The Ultimate Guide to Fall Festivals and Events in Atlanta
Atlanta is so pretty in the fall and we couldn’t be more excited for this season! There is so much to do in Atlanta we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite fall festivals and events! What is your favorite fall activity?
Check out our list of events in and around Atlanta through October!
Newnan Haunted House
September 23rd – October 31st
13 Stories Haunted House has 6 terrifying attractions and a Hollywood level of detail.
Netherworld Haunted House (Norcross)
September 23rd – November 5th
Netherworld thrills and terrifies with stunt actors in intense makeup, movie-quality special effects, and detailed sets at a large house in Norcross.
Anime Convention
September 29th – October 2nd
Anime Weekend Atlanta has panels and workshops, games and videos, costume play, a dealer’s room, an art show, and a red-carpet ball at Cobb Galleria Centre.
TEDxPeachtree
Friday, September 29th
This year, with the theme “TOGETHER, TEDxPeachtree is ambitiously setting our sights on examining the issues that keep us apart and ideas that bring us together. In the tradition of TEDx, 2016 TEDxPeachtree speakers will share their ideas worth spreading on topics from a.i. to biodiversity, city-building to a unique treatment for PTSD, and art to workplaces fit for humans.
Atlanta Cheese Festival
September 30th
5pm, VIP 4PM
Taste samples from cheese and artisan food producers, taste grilled cheese entries, and hear live music at Atlanta Cheese Festival at GA Freight Depot.
The Comedy Getdown
September 30th
8pm
The Comedy Get Down features five superstar comedians (George Lopez, Eddie Griffin, Charlie Murphy, D.L. Hughley, and Cedric the Entertainer) at Philips Arena. Discount tickets $50.
French Flick and Picnic Night
September 30th
A ticket to French Flick and Picnic Night includes a light French-style picnic at 6:30 p.m. and a silent French romantic comedy-drama (The Artist, PG-13, 2011) at 7:30 p.m. at Gate Museum, Atlantic Station.
Onstage Atlanta presents November
September 30th – October 9th
November is a darkly humorous satire of our presidential election process, written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, at OnStage Atlanta. Discount tickets $12.
Pumpkin Festival
September 30th – October 30th
Pumpkin Festival features a costume party, family shows, storytelling, kids’ activities, and a pie-eating contest at Stone Mountain Park. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Soapbox Derby
October 1st
11:30am – 5pm
Bring a chair to watch 100 drivers compete in the Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby, with food vendors, a bake sale, a beer tent, and live music. Cars are judged at noon, and races are 1 to 3:15 p.m. on Madison Avenue at Johnston Place in Decatur. Free.
Taste of Chamblee
October 1st
Taste of Chamblee features food from 20 restaurants, live music, kids’ activities, and a car show. Free.
Atlanta Scavenger Hunt
October 2nd
Atlanta Challenge is a Sunday event of teams running around the city to solve clues and win prizes. It ends at a restaurant with awards and a costume contest.
Woofstock Pets in the Park
October 1st
12pm – 7pm
Woofstock features dogs that dive and perform tricks, pet adoptions, food trucks, a beer garden, inflatables for kids, and arts & crafts at Smyrna Market Village, 2840 Atlanta Road, Smyrna. Free.
Georgia Blues & Roots Festival
October 1st
10am – 10 pm
The first Georgia Blues & Roots Festival features 12 artists, including Jarekus Singleton and Big Bill Morganfield, at Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton.
Sweet Auburn Music Fest
October 1st – October 2nd
Sweet Auburn Music Fest is an R&B, hip-hop, and gospel music festival on Auburn Avenue at Jackson.
Sunflower Festival
October 1st
10am – 5 pm
The Sunflower Festival features farm animals, music, artisans, and vendors at Yule Forest on Hwy 155.
Candler Park Fall Fest
October 1st – October 2nd
Fall Fest has live bands, 150 art booths, gourmet food trucks, a kids’ area, 5K, 1K, and Sunday home tour.
Decatur Maker Faire
October 1st – October 2nd
See exhibits about science, creativity, innovation, and art, and meet the people of all ages who made them at the Maker Faire in downtown Decatur. Free.
Anime Weekend Atlanta Convention
October 1st – October 2nd
Anime Weekend Atlanta has panels and workshops, games and videos, costume play, a dealer’s room, an art show, and a red-carpet ball at Cobb Galleria Centre.
Out on Film
October 1st – October 6th
Out On Film shows 80 gay films and videos at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.
Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival
October 1st – October 30th
Pumpkin Festival features a costume party, family shows, storytelling, kids’ activities, and a pie-eating contest at Stone Mountain Park. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Decatur Glass Pumpkin Making
October 1st – October 31st
The Pumpkin Class at Decatur Glassblowing includes safety instructions, a demonstration, and assistance making a pumpkin ornament to take home after it cools for 24 hours. Children 10 to 17 require a parent.
Six Flags Halloween Fright Fest
October 1st – October 31st
Enjoy pumpkin painting & trick-or-treating in daylight, but beware of scary ghosts, ghouls, and zombies at night during Fright Fest at Six Flags over Georgia in Austell.
