If you’re looking for fun ways to enjoy the weekend in metro Atlanta, you’ll find everything from a cat show to the Chomp and Stomp festival featuring chili, beer and bluegrass music. Prefer something a bit more physical activity? You can join a canoe trip down the Chattahoochee River to experience nature and admire the fall leaves.
Check out the following 15 things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend:
Intown Atlanta
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. Free admission. Chastain Park, 4469 Stella Drive NW, Atlanta.
The two-day Chastain Park Arts Festival features up to 185 fine painters, photographers, sculptors, glass blowers and more. You’ll get to view artist demonstrations, participate in hands-on activities, munch on festival food and enjoy live entertainment.
7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. $39.50 and up. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-733-4900.
Experience the film “Joker” on a 40-foot screen suspended above the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as they play the movie’s haunting score live.
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Official spoons required for chili eating, $10 cash or $10.50 card at Little’s Food Store and Sweet Cheats in Cabbagetown. Cabbagetown Park, 701 Kirkwood Ave., Atlanta.
The annual Chomp and Stomp festival lets you enjoy chili, beer and bluegrass music. All proceeds will benefit the Friends of Cabbagetown Conservancy, which focuses on maintaining and enhancing Cabbagetown’s parks.
Cobb
Credit: Caffeine & Octane/Facebook
Credit: Caffeine & Octane/Facebook
9 a.m.-noon, Sunday Nov. 6. Free admission and free to display your car. Town Center at Cobb (parking lot near Belk and JCPenney,) 400 Ernest Barrett Parkway, Kennesaw. 770-424-0742.
Bring your own vehicle or simply come to admire others’ in this all-makes, all-models car show. The theme for this month’s show is Broncos and BMWs. If you’d like to bring a toy to donate, they’ll be collected for the MUST Ministries Toy Shop.
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Downtown Kennesaw. Free admission, with food samples from $1-$5 each. Downtown Kennesaw. 770-424-8274.
Sample food from your choice of over 20 local restaurants, enjoy an adult beverage, listen to live music and watch the Georgia-Tennessee game. Children’s activities include a rock wall, inflatable slides and more. The event benefits five local charities.
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, plus additional dates. $45 and up. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 770-916-2800.
Watch an Atlanta Opera performance of the classic work “Madama Butterfly.” Composed by Puccini, it tells the story of a young Japanese bride married to an American naval officer. The performance is sung in Italian with English supertitles.
DeKalb
Native American Festival and Pow Wow
Credit: Raymond Hagans/Special
Credit: Raymond Hagans/Special
Continuing Friday, Nov. 3-Sunday, Nov 6. $20 daily parking pass or $40 annual. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain. 800-401-2407.
Visit the annual Native American Festival and Pow Wow to experience Native American culture through dance, music, authentic craft demonstrations, storytelling, wildlife presentations and more.
8:30 a.m. check-in and day-of registration, 9 a.m. race. Saturday, Nov. 5. Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. 770-544-0532.
Walk or run in this American Lung Association 5K to raise money for people affected by lung disease and to recognize those who have passed away.
12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. $60-$70 plus fees. Decatur Square, 509 N. McDonough St., Decatur.
Sample your choice of nearly 400 wines and buy food from onsite vendors. Live entertainment and a DJ will add to the fun. All proceeds from the event benefit the Decatur Arts Alliance. All attendees must be 21 or over.
North Fulton
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. $18 adults, $15 seniors 60 and older, $9 students. Alpharetta First United Methodist Church, 69 North Main St., Alpharetta. 770-475-5576.
Watch an orchestral newsreel showcasing common themes in local news and then enjoy a performance from cellist Philip Jeong. The 13-year-old child prodigy will perform Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1.
Credit: From IrishFest Atlanta’s Facebook page
Credit: From IrishFest Atlanta’s Facebook page
Various times on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. Some events are free, others are ticketed. Historic downtown Roswell.
Get your Irish on with free performances by local artists, musicians and dancers, along with family activities and vendors. You can also register for experiences such as a whiskey tasting, concerts by featured artists and more.
3 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6, plus additional dates. $40 general public, $35 for members. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055, ext. 237.
Take in the vibrant fall colors of the trees as you paddle quietly along the Chattahoochee River. Advance registration is required.
Gwinnett
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. $10 per person (good for both days and cash only), free for age 16 and under. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville.
Meet other ham radio enthusiasts and shop with vendors and at the flea market.
The 84th Annual Cotton States Cat Show
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. Adults $12, seniors 65 and up and kids 5-12 $9, kids under 5 free. Gas South Convention Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth.
Come see pedigree cats as well as household pets and rescue cats looking for a forever home. Vendors selling cat beds, cat trees, toys, jewelry, artwork and more will also be onsite, and a cat costume contest will be held at noon on both days.
5 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Free admission. Thrasher Park, 93 Park Drive, Norcross. 770-448-2122.
Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos with dance, authentic live entertainment, Mexican meals and beverages and a parade around Thrasher Park.
