Photograph courtesy of Decatur Arts Festival
There’s plenty going on across Atlanta this month, but on a beautiful spring weekend, you can’t beat a neighborhood festival! Here are some of the city’s best events throughout the month of May.
Shaky Knees Music Festival
When: May 5-7
Where: Central Park, Old Fourth Ward
What: One of Atlanta’s most popular music festivals, Shaky Knees is back for its tenth year. Over 60 bands will play from Friday to Sunday, with a stacked lineup that includes the Killers, Muse, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hozier, and the Lumineers. Tickets are sold out, but resale tickets are available.
Cost: Originally $119 for a one-day pass, but tickets are going for $300+ on resale sites
Kid-Friendly? Yes. Children under 8 are free with a ticketed adult.
Dogs? No
Food? Food trucks and alcohol vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Decatur Arts Festival
When: May 5-7
Where: Downtown Decatur
What: This all-ages event is full of art and entertainment for the whole family. The weekend kicks off with an art walk on May 5, where dozens of Decatur’s restaurants and retailers transform into open-door galleries with light refreshments. On Saturday and Sunday, stroll through the artists’ market, which features 120 artists selected through a competitive jury process. On Saturday, kids can enjoy Kids’ Fest at the Decatur Recreation Center with crafts, dancing, and inflatable fun. Music and street art abounds all weekend.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed
Food? Food and drink vendors abound, plus your pick of Decatur’s many restaurants.
BYOB? No
Roswell Spring Arts & Crafts Festival
When: May 7-8
Where: Grounds of Roswell City Hall
What: Roswell celebrates local artists with this two-day outdoor arts festival, held on the grounds of Roswell City Hall. The festival features over 100 artists’ booths, including painters, metalworkers, and glass blowers, along with live artist demonstrations and music and dance performances.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed.
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site.
BYOB? No
Kirkwood Spring Fling and Tour of Homes
When: May 13-14
Where: Bessie Branham Park, Kirkwood
What: A fundraiser for the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization, Kirkwood Spring Fling is a beloved tradition. A ticketed Friday night kickoff party at Le Petite Marché ($75) will be attended by Mayor Andre Dickens. There’s a 5k race at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, followed by “Wing Fling,” Atlanta’s first festival-scale chicken wings cook-off, from noon to 8 p.m. Both Saturday and Sunday feature a tour of Kirkwood’s historic and new homes, as well as live music, an artists’ market, and a kids area complete with a bouncy house.
Cost: Free to enter festival; tickets for special activities, like kids area, Wing Fling, and 5k range from $20-$30.
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? No
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Chastain Park Spring Arts Festival
When: May 13-14
Where: Park Drive in Chastain Park
What: This popular festival in Buckhead’s Chastain Park was named one of the nation’s top 100 arts festivals by Sunshine Artist magazine. Held inside the park, the festival features a large artists’ market, live music, hands-on arts activities, and a children’s play area, plus a bevy of food and drink trucks from local vendors. Festival proceeds benefit a scholarship fund for artists through the Georgia Foundation for Public Spaces.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Sweet Auburn Springfest
When: May 13-14
Where: Historic Sweet Auburn District, Old Fourth Ward
What: Dubbed the “largest family reunion in the world,” this festival is back for its 37th year with music, food, art, and plenty of all-ages fun. Held along Auburn Avenue near MLK’s home and Ebenezer Baptist Church, the festival celebrates Sweet Auburn’s storied legacy as a Black commercial powerhouse. Live music plays onstage all weekend, and there’s a mile and a half of artist booths and food vendors to peruse. The Fantastic Fun Zone features enough rides and games to keep any kid smiling.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? No
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Dunwoody Art Festival
When: May 13-14
Where: Dunwoody Village
What: This north Atlanta suburb throws its popular arts fest every Mother’s Day weekend. Wander dozens of artist booths dotted throughout Dunwoody Village and enjoy live music, local food trucks, and artist demonstrations. Kids will love the face-paint stations, play zone, and balloon animals.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Virginia-Highland Porchfest
When: May 20
Where: Around Virginia-Highland
What: For one day this spring, the Highlands will come alive with the sound of music—some professional, some with more of a dads-in-the-garage vibe. Virginia-Highland’s Porchfest—borrowed from the successful Oakhurst model—features dozens of bands playing live on different house porches, while the intersection of Barnett Street and Adair Ave is packed with artist booths and food vendors. A 5k “rock and run” kicks things off at 11 a.m.; dress up as a favorite rock star for a chance to win a prize. For kids, the Porchfest Kids Corner offers a variety of free and paid activities, including face painting and magic shows.
