Best Festivals in Atlanta: Spring and Summer 2018

Butterfly Festival at Chattahoochee Nature Center

These festivals are often free and include multiple children’s play areas, inflatables, face painting and arts and crafts stations. Our spring and summer festival picks in Atlanta bring so many ways to plan quality, weekend family time.

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Georgia Renaissance Festival

Artist demonstrations, juggling, fire show, jousting, a hypnotist, parrot show, acrobatics and more. Games, rides and festival foods. Here is our guide to the festival with kids. Through June 3.

Flying Colors Butterfly Festival at Chattahoochee Nature Center

See hundreds of native butterflies and plants. Enjoy crafts, face painting, live entertainment and more. June 2-3.

Peachtree Corners Festival at The Corners Parkway

Car show, arts and crafts, children’s area, live music, food and more. June 8-10.

Tunes from the Tombs at Oakland Cemetery

Bring beach chairs and blankets for this music festival featuring musicians performing among the historic cemetery. Field day activities, food trucks and more. Advance ticket purchase recommended. June 9.

Summerfest in Virginia-Highland

Artists market, children’s area, Tot Trot 5K and 5K Road Race plus food, music and more. June 9-10.

Summer Fun Festival at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds

Petting zoo, children’s area, costumed characters, live entertainment, games, activities, and more hosted by Lift Up Atlanta. June 16.

Caribbean Cultural Festival at Alexander Park

The Caribbean Association of Georgia presents Caribbean food and music, a children’s area, talent showcase and more. June 16.

Atlanta Ice Cream Festival at Piedmont Park

Ice cream samples and scoops for purchase, ice cream competition, fitness and children’s activities. July 28.

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Smyrna Birthday Celebration

Smyrna Village Green
Aug. 5. 6-10 p.m.
Music, festival foods, a giant birthday cake, fireworks and a children’s entertainment area.

Atlanta Back 2 School Food Festival

Mable House Barnes Amphitheater
Aug. 5. 11:30-5:30 p.m.
Children’s area, food trucks and parade. Bring school supplies or new school uniforms to “stuff the truck.” Parade begins at 11:30; food trucks at noon.

Decatur BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival

Downtown Oakhurst
Aug. 12. 2-9 p.m.
Sample barbecue from many different restaurants and hear live music.

Program Palooza

Ben Robertson Community Center
Aug. 12. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Kennesaw Parks & Recreation’s western-themed open house party with activities including cattle roping, gold panning and a kid-friendly shooting gallery.

Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’

Roswell Square Park
Aug. 27. 2-4 p.m. Taste more than 100 flavors of homemade ice cream and dive into ice cream eating contests to help benefit The Drake House. Enjoy live music and let kids work off energy in the children’s area. Don’t miss seeing who wins for best ice cream recipe.

Festival Peachtree Latino

Piedmont Park
Aug. 27. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Features hundreds of vendors, family activities, arts and crafts, international foods and live concerts.

Honeybee Festival

Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center
Aug. 27. 1-5 p.m.
Come learn about this crucial part of Georgia’s agriculture and economy. Find out what’s buzzing with bee games, crafts and honey samples. Preregister.

Piedmont Park Arts Festival

Features 250 artists on display as well as demonstrations, live acoustic music, a children’s area and festival foods in August.

Taste of Johns Creek

Sample more than 20 bites from local restaurants in August. There will also be an art walk, live music, local entertainment and children’s area.

Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival

Adams Park
Aug. 25 and 26. Fri. 6-10 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Enjoy live music and family entertainment, a children’s area featuring infl atables, games, food and arts and crafts.

Summer Shade Festival

Grant Park
Aug. 26, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Artist market, stages featuring live music and a children’s area with storytellers, puppet shows and art activities.

Butterfly Festival

This year’s event in August at Dunwoody Nature Center will feature two enormous Butterfly tents – each filled with hundreds of live butterflies. The day is full of fun activities including a Birds of Prey show, live animal encounters, games, educational booths and more.

Macon Cherry Blossom Festival

This festival includes events and activities throughout Macon with over 300,000 cherry blossoms in bloom as the backdrop. Featured events include the festival parade and Central City Park amusement rides. March 16-25.

Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival at Blackburn Park

The festival includes musical performances, a children’s area, 5K and 1K race, dog show area and more. March 24 and 25.

Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival at Georgia International Horse Park

Hundreds of arts and crafts booths, children’s activities, musical entertainment and food vendors. March 24 and 25.

Wild Azalea Festival at Reynolds Nature Preserve

Azalea showcases, guided nature hikes, face painting, animal shows and more. April 7.

Festival on Ponce at Olmsted Linear Park

150 local and regional artists, children’s area, local food and more. April 7-8.

Atlanta Streets Alive in Downtown Atlanta

Bike parade at 1:30 p.m. then enjoy biking, skating or walking down the car-free streets. Local businesses will have booths and displays along the route. April 8.

Taste of Newnan in Downtown Newnan

Samples from local restaurants plus live entertainment, kid zone, carnival rides and more. April 12.

Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park

Three-day festival features artists from around the country, musical performances, kids village with inflatables, arts and crafts, face painting, rock climbing and more. April 13-15.

