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Home Custom Publication: Georgia Travel Five Foolproof Picks for Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta
Custom Publication

Five Foolproof Picks for Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta

It’s hard not to have fun on the city’s most festive weekend
By
Elizabeth Florio
-
September 3, 2015
1453
Stormtroopers at Dragon Con

Count on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta to be hot, crowded, and colorful—in the best ways. The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates some 160,000 people will attend this year’s diverse cocktail of events. So unless you’re enjoying an actual cocktail on a beach, you have no excuse to stay home. Our five picks:

 

Dragon Con More than 65,000 fans of sci-fi, fantasy, pop culture, etc.—with emphasis on the etcetera—converge downtown for a weekend of panel-hopping and cosplay. Put the kids in their Batman and Elsa costumes and head to the Saturday morning parade.

 

AJC Decatur Book Festival It’s too late to score a ticket to Friday’s keynote conversation between Erica Jong and Roxane Gay, but the jam-packed roster of lectures, signings, and cooking demos by 600-plus authors offers plenty to entice a literary type. All events are free.

 

Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival We could all use more hot air balloons in our lives. Whether you want to take a tethered ride or simply watch the brightly colored orbs glow at dusk, Callaway Gardens’ weekend-long bash—which includes a 5K race, disc-dog demo, classic car show, and more—is a perfect opportunity.

 

Atlanta Jerk Fest On Sunday at Decatur’s Panthersville Stadium, chefs flaunt their mastery of that singular, smoky-sweet flavor known as jerk while thousands of festivalgoers groove to the music, art, and cuisine of the Caribbean.

 

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game No opening-week cupcake match here: Every year the Georgia Dome ushers in college football season with a serious showdown. Don’t have tickets to this year’s clash between Auburn and Louisville? Share in the hoopla at surrounding bars such as Taco Mac, Stats, or Park Bar.

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  • chik-fil-a kickoff game
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  • AJC Decatur Book Festival
Elizabeth Florio

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