404-633-5870. www.atlgoc.org/festival.html
North Georgia State Fair. Fair food,
rides, concerts, pageants, exhibits and more flow
from this annual Marietta event. Jim R. Miller Park;
770-423-1330. www.northgeorgiastatefair.com
JapanFest. This weekend-long festival
offers visitors a wide variety of exhibitions and
hands-on workshops involving traditional Japanese
artistic and cultural pursuits. Stone Mountain Park;
404-842-0736. www.japanfest.org
October
Cumming Country Fair and Festival.
This annual festival changes daily, with
rotating daily exhibits, musical stages,
as well as attractions, rides and more.
Cumming Fairgrounds; 770-781-3491.
www.cityofcumming.net.
Day of the Dead Festival. Come
celebrate this day, also known as Halloween, while
learning about its origins. Atlanta History Center;
404-814-4000. www.atlhist.org.
Atlanta Parent Magazine’s Family Block
Party. Tons of arts and crafts activities, great
food and entertaining characters make this festival
a must for fall. Mercer University, Atlanta Campus;
678-222-1915. www.atlantaparent.com.
American Adventures Fall Family Festival.
Enjoy the Haunted Hayride, storytelling, pumpkin
decorating, Trick-or-Treat Street and pumpkin patch
on Saturdays and Sundays all month long. These
special events are in addition to the parks regular
rides, etc. American Adventures; 770-948-9290.
www.sixflags.com.
Pumpkin Festival. Celebrate the
season’s greatest gourd with Stone Mountain’s
pumpkin tree, pumpkin sculpting and talking
pumpkins. Face painting, live entertainment and a
pumpkin pie eating contest add even more fun. Stone
Mountain Park;
770-498-5690. www.stonemountainpark.com.
Corn Mazes. Acres of puzzling
entertainment for you and your family can be found
at mazes throughout the area including Cagle’s Dairy
Maize, Kernel Kob Corn Maze, Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze
and Pumpkin Patch Corn Maze and Washington Farms.
Also, be on the lookout for smaller mazes perfect
for toddlers and preschoolers.
November
Harvest Festival. Take a day trip
back in time to the pre-industrial South and
see how people managed without electricity,
cell phones and more. Actors give you a
great glimpse into the "good ol’ days."
Westville; 888-733-1850. www.westville.org.
Pow Wow and Indian Festival. Native
Americans from across the country will
gather to celebrate and showcase their
heritage. Hamilton. 706-628-7653.
www.ossahatchee.org.
Lighting of the Holiday Tree. On
Thanksgiving night, crowds gather at Underground
Atlanta to sing carols and watch the lighting of a
giant tree decorated with ornaments the size of
soccer balls. Downtown Atlanta; 404-523-2311.
Kaleidoscope Cinema Children’s Film
Festival. Kaleidoscope Cinema brings domestic
and foreign films for kids in Atlanta’s only
international children’s film festival. Lefont
Garden Hills Cinema; 404-255-0100.
www.kaleidoscopecinema.com.
Holiday Celebration at Stone Mounatin.
Featuring Santa and his elves, horse-drawn
carriages, holiday laser show and over 2 million
lights, the park will be open seven days a week from
Thanksgiving until New Year’s to celebrate the
season. Stone Mountain Park; 770-498-5702.
www.stonemountainpark.com.
December
Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker. The
Atlanta Ballet will produce and perform this
annual holiday classic during the Christmas
season. Fox Theatre; 404-873-5811.
www.foxtheatre.org.
Festival of Trees. As a fundraiser
for Egleston Children’s Hospital, view over
200 decorated Christmas trees and celebrate
the season with crafts, dance and music at
one of the city’s favorite holiday
festivals. Georgia World Congress Center;
404-785-6635.
Children’s Healthcare Christmas Parade.
Giant balloons and favorite cartoon character
inflatables make their way down Atlanta streets in
the annual Christmas parade sponsored by Egleston
Children’s Hospital. Downtown Atlanta; 404-785-8815.
Ice Skating at Centennial Olympic Park.
This activity is great for children of all ages;
it’s the only place in Atlanta where you can ice
skate outside. Skate rental is available. Downtown
Atlanta; 404-222-7275. www.centennialpark.com
Jingle Jog. Enjoy this 5K, Junior 2K
and Elf Run as a family. Each runner receives jingle
bells, Santa pays a visit, and the band plays
holiday favorites. Dogs and strollers are welcome.
Dunwoody; 770-888-9481. www.jinglejog.com.
Macy’s Pink Pig. Celebrate the season
with a traditional Atlanta landmark and ride on this
pink oinker under the Pink Pig tent at Lenox Mall.
Proceeds given to various non-profit organizations.
Lenox Square Mall; 770-913-5639.
Magical Nights of Lights. Drive
through the park and view thousand of light
displays, with the road ending at the Holiday
Village for hot chocolate and Christmas crafts. Lake
Lanier; 770-932-7200. www.lakelanierislands.com/mnol/
Peach Drop. Ring in the New Year with
your family and the traditional 800-ton Peach Drop!
Festivities for the family begin at noon, and the
celebration lasts all night. Underground Atlanta;
404-523-2311. www.peachdrop.com
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