Brookhaven Chili Cook Off
October 8th
12:30pm – 6pm
Buy a wristband to taste chili (spicy, mild, chicken, beef, vegetarian) at Brookhaven Chili Cook Off. It has live music, a kids’ zone, and arts & crafts.
Zoo Atlanta Wine Tasting
October 8th
4:30pm – 9:30pm
Enjoy wine sampling, animal viewing, live music, live painting, and appetizers during Sippin’ Safari in the Ford Pavilion at Zoo Atlanta for age 21+. Discount tickets $56.
Atlanta Mac ‘n’ Cheese Festival
October 8th
12:30pm – 5:30pm
A ticket to Atlanta Mac and Cheese Festival includes five samples of mac & cheese from local restaurants, with music by local bands at Walker Park. No pets.
Georgia Mountain Fall Festival
October 7th – October 15th
Georgia Mountain Fall Festival features arts & crafts, live music, and demonstrations of archery, fly-fishing, and lumberjacking in Hiawassee.
Great Atlanta Beer Festival
October 8th
1pm – 6pm
Sample 150 beers, cider, and wine at the giant Great Atlanta Beer Fest, which includes live music, football on big TVs, and food for sale at Turner Field.
Marietta Beer Festival
October 8th
Taste 100 beers at the Marietta Craft Beer Festival, part of the weekend Chalktoberfest listed separately.
Atlanta Hip-Hop Festival
October 8th
Atlanta Hip Hop Day Festival features Atlanta artists, b-boy and b-girl exhibits, emcee battles, turntablism, and graffiti artists at Woodruff Park. Free.
Atlanta Gay Pride Festival & Parade
October 8th – October 9th
The highlight of the Atlanta Pride Festival for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons is the Pride Parade at noon on Sunday up Peachtree Street to Piedmont Park.
Marietta Chalk Art Festival
October 8th – October 9th
Watch professional chalk artists compete, enter the amateur contest, see kids draw on the street, attend a craft beer festival, and visit the art museum free during Chalktoberfest in Marietta.
Opera by Mozart
October 8th- October 16th
The Abduction from the Seraglio is a farcical, colorful romance in which heroes and heroines must outwit their captors at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Discount tickets $39 to $51.
Georgia Apple Festival
October 8th – 9th, October 15th – 16th
See 300 vendors of food and handmade items, plus craft demonstrations, a parade, and an antique car show at Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay. No pets.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
October 13th and October 15th
8pm
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs works by Adams, Gershwin, and Copland at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Discount tickets $25.
Atlanta Horror Film Festival
October 13th – October 15th
See horror, sci-fi, gore, zombie, creepy, mystery, and dark comedy films at Atlanta Horror Film Festival at the Plaza Theatre.
Elevate Atlanta Art Downtown
October 13th – October 21st
Elevate Atlanta offers music & dance performances, public art installations, gallery exhibits, and street art in downtown Atlanta involving 100 artists. Free.
Old Fourth Ward Movies & Beer
October 14th
See short films, and buy 20 varieties of New Belgium beer plus food at Clips Beer & Film Tour at Fourth Ward Skatepark Field. Bring age 21 ID. Free.
Dracula: The Awakening (in Lawrenceville)
October 14-15, October 21-22, October 28-29
Creatures dance and perform acts of horror onstage and around you to music at 30-minute Dracula: The Awakening in Lawrenceville.
Stone Mountain Ghost Tour
October 14th – October 30th
Hear the best ghost stories of the South on a lantern-lit walk at Antebellum Plantation during A Tour of Southern Ghosts at Stone Mountain Park.
Little 5 Points Halloween Parade & Festival
October 15th
Enjoy food and drink, live entertainment, pumpkin carving, street vendors, and a 4 p.m. costume parade at Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade. Free.
Decatur Beer Festival
October 15th
Decatur Craft Beer Festival features 100 craft beers, live music, and food for sale in downtown Decatur.
Oktoberfest Atlanta
October 15th
1pm – 6pm
Oktoberfest Atlanta features German beer, food, live music, and games at Heritage Sandy Springs. Discount tickets for two people: $20.
Fall Festival on Ponce
October 15th – October 16th
Fall Festival on Ponce features fine arts and crafts, folk art, a children’s area, food trucks, and acoustic music in historic Olmsted Linear Park at N Ponce De Leon Ave NE. Repeats in April. Free.
Brookhaven Arts Festival
October 15th – October 16th
Brookhaven Arts Festival includes more than 100 juried artists, live music, a kids’ corner, and food vendors. Free.
Cocktails at the Aquarium – Sips Under the Sea
October 21st
7pm, VIP 6pm
Adults can wander Georgia Aquarium enjoying live music, cocktails, and appetizers at Sips Under the Sea. See the evening’s theme listed on the website.
Hot Air Balloon Festival
October 21st – October 22nd
Owl-O-Ween features balloon rides, balloon glows, trick-or-treating, food, beer tents, vendors, and entertainers at Kennesaw State University.
Taste of Atlanta
October 21st – October 23rd
Try samples from 90 of Atlanta’s best restaurants, taste beer and wine, and watch celebrity-chef demos at Taste of Atlanta at Technology Square in Midtown. Discount tickets $20.
These are just some of the many events, activities, and festivals happening in and around Atlanta in the Fall! What’s your favorite fall activity? What are you excited about checking out?
