So, what do you do with an extra day? Celebrate it, of course. This year, we’re graced with a spare day on the calendar. And even better, the 2020 leap day falls on a Saturday. So, don’t let it just pass by. Get up, get out and do something. Here are four things to do around the city on Feb. 29, 2020.
U.S. Olympic marathon trials
Also held every four years, the summer Olympic games coincide with the leap year. While the world gears up for the games in Tokyo, U.S. Olympic trials and qualifying contests are being held around the country. As the 1996 host of the Summer Olympic Games, it’s most appropriate that Atlanta is hosting U.S. Olympic marathon trials. The top finishers (three men and three women) will determine the athletes who will compete on the U.S. Olympic marathon team. Organized by the Atlanta Track Club and the USA Track & Field organization, spectators are directed along Peachtree for the best viewing locations of the course.
12:03 p.m. (men’s start time) and 12:13 p.m. (women’s start time) Feb. 29. Centennial Olympic Park, 265 Park Ave. W. NW, Atlanta. atlanta2020trials.com.
THINGS TO DO: Things to do in and around Atlanta: Feb. 21-29
Leap Year Proposal and/or Travel Show
The leap day proposal is a tradition dating back centuries when it was socially unthinkable for women to propose marriage to male suitors. Now, though no longer as taboo, many places around the world still carry on the female proposal tradition. So, if you’re considering popping the question, why not take the leap on leap day? There are plenty of romantic venues around Atlanta to do so, including the Sun Dial restaurant, the SkyView Ferris wheel, at the Hawks Game (they play the Portland Trail Blazers on the Feb. 29) or you can knock out the proposal and honeymoon plans all at once by asking for your partner’s hand in marriage at the 2020 Atlanta Travel & Adventure Show. Held during the weekend at the Cobb Galleria Centre, the travel show will feature more than 200 exciting destinations, celebrity speakers, travel deals and giveaways.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Saturday) 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Sunday). Feb. 29-March 1. Starting at $9. 2020 Atlanta Travel & Adventure Show, Cobb Galleria Centre (Hall AB), 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 770-989-5095, travelshows.com/shows/atlanta.
Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival
It’s not like you needed a special day to indulge in this treasured Southern trinity. But not only do you have the extra day in February, but you also have a whole entire festival dedicated to beer, bourbon and barbecue. Held at Atlantic Station, the eighth annual festival will feature live music, a cornhole tournament and seminars. With $39 general admission, guests will receive a souvenir glass and unlimited beer and bourbon samplings. In addition to complimentary Shrine of Swine whole-roasted pig samples and VIP barbecue tastings, there will be food vendors, such as Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q and City Barbeque, selling additional bites.
2-6 p.m. (VIP entry begins at 12 p.m.) Feb. 29. Starting at $39. Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival. 41 20th St., Atlanta, 1-800-830-3976, atlanta.beerandbourbon.com.
Oakland Cemetery Daffodil Day
Just because we have one more day in February, doesn’t mean we have to hold off the coming of spring. In fact, you can celebrate the season a little early with the bloom of daffodils, an annual tradition at Oakland Cemetery. The free event gives guests the opportunity to explore the grounds through guided garden walks. The event also promises activities for children and a plant sale, in which proceeds benefit the Historic Oakland Foundation’s gardens team. And since the city has already experienced a few sunny breaks this winter, expect to see the garden abloom with a thousand-plus daffodils and other stunning blossoms.
Feb. 29. Free. Oakland Cemetery. 248 Oakland Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-688-2107, oaklandcemetery.com.
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