Now in its 18th year, Taste of Atlanta has reached adulthood, but it's still packing in fun and new experiences. The award-winning festival returns Oct. 18-20 to Historic Fourth Ward Park with more than 100 Atlanta-area restaurants participating.
“It’s an adventure for everybody,” said Taste of Atlanta founder Dale DeSena. “We have worked so hard to make Taste of Atlanta the largest and premier food, wine, beer and cocktail festival of Atlanta and want to showcase all of the neighborhood restaurants in one place.”
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The festival moved to Historic Fourth Ward Park in 2017, and organizers haven’t looked back. “We have green grass, wide-open areas and a laid-back vibe,” DeSena said. “We keep expanding it to include more land to spread it out a bit.”
New this year are food districts that group restaurants thematically. The Tailgating District will show football games on TVs while serving up bites from Shake Shack, Taco Mac, City Barbeque and Three Dollar Cafe. The Brunch All Day section will feature fare from Waffle House, Little Farmhouse Cafe and Simon's Restaurant. The Hartsfield-Jackson Lounge will offer tastes of the world's busiest airport from Chicken + Beer, TGI Friday's and Atlanta Chophouse.
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The Buford Highway District will include such restaurants as Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea and Northern China Eatery. "We are such fans of the Buford Highway corridor. We've been trying to do this for a long time," DeSena said. "We think they should be showcased."
Among the new participating restaurants this year are Feedel Bistro Ethiopian, Joella's Chicken, Casi Cielo and Babalu. "We really work hard each year to have a great cross section and not the same as the year before," DeSena said.
The Friday night kickoff party features top chefs and restaurants that focus on sourcing local and cooking seasonally. Chef Nick Leahy of Aix and Tin Tin will serve as host, joined by chefs from Bellina Alimentari, Kimball House, KR Steak Bar, Mission + Market and Tiny Lou's, among others. Moontower will perform on stage.
Cooking classes and chef demonstrations continue to be a big part of the festival. Look for celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman mixing up his famous kale salad on the Chef's Table stage, and Georgia Grown chefs on the Home Plate stage using ingredients from our home state. Hometown hero Dorian Hunter, season 10 winner of "MasterChef," is also teaching a class. In addition, there will be beer and wine pairing classes, and a Burger Brawl that pits restaurants against one another in the quest for the best burger.
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Another addition this year is a Saturday night concert. Guests can bring chairs and blankets to the lawn and enjoy smooth tunes from Yacht Rock Revue from 7-11 p.m. “This is Atlanta’s favorite band,” DeSena said. Local food trucks will be selling bites for purchase, and beer, wine and cocktails will be available at several on-site bars.
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The festival is cashless. A wristband serves as the ticket, and each comes loaded with taste points. Additional taste points can be purchased online in advance or at Taste Point Top Up tents located throughout the festival grounds. Activating wristbands before the festival is encouraged.
After the festival, registered users will receive a custom email that lists everything the user ate, along with information about the restaurant that offered the dish.
DeSena's advice: "Decide your day." Go to the Taste of Atlanta website to check out the dish offerings from each restaurant and plan how you want to eat your way through the city's award-winning food festival.
6 bites to seek out
Shanghai soup dumplings from Northern China Eatery
French Macarons from Amelie’s Bakery & Café
Lobster roll from Crab 404
Paella de Pollo from Bulla Gastropub
Pacific East oysters from District M
Cheesesteak from Woody’s Cheesesteaks
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Taste of Atlanta
Oct. 18-20. $30 and up. Historic Fourth Ward Park. 680 Dallas St. NE, Atlanta. tasteofatlanta.com.
VIP tickets
VIP tickets range from $80 for one day to $240 if purchasing all three days. The wristband allows access to private VIP area with tastings from 14 restaurants not found in the general area; festival area as well as complimentary tastings of more than 80 craft beers, wines from around the globe, and craft cocktails.
Festival hours
7:30-11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7-11 p.m. Saturday Yacht Rock Revue concert
Get there
Entry gates for general admission ticket holders are located at North Avenue (Gate 1) across from Ponce City Market and at Rankin Street, near Garden Park Drive (Gate 2). VIP ticket holders can enter at either Gate 1 or 2 or at the VIP entrance at Ralph McGill Boulevard NE and Garden Park Drive. There are free shuttle buses from MARTA's Civic Center station. Suggested parking is at Atlanta Medical Center. Biking, scooting or rideshare is encouraged. Check the Taste of Atlanta website for more details, including discounted rideshare codes and pickup/drop-off locations.
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