It’s the quintessential rite of spring—more festivals than you could ever hope to attend. And this weekend has a whole slew of the outdoor jubilations, celebrating everything from bacon to bluegrass.
Writers’ Festival
Now in its fifth decade, Agnes Scott College’s literary event includes readings open to the public. This year’s guests include author, playwright, and onetime ship’s captain Nick Flynn and National Book Award–winning poet Terrance Hayes. Flynn: Thursday, 4 p.m.; Hayes: Thursday, 8 p.m.; Louisa Hill: Friday, 1 p.m. agnesscott.edu/writersfestival
Baconfest
Dad’s Garage theater company may have lost its space due to development, but its annual homage to porcine indulgence carries on as Baconfest moves to Masquerade Music Park. Saturday 1 p.m. dadsgarage.com
The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival
Comics from across the U.S. compete for prizes and glory. Plus, there’s a poker tournament and something called the “Civil War Kickball Game.” Through Sunday. laughingskulllounge.com
Atlanta Film Festival
Hundreds of flicks are screened in this ten-day international, Academy Award–qualifying fest, which takes place at the historic Plaza Theatre, 7 Stages, and the Goat Farm Arts Center. Friday through April 6. atlantafilmfestival.com
Blue Grassroots Music & Arts Festival
The fifth annual gathering in Stone Mountain Village includes “community dancing.” If you’re hankering for flatfoot, clogging, or contra dancing, this is your destination. Saturday and Sunday. stonemountainvillage.com
Atlanta Science Festival Expo
Think of this event as a giant science fair at Olympic Park (Update: Due to weather, the event will now be held at Georgia World Congress Center), featuring performances and family-friendly exhibits on everything from killer plants to sea monkeys to sunspots. Saturday, 11 a.m. atlantasciencefestival.org
A few other weekend happenings:
Scooby-Doo Live!
Shaggy, Scooby, and the gang take to the Fabulous Fox stage to engage in a little musical mystery solving. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. foxtheatre.org
Downtown Pop-Up Party
When the Atlanta Streetcar begins service this summer (we hope), its route will be scattered with pop-up shops, selling crafts, tea, dog treats, and more. Take a sneak peak at the retailers’ wares and chat with vendors during this Sweet Auburn Curb Market event. Saturday 1 p.m. thecurbmarket.com
Re-Connect: Edgewood Bridge Party
Residents of Inman Park, the Old Fourth Ward, Cabbagetown, and Reynoldstown have endured worse-than-usual commutes for a year thanks to the reconstruction of Edgewood Avenue bridge spanning the future Atlanta BeltLine. Neighbors will be dancing in the streets this weekend to celebrate the bridge’s re-opening in a party hosted by the Old Fourth Ward Business Alliance. Sunday, noon. o4wba.com
1001 Nights: A Love Story About Loving Stories
If your kids (or you) are obsessed with Frozen, the man behind the Disney sensation, Robert Lopez, also wrote this show about, of course, a princess saving a kingdom. At the Center for Puppetry Arts for its national debut. Through April 6. puppet.org
The Price Is Right, Art under $1,000
Marianne Lambert curated this Swan Coach House exhibition with the goal of introducing potential collectors to “regional artists to watch.” And, of course, to ensure that those artists sell some work. Through April 6. swancoachhouse.com
