Even if the weather is starting to cool down, that’s no reason to stay indoors in Atlanta. There are still plenty of local events that will entertain, get you outside and provide an opportunity to spend time with family members of all generations.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Fall inspired events
HarvestFest and Scarecrows in the Square
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. Free admission. Glover Park at Historic Marietta Square, 50 N Park Square NE, Marietta. mariettaga.gov/1258/Harvest-Fest
This annual celebration is packed with activities including Touch-A-Truck, a pie-eating contest, a costume contest and the Halloween Happenings kid’s festival. The HarvestFest Market is open throughout the day. It features local vendors selling handmade crafts. Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to bring the scarecrows put on display for the Scarecrows in the Square competition.
Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade
12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23. Free admission. Euclid Avenue, Atlanta and around L5P Community Center, 1083 Austin Ave NE, Atlanta. l5phalloween.com.
For a weekend-long dose of Halloween, Little 5 Points is the place to be. Featuring live music, a two-day BIZarre Bazaar Haunted Market, parade, monster hunt and ghost tours, there’s plenty to fill the weekend. The parade will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m., but you can spend Saturday following your Monster Map searching for all the monsters artists created for you to find.
Family time
Chalktoberfest
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, October 9. Free admission. Historic Marietta Square, 99 S Park Square NE, Marietta. chalktoberfest.com
Sponsored by the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Chalktoberfest combines the annual Chalk Art Festival with the city’s Craft Beer Festival. Local artists create unique, elevated sidewalk art pieces alongside delicious food and live music. The chalk competition is open to the public, and all ages are encouraged to participate. There’s a Craft Beer Festival Saturday where guests can sample more than 120 types of craft beer and 25 kinds of wine. Tickets for the craft beer event are $45-$50.
Stone Mountain Highland Games & Scottish Festival
Friday, Oct. 14 - Sunday, Oct. 16. Ticket price is $25 per day at the gate; children 12 and under are free. Daily parking pass is $20 in addition to tickets. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain. smhg.org
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Highland Games and Scottish Festival transforms the meadows of Stone Mountain Park. Here you’ll find pipe bands, Scottish sports, fiddling and Highland dancers competing in front of world-renown judges. Scottish food and drinks are available and attendees can purchase Scottish and Celtic items from vendors and artisans. In the Wee Laddies and Lassies area, the younger members of your family can participate in Scottish activities, crafts, and athletics such as the Scotch Egg Drop or the Haggis Hurl.
Credit: Courtesy of the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Credit: Courtesy of the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Free outdoor fun
Wire & Wood Alpharetta Music Festival
Noon-10:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8. Free admission. Downtown Alpharetta, 20 S Main Street, Alpharetta. wireandwoodalpharetta.com
The Wire & Wood Festival is all about highlighting music’s importance while bringing more music to the community. Nationally and locally recognized singer-songwriters come together across six different stages throughout downtown Alpharetta to showcase their music. More than 30 different performers will share their original work, spanning a variety of musical genres.
Taste and Brews Fall Festival
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. Free admission. Etowah River Park, 600 Brown Industrial Pkwy., Canton. tasteandbrews.com
Celebrating Southern music, drinks and food, this festival lets you sample all the flavors of the South while enjoying live, regional music. You can also purchase your favorite Southern treats to take home and enjoy. An arts and crafts market and a kid zone make this a family-friendly event as well.
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