Photograph by Clay Walker
The Ghastly Dreadfuls
Where: Center for Puppetry Arts
When: Through October 27
Price: $20-$35
Details: This Vaudevillian Halloween cult favorite is part puppetry, part music, part storytelling, and all fun. Tickets to the 18+ show include museum admission, so arrive early to get your Muppet fix and check out the new Dark Crystal special exhibit.
Photograph courtesy of Atlanta Pride Committee
Atlanta Pride
Where: Piedmont Park
When: October 12-14; parade on Peachtree Street at noon Sunday
Price: Free
Details: The largest pride festival in the Southeast returns for the 48th year, with vendors, marches, and three stages of entertainment featuring live music (highlights include Bebe Rexha and Mike Posner on Saturday evening and local singer-songwriter Michelle Malone plays Sunday evening), comedy, cabaret, dance parties, and more. Sunday’s parade runs along Peachtree Street, starting at the Civic Center and ending at Piedmont Park, and you’ll need to arrive early if you want the best viewing spot.
Oakhurst Porchfest
Where: Throughout Oakhurst
When: October 13, 12-7 p.m.
Price: Free
Details: The quirky annual neighborhood celebration forgoes food trucks, cash bars, and massive stages in favor of something much more relaxed: performances on front porches, meant to be enjoyed by anyone who just wants to come hang out. But this festival in no way skimps on the lineup, which features a whopping 230 performances spanning a wide varieties of genres throughout the day. The website warns driving will be a pain, so consider taking MARTA or using a rideshare app.
Afropunk Fest
Where: 787 Windsor in Mechanicsville
When: October 13-14
Price: $60 for day passes, $110 for weekend pass
Details: This year’s Carnival of Consciousness features a lineup of 18 DJs and 26 musicians, including N.E.R.D, Pusha-T, Kaytranada, and The Internet. There will also be a series of conversations on Black Lives Matter, LGBT rights, and voting rights; an artists’ market; food; an Activism Row that features nonprofit and grassroots organizations; and more.
Courtesy of Marietta Chalktoberfest
Chalktoberfest
Where: Marietta Square
When: October 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; October 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Free (except beer fest, which is $45, $40 in advance)
Details: This annual Marietta Square event is really two festivals in one—a craft beer and wine fest on Saturday (12-5 p.m.) that features more than 120 different beers and 20 different wines, and a chalk art competition all weekend that transforms the concrete into stunning artworks. There’s also live music and vendors.
Bonus event: Atlanta Magazine Whiskey Festival
Where: The Estate in Buckhead
When: October 11, 7-10 p.m. (VIP: 6-10 p.m.)
Price: GA: $75; VIP: $100
Details: Excuse the shameless plug, but our very own 4th-annual ode to all things whiskey (and bourbon and rum) is Thursday, and there will be a lot of spirits to sample, not to mention food and live music. Certainly not a bad way to toast the weekend ahead.