Cost: Free to enter, some activities are ticketed. 5k registration is $25 for runners over 12.
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed
Food? Food vendors on site, bring your own law picnic, or try one of Virginia-Highland’s many restaurants
BYOB? Yes—there are no on-site alcohol sales
Westside BeltLine Lantern Parade
When: May 20
Where: Westside BeltLine, beginning at Adair Park I and ending at Lee & White complex
What: Atlanta’s famous lantern parade is coming to the Westside! This day-long festival starts with a free lantern-making workshop for families of all ages, held from 12-7 p.m. at Pittsburgh Yards, followed by a children’s lantern parade at 5:45. Over in Adair Park I (there are two, so be sure you’ve got the right one), there’s a vendors’ market and mingle from 6:30-8 p.m. before the parade, which steps off at 8:45. You need a lantern to march, but watching from the sidelines is just as magical. The parade wraps up with music and food at Lee & White, right off the BeltLine.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Discouraged
Food? Food and drink vendors at specific locations
BYOB? No
Alpharetta Arts Streetfest
When: May 27-28
Where: The Grove behind the Alpharetta Community Center
What: More than a hundred artists will set up their booths for this Memorial Day weekend festival in the northern burb. There will be live music throughout the weekend and the lawn on the Grove features kid-friendly face painting, sand art, gemstone mining, and other fun activities.
Cost: Free
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? Yes, must be leashed
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Atlanta Jazz Fest
Where: Piedmont Park
When: May 27-29
What: One of the largest free jazz fests in the U.S., the Atlanta Jazz Festival is a music lover’s dream. Sponsored by the City of Atlanta, it routinely features some of the world’s premier jazz musicians. Over three days, you can catch a whirlwind of artists including Lakecia Benjamin, Tony Hightower, Stanley Clarke, and Brenda Nicole Moorer, to name a few. Saturday night’s marquee event features the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. An artists’ market is open throughout the festival, and a kids’ zone with games and interactive play is perfect for when junior jazz fans get the wiggles. Bring a blanket and a picnic and post up on the Piedmont Park lawn for a night of free music!
Cost: Free; VIP is $350 and includes private lounge and restrooms
Kid-friendly? Yes
Dogs? No
Food? Vendors on-site or bring your own picnic
BYOB? Yes, but no glass containers
And of course, the best of Caribbean culture culminates in Atlanta every Memorial Day weekend. Learn more about both of the below events in our May issue—on newsstands now and online soon!
Atlanta-Downtown Caribbean Carnival
When: May 27
Where: Westside Park
What: Come for the nonstop music, dancing, food and weekend-long Caribbean festivities that start from early morning and run late into the night. The four-mile parade route starts at the Moore’s Mill Center, heads south on Marietta Boulevard, and spills into Westside Park. Expect performances by Pumpa, Motto, Lil Rick, Burning Flames and more.
Cost: $40 for General Admission; $160 for VIP
Kid-Friendly? Yes
Dogs? No
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
Atlanta-DeKalb Caribbean Carnival
When: May 27
Where: Downtown Stonecrest
What: The Atlanta Carnival Bandleaders Council promises festive mas bands, flashy costumes, and “big carnival energy” to represent the DeKalb Massive this year. The 2.5-mile parade route begins at 12 p.m. starting east of Evans Mill Road and Mall Parkway in Stonecrest, and ends at 2994 Turner Hill Road in downtown Stonecrest. Performances by Bunji Garlin, HypaSounds, Karnage and more are on deck.
Cost: $30 for General Admission; $90 for VIP
Kid-friendly? Yes
Dogs? No
Food? Food and drink vendors on-site
BYOB? No
