11 summer festivals in metro Atlanta to help you beat the heat
As temperatures rise, Atlanta’s summer festival season kicks into full gear. Whether you want a fun day full of music and dancing or a chill walk looking at art in the park, there is a festival for you.
Here’s a variety of events through the season to keep an eye out for.
Juneteenth Atlanta Parade & Music Festival
This festival in Piedmont Park includes activities like a parade, youth soccer tournament, 5K run and car show.
Friday, June 19-Sunday, June 21. Free admission. 5K registration, $35. Piedmont Park, 400 Park Drive, Atlanta. juneteenthatl.com
Southern Fried Queer Pride Festival
Mark Pride Month with this 12th annual celebration. Featuring the theme “Seeds of Resistance,” the festival’s lineup includes art markets, dance parties, a drag pageant, a skill-sharing workshop and variety shows.
Monday, June 22-Sunday, June 28. Free, but accepting donations. Various locations around Little 5 Points, Atlanta. southernfriedqueerpride.com
AthFest Music and Arts Festival
If you feel like getting out of the metro area, AthFest brings the Classic City’s creatives out at every corner. The days are filled with three live music stages and a blocklong artist market, with a Club Crawl across Athens that follows Friday and Saturday night.
Friday, June 26-Sunday, June 28. Free outdoor concerts, VIP package $107.02-$186.52, Club Crawl pass $32.82. 285 W. Washington St., downtown Athens. 706-548-1973, athfest.com.
RnB Mimosa Festival
This one is pretty straightforward — music and drinks in the sun. This event will feature multiple mimosa flavors, alongside various food and business vendors.
Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4. General admission $39.02, VIP admission $62.24. 550 Mitchell St SW, Atlanta. linktr.ee/rnbmimosa
Peachfest
It doesn’t get more Georgia than this. This culinary experience is dedicated to all things peaches, with over 40 chefs offering peach dishes, cocktails, wines and a pick-your-own peach orchard. Proceeds from the event benefit Cure Childhood Cancer and Piggy Bank, which aims to create safer farms for heritage pigs.
3-7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 12. General admission $95, VIP $130. Underground Atlanta, 50 Upper Alabama St., Atlanta. discoveratlanta.com
Atlanta African Dance & Drums Festival
Back for its 17th year, this festival lets attendees soak up the music and movement of West Africa, Cuba and Nigeria. Don’t want to bust a move? Don’t worry, there’s also an African craft market and food vendors, plus a finale concert from the Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater.
Friday, July 17-Sunday, July 19. One-day passes $85; all-access pass, $245. AADDF finale concert, $35; one dance or drum class, $20. East Point City Annex, 3121 Norman Berry Drive, East Point. aaddf.org
Atlanta Ice Cream Festival
The festival is celebrating its sweet 16th year of bringing sweet treats, live music and vendors to Piedmont Park. To bring some balance, Wellness Zones will offer fitness activities and mindfulness.
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Free entry. Piedmont Park, 400 Park Drive, Atlanta. atlantaicecreamfestival.com
Southern-Fried Gaming Expo
Cool off from the outdoors with a little friendly competition at this expo, created for fans of all things gaming. It is the place to be for Atlanta’s gaming enthusiasts, featuring more than 400 arcade and console classics to tabletop and role-playing games.
Friday, July 31-Sunday, Aug. 2. Adult 3-day entry $85. Single-day entry and children’s entry prices vary by day. gameatl.com/
Atlanta Underground Film Festival
Watching the new summer blockbuster is tradition, but the best movie of the summer may be a hidden gem. This festival marks 23 years of platforming Atlanta’s independent filmmakers and screening short and feature films, documentaries, animation and experimental work across three days.
Thursday, Aug. 6-Sunday, Aug. 9. 7 Stages Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. auff.org
Piedmont Park Arts Festival
This event will feature over 250 visual artists, with photos, paintings, sculptures, jewelry and crafts to purchase and admire. There will also be food vendors, artist demonstrations, live acoustic music and a kids’ area.
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. Free admission. 1215 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. piedmontparkartsfestival.com
Grant Park Conservancy Summer Shade Festival
Give the season a proper send-off with this annual event. This festival brings regional musicians, vendors, entertainers and a 5K race to Atlanta’s oldest park.
Saturday, Aug. 22-Sunday, Aug. 23. Free entry. 5K fee $45. 840 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta. summershadefestival.org