Spring means warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and a large number of metro Atlanta festivals, many of which have enjoyed decades of drawing large crowds out to have fun.
Whether you like music, art, food and even haiku, or want to watch or take part in a parade or run in an accompanying 5K, you’ll find a festival to match your likes. These festive events also are geographically diverse, so no matter where you live or are visiting, you’ll probably find a spring festival or two nearby.
Make plans to attend some of the following events while enjoying a (if not the) favorite metro Atlanta season:
Credit: Photo courtesy of Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival
Credit: Photo courtesy of Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival
Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival
Festivities kick off with a 5K to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and then continue the next weekend with music from O.A.R., Boyz II Men, Switchfoot, Gavin DeGraw and more. Plenty of food vendors will be on-site, and guests can also attend a classic car show, shop an artist market and let the kids have fun in their own zone.
5K, 8 a.m. Saturday, March 22. Cherry Blossom Festival, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 29-30. Classic Car Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Free festival admission and free shuttles to and from MARTA’s Brookhaven/Oglethorpe Station. 5K, $30. Blackburn Park, 3493 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven. festival@brookhaven.com, brookhavenga.gov.
Spring to Life Family Festival
At historic Oakland Cemetery, enjoy demonstrations from AWARE Wildlife Center, buy plants, join in a family yoga session, take a tour of the garden and sample goodies from food trucks. Plenty of kids’ activities are also scheduled, including creating sidewalk chalk art, making a bug hotel and painting with nature. A Run Like Hell 5K, the country’s largest cemetery run, will take place after the festival.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 5. Free festival. 5K, $40. 374 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta. info@oaklandcemetery.com. oaklandcemetery.com.
Festival on Ponce
Browse and purchase from more than 125 displays of fine arts and crafts and folk art. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a children’s area will help keep the younger set happily occupied.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. April 6. Free admission. Olmsted Linear Park, 1451 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. info@affps.com. festivalonponce.com.
ATL Blues Festival
Experience emotive lyrics and guitar-driven accompaniment with performances from King George, Tucka, Pokey Bear, West Love and more. To add to your evening, buy an add-on admission to the Skyline Lounge for $55 (21 and up only) for a dedicated bar, two complimentary drinks and a selection of chef-prepared hors d’oeuvres.
6 p.m. April 6. $59-$250. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 770-916-2852. cobbenergycentre.com.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Credit: Photo courtesy of Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Join in the fun at the 89th Atlanta Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park with a juried fine art market, the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition, food trucks and vendors and the Mimosa 5K. The Kids Village, presented by Dollywood, will feature interactive make-and-take projects, arts and crafts and face painting.
Noon-9 p.m. April 11, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. April 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 13. (Artist market closes at 6 p.m. April 11-12.) 5K, 8 a.m. April 12. Free festival admission (suggested $5 minimum donation); 5K, $40 in advance, $45 race day. Piedmont Park, 1322 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta. 404-827-8663. dogwood.org.
Suwanee Arts Festival
Admire and shop for paintings, ceramics, photographs, sculptures, jewelry and more. Artist demonstrations and entertainment will be held onstage, and international cuisine and an author’s tent with book signings will add to the fun.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 12, noon-5 p.m. April 13. Free. Suwanee Town Center, 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee. 678-878-2818. suwaneeartscenter.org.
Credit: Photo courtesy of SweetWater 420 Fest
Credit: Photo courtesy of SweetWater 420 Fest
SweetWater 420 Fest
A variety of musical acts and plenty of craft beers are available at the SweetWater 420 Fest in Pullman Yards, with performances from the Revivalists, Marcus King, Greensky Bluegrass and many more. Experiences such as the SweetWater BoatHouse and Bar — with soft seating, shade and a “cowboy pool” — are included with general admission tickets. Extras such as the SweetWater 420 Basement Experience, a lounge and arcade inspired by “Wayne’s World,” are available to KUSH VIP ticket holders.
1:30-11 p.m. April 18, noon-11 p.m. April 19-20. $80 daily admission, $195 weekend general admission, $240 weekend general admission plus (which lets you access air-conditioned restrooms, a private bar and a chill zone). $100 daily KUSH VIP, $270 weekend KUSH VIP. 225 Rogers St. NE, Atlanta. info@sweetwater420fest.com. sweetwater420fest.com.
Atlanta Haiku Festival
Explore the Atlanta Botanical Garden and attend haiku workshops, a discussion with esteemed haiku poets and more. Discovery stations will feature tea, forest bathing and haiku, and kids will also have interactive stations to connect with art, nature and haiku.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 19. Included with Garden admission of $28.95-$30.95. 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-876-5859. atlantabg.org.
Lemonade Days Festival
Dunwoody’s five-day Lemonade Days Festival draws crowds of more than 80,000 people each year with more than 20 midway rides, a food court, beer garden, petting zoo, pony rides, a chalk art station and more. A 5K race that serves as a qualifier for The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Peachtree Road Race will also be held in the park as part of the festival.
4-10 p.m. April 23-25, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. April 26, noon-6 p.m. April 27. 5K 8 a.m. April 26. $40, with price increasing after April 1. Free festival admission. Unlimited ride wristbands $20 April 23, $30 April 24-27. Children’s ride single tickets $1.25 or 25 for $25. Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. 770-668-0401. dunwoodypreservationtrust.org.
Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes
Explore beautiful Inman Park residences on the Tour of Homes to get some inspiration for your own. The festival features a street market filled with handcrafted wares and antiques, music, food and drink and more. A colorful, quirky parade will be held on the festival’s second day.
Noon-4 p.m. April 25-27, Tour of Homes. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. festival and 2 p.m. parade April 26. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. festival April 27. Free festival admission; Tour of Homes $35 before April 25, then $40. Inman Park neighborhood. festival.inmanpark.org.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Tucker Day 2025
Credit: Photo courtesy of Tucker Day 2025
Tucker Day 2025
Ride in a human-powered float, bicycle or walk in the parade or watch as the colorful procession travels down Railroad Avenue and up Main Street. Three stages will feature live entertainment representing a variety of musical genres, and vendors will also sell their wares.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. festival, 2 p.m. parade, May 3. Free. Downtown Tucker. 678-597-9040. tuckerday.com.
Taste of Alpharetta
Food takes center stage as Taste of Alpharetta offers dishes from 60-plus restaurants serving everything from elevated Southern classics to Korean barbecue. Live music and a Kidz Zone with games, rides, inflatables and challenge courses are also available.
5-10 p.m. May 8. Free admission with tickets required for food ($2-$8 per sample). $15 Kidz Zone wristband, two for $25 or three for $30. 2 Park Plaza, downtown Alpharetta. 678-297-6000. awesomealpharetta.com.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Marietta Greek Festival/Wendell Weithers
Credit: Photo courtesy of Marietta Greek Festival/Wendell Weithers
Marietta Greek Festival
The 35th annual Marietta Greek Festival invites you to be Greek for a day — or three — and feast on favorites such as wraps, bowls, salads, sides and, of course, pastries such as baklava. Costumed traditional dancers will perform throughout the festival, and guests can shop for authentic items and also take tours of the church and learn about the sanctuary’s symbolism.
4-10:30 p.m. May 16, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. May 17 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 18. Tickets $5, 12 and under free. Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, 3431 Trickum Road, Marietta. 770-924-8080. mariettagreekfestival.com.
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