Dragon Con: 5 things to do this weekend in Atlanta

Visit a roadside attraction

Whether you’re visiting Atlanta for Labor Day weekend or a resident looking for something fun and unusual to do, we’ve got you covered.

Take a break from the traditional Atlanta tourists spots and visit one of the places on our list of "6 unusual roadside Attractions in Atlanta."

From the Waffle House Museum in Decatur to the White House replica in Atlanta, you don’t have to be conventional to have a memorable holiday weekend.

Labor Day hikes

Take some time to appreciate the natural beauty of North Georgia this weekend.

AJC's Bo Emerson created a list of "5 great Labor Day hikes (plus waterfalls) in North Georgia" to help you decide where to go.

Atlanta Black Pride

Atlanta Black Pride kicks off this week with celebrity-hosted parties, community events and town halls at the Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum.

In the Life Atlanta, Traxx Girls and Queendom are among the organizations that will be hosting Pride events throughout the week.

You don't have to wait until the weekend to enjoy the festivities. Kick off the celebration with Pride Skate Party at Metro Lanes or Dapper: The Andro Fashion Show at M Bar on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Dragon Con

Dragon Con and its loyal attendees (about 75,000 people are expected to participate this year) will take to the streets of downtown Atlanta to celebrate the convention's 30th anniversary.

Celebrate Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-5 with celebrity apperances, cosplay, a parade and more.

Overwhelmed by all of Dragon Con's options? Read our guides to decide what you should attend:

AJC Decatur Book Festival

Atlanta's favorite Labor Day tradition once again will bring acclaimed authors and their fans to downtown Decatur. The 11th annual festival lets book lovers choose between events featuring more than 300 authors over three days.

The keynote event, the Life and Works of Pat Conroy, a tribute to the Southern writer who died of pancreatic cancer earlier this year, has already sold out. Still, there are plenty of other events to attend.

For families, lively, kid-friendly performances by local arts and educational organizations and appearances by independently published children’s authors will take place in the Sycamore Family Zone. Young readers can kick off the second and third days of the festival with a parade. “Captain Underpants” author Dav Pilkey will present the Kidnote address at 5 p.m. Sept. 2.

All events are free, but the kidnote address requires a ticket for entry. There is a processing fee online and via phone. Various times and locations, Sept. 2-4. decaturbookfestival.com.