15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend
If you’re looking for something fun to do with your family this weekend in metro Atlanta, warm up at the Hot Sauce Fest ATL or the Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival. Or head to the Big Shanty Bazaar, Kennesaw’s first Renaissance festival, and shop at area merchants and artists and enjoy activities including ax throwing and a costume contest.
Check out the following 15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend:
A comedian known for his “clean” comedy, Nate Bargatze brings his “Big Dumb Eyes World Tour” to Atlanta for two shows.
7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $48.35 and up. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 404-878-3000.
Rudolph returns in a faithful puppet show adaptation of the beloved 1964 Christmas special. Tickets include the Create-a-Puppet Workshop, puppetry exhibitions and on-site parking.
Continuing Friday-Sunday, plus additional dates. $18 and up. Center for the Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta. 404-873-3391.
If you can handle the heat, head to Hot Sauce Fest ATL for tastings, vendors, food and music.
Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Presale general admission $16.25, includes $5 vendor coupon; VIP $61.25, includes access to lounge with full bar, treats, a T-shirt and more. Free for ages 12 and under. Atlantucky Brewing, 170 Northside Drive SW, Suite 96, Atlanta.
Experience this Renaissance festival with more than 30 merchants and artists, art demonstrations, music, pony rides, face painting, ax throwing and a costume contest.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. The Art Station, 20250 Kennesaw Due West Road NW, Kennesaw.
Immersive Theater in the Gardens
The Kennesaw State University Department of Theatre and Performance Studies and Smith-Gilbert Gardens collaborate to offer an immersive, family-oriented story inspired by Alice’s Wonderland.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. Free, online registration available. Smith-Gilbert Gardens, 2382 Pine Mountain Road NW, Kennesaw. 770-919-0248.
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and gather on the Plaza Green to watch “Shrek the Third” on an outdoor screen.
7-10 p.m. Friday. Free admission. The Battery Atlanta, 800 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-494-1150.
A free interactive workshop for all ages will be followed by a “sneak peek” of Atlanta Shakespeare Company’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
2-5 p.m. Saturday. Free. Town Green, 64 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates. 404-874-5299.
Shop for vintage clothes, furniture, collectibles, books, home decor, toys and more, and treat yourself to food from vendors.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Stone Mountain First United Methodist Church, 5312 W. Mountain St., Stone Mountain. 404-217-9453 or 404-510-4634.
Get cozy with blankets and chairs around the fire, make s’mores and enjoy live music.
5-8 p.m. Saturday. Free. Kelley Cofer Peach Pit, 4276 N. Park Drive, Tucker. 678-597-9040.
Meet with wedding vendors, view a live bridal gown fashion show, try on wedding gowns, enjoy freebies and enter to win prizes, dance to music from a DJ and more.
Noon-3 p.m. Sunday. Free. The Standard Golf & Country Club, 6230 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek. 678-926-8368.
Watch an Arcadia Theater production of “Steel Magnolias,” which was a popular play before it became a hit movie. It’s set in Truvy’s Beauty Salon in Louisiana, where six women meet and share gossip and intimate details of their lives.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus additional dates. $24.76 general admission. Spotlight Community Stage, 1000 North Point Circle, Suite 2208, Alpharetta. 678-250-8678.
Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival
Taste and vote for your favorite chilies, listen to the bands, head to the Kids Zone for activities for all ages and visit vendors, artists and food trucks.
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Free admission, $10 armbands for chili tastings. Town Center, Buford Highway and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee. 770-945-8996.
Work off your extra Thanksgiving Day calories early in a 5K, 10K or one-mile run, and bring your kids age 10 and under for an untimed dash.
7:30-8:45 a.m. packet pickup, 8:55 a.m. kids dash, 9 a.m. race start. Saturday. $17-$42. Rabbit Hill Park, 400 Rabbit Hill Road, Dacula.
Complete a creative project suitable for all ages and abilities and take home your artistic piece afterward. An opening reception for Hudgens exhibitions follows from 1-4 p.m.
11 a.m.-noon and noon-1 p.m. sessions. Saturday. $7.18 per person, $23.18 for a family group of up to five people. Hudgens Center for Art & Learning, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300, Duluth. 770-623-6002.
Shop at a curated artist market and catch all the college football action on the big screen.
Noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. Town Green, 5140 Town Center Blvd., Peachtree Corners. 678-691-1200.
