Labor Day weekend in Atlanta includes football, festivals and more large events
The Atlanta Jazz Festival, Dragon Con and two college football games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium are among the big events happening in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend.
The return to holiday celebrations is coupled with renewed worries about COVID risks as the more contagious delta variant is blamed for a surge in illness and hospitalizations.
College football begins for most colleges this week, including a two-game event for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff at Mercedes Benz-Stadium. Alabama will play Miami on Saturday, and Louisville will play Ole Miss on Monday. It’s also the first weekend of games for the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The Atlanta Jazz Festival, normally held Memorial Day weekend, will make a September appearance Sunday and Monday at Piedmont Park.
Another large event, Dragon Con, will take place at a cluster of hotels in downtown Atlanta, as it does every Labor Day weekend, except for last year due to the pandemic. The convention began Thursday and ends Monday.
In East Atlanta, the Tour Championship gets underway at East Lake Golf Club. And Black Pride events are planned in Atlanta as well.
Precautions about COVID-19 will be present at these and other large public gatherings this holiday. Spectators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be required to wear masks in enclosed spaces, such as clubs and the merchandise store. Masks won’t be required in the stands, but they are encouraged. A year ago, three Kickoff games were canceled because of the pandemic.
At the Jazz Festival, held outdoors, masks are not required, but face coverings and social distancing are encouraged. One major change for Dragon Con is the convention’s popular parade, normally open to all spectators. This year, the parade at 10 a.m. Saturday will be virtual for many, airing on CW69 (WUPA-TV) or YouTube. Only attendees of the convention will be allowed to watch the parade in person.
The Atlanta-based CDC recommended this week that vaccinated people wear masks while traveling for Labor Day, and that those who are not vaccinated should consider staying home.
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About the Author
Brian O'Shea is a senior digital producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He works with the newsroom to identify topics of interest to Atlanta readers and also works with voter guides and election results. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and The Ohio State University Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism.