Acworth Art Fest in Downtown Acworth

Over 100 artists displaying paintings, pottery, metalwork and more. Kids’ zone includes arts and crafts projects, bounce houses, sand art and face painting. April 14-15.

Lemonade Days at Brook Run Park

Rides, games, concessions, arts and craft fair and live music. April 18-22.

Taste of Henry in Heritage Park

Over 30 Henry County restaurants serve tasting samples plus kids can enjoy slides, moonwalks, face painting and more. April 20.

Art on the Chattahoochee Art Market in Jones Bridge Park

Live entertainment, vendors, artist demos, kid’s zone, kid’s chalk art contest, food trucks and more. April 21.

Cars and Q for the Cause at Choate Construction

100+ cars on display, barbecue, live music and more benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. April 21.

Atlanta Arab Festival at Alif Institute

Traditional music, dancing, arts and crafts, Arabic calligraphy, face painting, carnival games and food from local Arab restaurants. April 21-22.

Sandy Springs Artsapalooza Arts Festival

Children’s play area, local musicians, interactive art stations, plus up to 150 arts and crafts participants. April 21-22.

Big Shanty Festival in Downtown Kennesaw

Enjoy the artist markets, children’s activities and live music. April 21-22.

Spring Chicken Festival in Downtown Gainesville Square

Chicken city parade, upcycled arts and crafts show, live entertainment, kid’s area and chicken cook off. April 28.

Inman Park Festival

A self guided home tour of the neighborhood’s historic houses, an artist market, kids’ yoga, live pet shows and Kids’ Zone. April 27 (home tour only) April 28-29.

Duluth Spring Arts Festival

Features artists, demonstrations, food trucks, live music and more. April 28-29.

Smyrna Spring Jonquil Festival at Village Green

Artist market, live entertainment and children’s area. April 28-29.

Taste of Marietta in Historic Marietta Square

85 Cobb County restaurants participating, live entertainment and kid’s alley. April 29.

Taste of Alpharetta in Historic Downtown Alpharetta

Sample food from over 60 local restaurants and hear live music from local bands. Children’s area and culinary demonstrations. May 3.

Fairy House Festival at Chimney Park

Enjoy live entertainment along with crafts, archery, storytelling, refreshments and costumes. Build your own fairy house and visit the fairy house village. May 5.

May-retta Daze at Glover Park

Art festival with children’s activities and live entertainment. May 5-6.

Roswell Spring Arts and Crafts Festival at Historic Roswell Town Square

Features Over 80 artists, demonstrations, live music, dance performances, food trucks and more. May 5-6.

Snellville Days at Briscoe Park

Handmade arts and crafts, food vendors, live entertainment and children’s activities. May 5-6.

Strawberry Festival at Jaemor Farms

Strawberry picking, farm tours, pony rides, craft and food vendors and a petting zoo. May 5.

Taste of East Point in Downtown East Point

Sample food from South metro-area restaurants and food trucks. Artist market and live music. May 5.

The Peachtree Family Festival at Peachtree Presbyterian Church

Carnival games, pony rides, food trucks, bounce houses, touch-a-truck experience and more. May 5.

WoofStock in Suwanee Town Center Park

Live music, pet vendors, pet adoption, pet contest, children’s area, food trucks and more. May 5-6.

May Day Festival at Serenbe

Celebrate spring with a day of live music, games, dunk tank plus a traditional May Pole. May 6.

Arts in the Park at Suwanee Town Center Park

More than 80 artists, performers and food vendors. May 12.

Atlanta Caribbean Children’s Carnival at Historic Fourth Ward Park

Children’s activities with music and games. May 12.

Washington Park Jamboree at Washington Park

Visit the Atlanta BeltLine for games, live music, dance performances, food trucks, fitness demos and more. May 12.

Chastain Park Arts Festival at Chastain Park

Arts and crafts vendors, children’s area, live music and food. May 12-13.

Cherokee County Indian Festival and Mother’s Day Pow Wow at Boling Park

Indian village and displays, traditional dance competition and drumming. Native Americans from around the country gather for this event. May 12-13.

Dunwoody Art Festival at Dunwoody Village Parkway

Live music, artists, children’s area, arts and crafts, rides, games and more. May 12-13.

Sweet Auburn Springfest at Sweet Auburn Historic District

Live entertainment, children’s area, international food court and more. May 12-13.

Marietta Greek Festival at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Hellenic dancing, Greek food and pastries, traditional gifts and jewelry and children’s activities. May 18-20.

Canton Festival of the Arts in Historic Downtown Canton

Artists market, live entertainment, food concessions, serenity garden, hands-on activities for kids and more. May 19-20.

Gibbs Gardens Arts Festival at Gibbs Gardens

Arts and crafts festival with 45+ artists and artisans, food, a market with fresh flowers, chocolates, soaps and more. Also see hundreds of roses, hydrangeas, annuals and perennials in bloom. May 19-20.

Kirkwood Spring Fling at Bessie Branham Park

Artists market, children’s area, live music, barbeque cook off, a 5K race and tour of homes. May 19-20.

Maker’s Festival at Red Top Mountain State Park

Interact with makers and see them make things and buy products; enjoy hands-on experiences at making music, science, art, crafts, clothes and more. May 19.