What will the fall festival season look like in Atlanta this year as we enter our second COVID autumn? The answers are as varied as the festivals themselves. Some events will return to their normal format, while other favorites have decided not to return at all until 2022. Still others will take place in an altered form, such as a drive thru experience, or requiring masks and/or vaccines. Organizers have spent months weighing the pros and cons and looking for the best way to support local businesses and communities safely while bringing Atlantans the cultural experiences they know and love. We’re giving you the information about a few of the fall events we are looking forward to.
Atlanta Greek Festival
The Greek Orthodox Christian community of Atlanta has hosted the city’s Greek festival for over four decades, making it one our city’s longest running and favorite cultural events. Rather than holding a “business as usual” event while COVID numbers are still high, or cancelling plans altogether, organizers have pushed forward, with the theme of this year’s Atlanta Greek Festival styled as “A Road Trip Through Greece,” as this year’s festival will be a drive thru experience. You can drive up throughout the weekend to grab an Atlanta Greek Festival to-go box, filled with appetizers, home-style dishes, sides, and of course, dessert!
Portions of the proceeds from this year’s festival will be donated to Covenant House and Mercy Care along with the Cathedral’s Philoptochos (Friends of those in need) Society, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and the Diakonia Retreat Center. You can view the drive thru menu and learn more about the Greek Orthodox tradition and their community here in Atlanta online here.
The festival takes place September 24 – 26 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, located at 2500 Clairmont Road, Atlanta. On Friday and Saturday festival hours are 11am – 8pm and on Sunday the event takes place from 11am to 7pm.
Atlanta Pizza Festival
Would you like to be one of the first Atlantans to welcome an all new festival to town? The first ever Atlanta Pizza festival will allow you to do just that. Pizza makers from around the world will be in town to start this event off on the right foot. In addition to delicious pizza you’ll enjoy live music, entertainment, beer and wine. To purchase your tickets, and to add on a VIP experience, find out more about the Atlanta Pizza Festival here.
The Atlanta Pizza Festival will take place in the Pinnacle Lot at Atlantic Station on October 2nd from 12pm – 6pm.
Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival
The Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival has something for everyone. In addition to delicious food and drink, you’ll enjoy seminars in the Tasting Theater with master distillers, brewmasters and pitmasters. There will be booths where you can browse through barbecue accessories, hot sauces and more, a cornhole tournament, and live music throughout the event. A portion of event proceeds go to Spirit of Hope Children’s Foundation, and children 12 and under are admitted for free. For more information about the event visit the festival website here.
The 9th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival will take place at Atlantic Station on September 18th from 2pm to 6pm for General Admission, or 12pm to 6pm for the Whole Hog VIP Session. Both sessions include tastings of 60 beers and 40 bourbons, while the Whole Hog session also includes tasting stations from local restaurants.
Buckhead Fine Arts Festival
Since Buckhead is home to one of the most enthusiastic art buying communities in Atlanta, its Fine Arts Festival is one of the best events of its kind in the city. This two day outdoor event features over 100 artists in mediums such as paint, photography, sculpture, metalwork, glass art and more. The Festival will also offer artist demonstrations and live acoustic music. Visit the Buckhead Fine Arts Festival website for more information about artists and entertainment.
The festival takes place September 18 – 19 in the heart of Buckhead in Buckhead Village, and will be welcoming guests from 12pm to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Saturday.
Chastain Park Arts Festival
The Chastain Park Arts Festival has been named as one of the top festivals in the nation. Over 185 artists and artisans will be onsite with their creations, and the event will also include a children’s play area, local food and beverage vendors, along with gourmet food trucks, and local musicians. For more information visit the Chastain Park Arts Festival website here.
The Chastain Park Arts Festival takes place November 6 – 7 at Chastain Park near the amphitheater and horse barn. Festival hours are Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm. This year the 13th annual event will have a few special rules in place to keep participants safer from COVID. All attendees over the age of 2 will be required to wear a mask while on festival grounds, and social distancing will be required and monitored. Visitors are also encouraged to make frequent use of the many hand-washing and sanitizing stations that will be put in place for the event.
Decatur Book Festival
Presented by Emory University, this year’s Decatur Book Festival will take place on a smaller scale than previous years, with specific COVID procedures in place. Vaccines will be required to attend the indoor portions of the event, and masks will be required on the entire property. You can find more detailed information about the differences in this year’s event at the Decatur Book Festival website.
The festival takes place over the course of one day only this year, on October 2nd at the First Baptist Church of Decatur. The limited event offerings include five adult and young adult events in the church sanctuary, one picture book panel on the church lawn, and bookseller and food vendor tents also on the lawn.
Food That Rocks
Taste of Atlanta has been postponed for 2021, but you can still get your local food fix at the associated Food That Rocks event in Sandy Springs. This is the 6th annual event, which is styled as a “Party with a Purpose,” with this year’s spotlight on the frontline and restaurant workers who have kept our communities together during the pandemic. Your all inclusive ticket will allow you to experience the best food Sandy Springs restaurants have to offer, along with beer, wine and cocktail tastings and live music.
Food That Rocks takes place September 23 – 25, with four sessions over the course of three days. You can choose to attend on Thursday from 7pm – 10pm, Friday from 7pm to 10pm, Saturday from 12pm to 3pm, or Saturday evening from 7pm to 10pm. Each session will have only a limited amount of tickets available to allow for social distancing. You can find a list of participating restaurants and the live music line up at the Food That Rocks website.
Georgia State Fair
One of fall’s most beloved traditions is a trip to a good old fashioned state fair. At the Georgia State Fair you’ll find all your favorite attractions, such as pony rides, pig races, a petting zoo, exciting shows, live music and a midway filled with spectacular carnival rides for all ages. Don’t forget about the outrageous fair foods that you can’t find anywhere else! For more information and special event discount nights, visit the Georgia State Fair website.
Head south to the Atlanta Motor Speedway to take part in this year’s Georgia State Fair, which runs October 1 – 10. Hours are Fridays from 4pm to midnight, Saturdays from 12pm to midnight, Sundays from 12pm to 10pm, and Monday thru Thursday from 4pm to 10pm.
Sandy Springs Artsapalooza
Artsapalooza in Sandy Springs is a fun event for the residents of Sandy Springs and neighbors too. The festival includes a children’s play area, local musicians, interactive art stations, along with over 150 arts and crafts participants in every discipline you can imagine, including painters, sculptors, leather workers, glass blowers, jewelers and more. Because Artsapalooza is designed to celebrate art, the event will also offer visitors the opportunity to view artist demonstrations and participate in hands-on arts activities, while also enjoying festival foods and beverages. Plus, there will be special artistic activities for children!
The new dates for the Sandy Springs Artsapalooza are September 25 – 26, with hours from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and from 11am to 5pm on Sunday. The event takes place in the heart of Sandy Springs, and the festival benefits a scholarship fund for local artists administered by the Georgia Foundation for Public Spaces.
Virginia Highland Summerfest
Summerfest in Virginia Highland is one of Atlanta’s most popular events. Delayed due to COVID this year, the event’s theme is appropriately “Better Late Than Never!” Festivities kick off at 8am on Saturday morning with a 5k race, then continues throughout the weekend with live music, a juried artists’ market, fantastic food vendors, a kids zone and more. Summerfest is annual fundraiser for the Virginia Highland Civic Association, committed to maintaining this historic neighborhood.
This year’s event takes place September 25 – 26 and will be located along historic Virginia Avenue between Barnett Street and Arcadia Street at John Howell Park. For more information about the musical lineup and artists featured at the festival, visit the Virginia Highland Summerfest website.