Looking for something to do this weekend in metro Atlanta? Halloween and Day of the Dead events are plentiful, with your choice of festivals, parades, Halloween-themed movies and trunk-or-treats to attend. For non-holiday happenings, Anime Weekend Atlanta is a must-visit if you’re into anime or manga.
Check out the following 15 things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend:
Intown Atlanta
Credit: From thehomedepotbackyard.com
Credit: From thehomedepotbackyard.com
6 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 and 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Free admission with online registration. The Home Depot Backyard, adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 AMB Drive NW, Atlanta.
Join in the fun at the two-day Fall-O-Ween celebration with inflatables, football combine and obstacle course, hayrides and more on Friday, with “The Addams Family 2″ starting at 8:30 p.m. Saturday’s activities include trunk or treating, a football combine and obstacle course, train rides, inflatables, a costume contest and live DJ. Food trucks will be onsite both days.
4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 and 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Free. Woodruff Arts Center campus, on Callaway Plaza and inside the Memorial Arts Building, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta.
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with a family-friendly festival hosted by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The fun includes live music, mariachi performances, Ballet Folklórico, stilt walkers, face painting, traditional Mexican games and Mexican food options available for purchase.
7:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Atlanta Station, 1380 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta. 404-420-5990.
Walk the two-mile course to help raise money to support and enable more advocacy for Americans with Type 1 diabetes. The morning will start with a 7:30 a.m. check-in, 8:25 a.m. warm up with jazzercise and 8:40 a.m. opening ceremonies followed by the walk at 9 a.m.
Cobb
Credit: From Anime Weekend Atlanta’s Facebook page, courtesy of Susumu Komatsu Photography
Credit: From Anime Weekend Atlanta’s Facebook page, courtesy of Susumu Komatsu Photography
Continuing Friday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Oct. 30. $40 and up. Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta.
Head to Anime Weekend Atlanta to celebrate Japanese culture, anime and manga with live bands from Japan, anime premieres, voice actors, artists, vendors, a free-to-play arcade and more. You’ll need to wear a mask and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination plus one booster or a negative COVID-19 test within three days of when you pick up your badge.
5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. $20 per family, $5 discount for residents of Smyrna. Taylor-Brawner Park, 3181 Atlanta Road, Smyrna. 678-631-5545.
Smyrna’s Spook Fest features an Enchanted Trail for all ages, a Haunted Trail (that may not be suitable for young children), a DJ for a dance party and sweets and treats.
8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Oct. 29. $40. Marietta Square, 1 Cherokee St., Marietta. 678-666-4968.
Run a 5K race through downtown Marietta and end with a celebration on the patio at The Still on the Square featuring music, an awards ceremony, hot chocolate, apple cider and Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest beer (ID required). If you’re 21 or over, you’ll get a draft beer included with your registration cost, and entrants under 21 will get a root beer or grapefruit soda. Dobbins Top Three Association will receive a $2 donation from each registration fee.
DeKalb
Day of the Dead/Haints and Saints Parade
Credit: From the Haints and Saints Parade Facebook page
Credit: From the Haints and Saints Parade Facebook page
6 p.m. line-up starts, Sunday, Oct. 30. Decatur Cemetery, 229 Bell St., Decatur.
Dress up in your best, weirdest, cutest or most beautiful costume to join in or watch the parade. It ends on the square with a musical jam session and celebration.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. 5101 Browns Mill Road, Stonecrest. 470-552-7275.
Dress in your favorite costume for Stonecrest’s Fall Festival, which includes music, food, face painting and games.
1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Honeysuckle Park, 3037 Pleasant Valley Drive, Doraville. 770-936-3850.
Visit the decorated vehicles of Doraville organizations and businesses for treats, listen to music, play games, watch a magic show and more. Costume contests will be held at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
North Fulton
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 with additional dates. $37 and up. Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs. 404-477-4365.
Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s “In the Heights” tells the story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood. The musicaIt was conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” who also wrote the music and lyrics.
Credit: From visitroswellga.com
Credit: From visitroswellga.com
Saturday, Oct. 29. 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Free, except for food and one ticketed experience. Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., Roswell. 770-640-3253.
Roswell hosts its 3rd Annual Día de Muertos Festival, which promises to be filled with fun, remembrance and community spirit.
6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. $60 plus fees. Publix Aprons Cooking School, 4305 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta. 770-751-8561.
Learn more about Spanish wines and sample them as they’re paired with dishes such as gambas al ajillo (chili garlic shrimp). You’ll need to be 18 or over to take the class and 21 or over to sample the wines.
Gwinnett
1 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. $5 for each dog, free admission for their people. Hudgens Center for Art & Learning sculpture garden, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway #300, Duluth. 770-623-6002.
View Picasso’s work and let your pooch create a paw-print painting to take home. The event will also include a doggie costume contest with prizes, pet-friendly vendors, giveaways and art activity stations for kids. Pet caricature illustrations of your furry friends will be available for $5.
Credit: From southernballettheatre.com
Credit: From southernballettheatre.com
7 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29. $15. Southern Performing Arts Academy, 200 W. Oak St., Lawrenceville. 678-682-9238.
Southern Ballet Theatre combines dance and scares in a unique haunted attraction with strobe, haze, projection and fog effects. Be advised if you’re planning to bring younger children — the attraction is similar to a haunted house.
5 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Town Center Park, Buford Highway and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee.
Trick or treat at businesses in Town Center from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and bring a blanket or chairs to watch “Hocus Pocus” at 6:30 p.m. and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” at 8:15 p.m.
