5 Atlanta events you won’t want to miss: May 30-June 5

Fly in a hot air balloon, float down the Chattahoochee, or stay on land for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
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Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Tasting Tents at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Photograph courtesy of Raftermen/AFWF

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Where: Piedmont Park; Loews Atlanta Hotel
When: May 31-June 3
Cost: $55-$1,800
Details: Celebrate all things Southern dining. Some of the best chefs, mixologists, and pit masters from Texas to D.C. are coming to Atlanta. Expect cooking and cocktail demonstrations, wine and beer tastings, hands-on cooking classes, and three nights of tasting tents that includes a new Southern vendors’ market. Want to know what’s new and what you can’t miss? We have your roundup.

45th Annual Helen to the Atlantic Hot Air Balloon Race
Where: Wilkins Field in Helen
When: May 31-June 2
Cost: Free
Details: Self-dubbed the longest hot-air balloon race in the United States and the oldest annual ballooning event in the South, this Helen tradition will feature around 30 flyers competing to reach the Atlantic from the North Georgia mountain town. Not a professional? Fly more than 50 feet above the city in a 5 minute tethered ride (at a $10 price). Afraid of heights? You can always watch the other balloon events on the schedule, attend a cookout, and explore the town.

Whatever Floats Your Boat
Where: Rogers Bridge Park in Duluth
When: June 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Free, but you can rent tubes and kayaks
Details: You can either float down the Chattahoochee River from the park to Abbotts Bridge, then take a shuttle back for live music, various vendors, and yard games—or just chill at the park. It’s, well, whatever floats your boat.

Atlanta Ultimate Women’s Expo
Where: Georgia World Congress Center
When: June 2 and 3
Cost: $10
Details: Spend the day browsing pop-up boutiques, getting all the luxurious spa, hair, and nail treatments you can handle, and learning makeup tips from beauty experts. After making your own skincare products, watching fashion shows, and winning a cooking competition, you can attend seminars on topics like reproductive health, single motherhood, and effective leadership. Keynote speakers include actress and activist Keke Palmer, legal commentator Nancy Grace, and reality star-turned-bestselling author Toya Wright.

19th Annual Flying Colors Butterfly Festival

Photograph courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center

19th Annual Flying Colors Butterfly Festival
Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell
When: June 2 and 3
Cost: $12
Details: This CNC fundraiser celebrates our pollinators from bees to butterflies, complete with a “Butterfly School” for kids, info from the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association, and an exhibit where you can get up close with hundreds of butterflies. Games, crafts, face painting, live music, food trucks, and an artisan market will make this a great weekend for the family.

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