Bought in 1834 for $450, closed to traffic in 1983, and today the 189-acre crown jewel of Atlanta green space, Piedmont Park is an Atlanta icon. Centrally located in the heart of Midtown, it's big enough to host our largest concert and festival productions, and versatile in its offering for families, young professionals and day-drinking festival herds alike.
For that versatility and durability, we can credit Mark Banta, and the public-private partnership between the city of Atlanta and the Piedmont Park Conservancy he leads. The conservancy is a charitable community group entrusted with fundraising, operation and improvement in the park modeled after New York's Central Park Conservancy.
In 2016, Banta, president of the Piedmont Park Conservancy, told us that "While many come to the park for the big, exciting events, we're also working hard to generate the private donations that keep the space versatile in our offerings and sustainable in our operations for the benefit of all in Atlanta."
The park is open daily from 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
2019 events at Piedmont Park:
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
April 12-14
First held in 1936, this is the grand dame of Atlanta festivals. There were some years in its early days when the festival was not held, but it’s been an annual event for a long time now. It’s a celebration of dogwoods and spring and features a 5K run, an artist market, live music and plenty of food. There’s something for everyone at this festival and it’s usually very well attended since it’s the first or one of the first big outdoor events of the year.
Atlanta Jazz Festival
May 25-26
One of the biggest free jazz festivals in this great land of ours, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is always held on Memorial Day weekend. In addition to the free shows on three stages there are usually some related ticketed events all around town before and after the official dates. From the famous to the youngest to the up-and-comingest, every kind of jazz and jazz musician will get some time to shine.
AJC Peachtree Road race
July 4
One of the best known 10K races in the world, the AJC Peachtree Road Race attracts world class runners as well as slightly less serious participants wearing all sorts of costumes. Many runners have done this event for decades and it’s often a family tradition with multiple generations out for exercise and fun. It begins at Lenox Square and runs down Peachtree Street to 10th Street and on into the park for a long day of music and fun.
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
Park n’ Paint
July 9
The Piedmont Park Conservancy is hosting its first-ever Park n’ Paint event this year. Guests are invited to get messy and paint for free, keeping the theme “Let the Love Grow” in mind. Refreshments will be provided. 6-8 p.m. at the Lake Clara Meer bridge and gazebo.
Pink Ribbon 5K Run/Walk
July 20
The 15th Annual Pink Ribbon 5K, sponsored by breast cancer organization Sisters by Choice, began in 2005 and has grown tremendously since. Proceeds for the event go toward SBC’s mobile breast clinic, which travels throughout the state to help medically underserved men and women gain access to quality breast care. Register online and receive a t-shirt at the finish line.
Atlanta Ice Cream Festival
July 27
The ninth annual Atlanta Ice Cream Festival makes for the perfect family fun day at Piedmont. You’ll find tons of treats from local vendors, plus activities, music and more. Entry is free.
Reggae in the Park
August 10-11
Celebrate Afro-Caribbean culture and music at Piedmont this August with a morning run, live music and vendor market featuring local organizations like the Atlanta Indie Market and Atlanta Vegan Food Tours.
Piedmont Park Arts Festival
August 17-18
The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces invites you to come out to the public space known as Piedmont Park for “visual arts and family fun.” Whatever your artistic interests −photography, sculpture, glass or leather and plenty more − you’ll find it here. You’ll also find acoustic music, a play area and good and healthy things to eat and drink.
Festival Peachtree Latino
August 25
The 19th Peachtree Latino fest is all about integrating cultures and traditions through music, food, games and more. The multicultural event has been around Georgia since 2000 and features live concerts from both renowned international recording artists and local performers.
Atlanta Pride Festival
Oct. 11-13
The 47th annual Atlanta Pride festival came to Piedmont Park in October 2017, bringing its somehow-still-controversial parade to an end at Piedmont Park's 10th Street and Charles Allen Boulevard entrance. The park had entertainment and activities throughout the weekend, as both Atanta's LGBT community and visitors from around the world descended on the park and the unmistakable rainbow-themed crosswalks of 10th Street. The Pride Festival began in 1970 and continues today on a mission "to promote unity, visibility and self-esteem among lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender persons." Previous entertainers and speakers of note include Coretta Scott King, Rep. John Lewis and Meghan Trainor.
The future of events at Piedmont Park
Whether Piedmont Park remains a viable host to the concerts and festivals of Atlanta in the decades ahead will have much to do with Banta and his team. The conservancy must raise millions annually to keep the park running and to ensure its ecosystems are thriving in an environment where millions of people share the space today, and even more as the city grows. The park connects with the terminal end of the east side Beltline, a fact that is sure to drive substantial visitor increases in coming years.
"If we don't care for the park in the fullest sense, it will be difficult to keep the park in its form," Banta said. "But I am also confident that we can raise the financial contributions needed and the support in non-monetary contributions.
"There has been an incredible influx of young professionals to Atlanta who care about the sustainability of our most meaningful spaces. As our city is growing we are also becoming more sustainability-driven. We're finding better ways to interact with natural space, and more active participants in both the charitable and service-oriented commitments to Piedmont Park. Groups like the Young Professionals for Piedmont Park and other efforts – those are the initiatives that people spearhead to keep the sanctity of our space intact."
For those interested in supporting the conservancy or in learning more about Young Professionals for Piedmont Park, visit piedmontpark.org.
How to get there:
On MARTA: Use the Red or Gold rail line and get off at the Midtown station.
For more:
Walk east on 10th Street, and you'll reach the park in a few blocks.
By bus: The 36 N Decatur/VA Highland-Avondale and 99 Boulevard/Monroe/GA State routes travel along the park's south side. The 27 Cheshire Bridge route runs along the west side of the park.
By foot: Pedestrians and cyclists can access park entrances including Park Drive Bridge, 10th Street and Charles Allen, and Piedmont Avenue and 12th or 14th Street.
By car: Use this address: 1320 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30306, to park in the SAGE Parking Facility, where fees start at $2.
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