What's On in Atlanta
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Atlanta, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker 2026: Dec. 5-26 dates and times
Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker runs Dec. 5-26, 2026, at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Every show time, the 2-hour run time and the $20 parking rate.
Coming up
The full month- Now through Nov. 29 Los Porfiados (The Stubborns)
- Now through Jan. 3 I SPY! Walter Wick's Hidden Wonders
- Now through Jan. 17 Martin Puryear: Nexus
- Now through Nov. 1 Scarecrows in the Garden
- Now through Oct. 16 Mexodus
- Now through Nov. 15 Like Father
- Now through Oct. 31 The Ghastly Dreadfuls
- Now through Feb. 7 Photography as a Way of Life opens at the High Museum
- Now through Feb. 7 Photography as a Way of Life: Minor White, Aaron Siskind, and Harry Callahan
- Oct. 14 to Nov. 1 Spookhouse Annie
- Thu. Oct. 15 Grand Tasting Midtown
- Oct. 15 to 25 Capturing the Spirit of Oakland
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Atlanta Fourth of July fireworks 2027: what we know so far
No 2027 Fourth of July fireworks are announced yet in Atlanta. In 2026 Centennial Olympic Park held no show and closed July 4 for the World Cup fan festival.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Atlanta 2026
Atlanta has no official trick-or-treat hours; Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Trunk-or-treats and kids' events at the zoo, Fernbank and more.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Atlanta 2027: brunch, events and gift markets
Mother's Day 2027 in Atlanta is Sunday, May 9. What the Botanical Garden and Ponce City Market held in 2026, Saturday markets and where brunch is posted.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Atlanta 2027: Jazz Festival, pools and closures
Memorial Day 2027 in Atlanta is Monday, May 31: the free Atlanta Jazz Festival weekend, city pools opening, and trash, MARTA and school changes.
Summer camps
Summer in Atlanta 2027: camps, city pools and registration dates
Summer 2027 in Atlanta: the city's 12 free outdoor pools, Camp Best Friends and other city camps, Zoo Atlanta's Safari Camp and when to register.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Atlanta 2027: events, free days and brunch
Father's Day 2027 in Atlanta is Sunday, June 20, the day after Juneteenth. Free admission for dads in 2026, Juneteenth weekend events and brunch.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Atlanta 2027: Dragon Con parade and closures
Labor Day 2027 in Atlanta is Monday, Sept. 6. Dragon Con and its Saturday parade on Peachtree Street, plus trash, MARTA and school changes.
Halloween
Halloween events in Atlanta 2026
Halloween 2026 in Atlanta: the Little Five Points parade Oct. 18, Boo at the Zoo, Oakland Cemetery tours, museum trick-or-treats and adult parties.
Christmas
Atlanta Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
Piedmont Park's free Lantern Parade starts at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, and ends with the lighting of the Great Tree, menorah and kinara in the Meadow.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Atlanta 2026: turkey trot, MARTA and trash
Thanksgiving 2026 in Atlanta: the half marathon and 5K from Center Parc Stadium, MARTA's Sunday schedule and the one-day trash pickup delay.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Atlanta 2026
Black Friday 2026 in Atlanta: Small Business Saturday Nov. 28, maker's markets at Ponce City Market and Atlantic Station, and MARTA's holiday schedule.
High school football
Friday night football 2026: Atlanta Public Schools schedule
The rest of the 2026 regular season for North Atlanta, Midtown, Maynard Jackson, Mays, Douglass, Carver and other Atlanta teams, from GHSA schedules.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkins in Atlanta 2026
Atlanta fall festivals 2026: L5P Halloween Festival Oct. 17-18, Scarecrows in the Garden, the Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival Oct. 22 and Chomp & Stomp Nov. 7.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Atlanta 2026
Holiday lights 2026 in Atlanta: Garden Lights from Nov. 14, IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta, Santa at the zoo Dec. 5-6, A Christmas Carol and holiday markets.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Atlanta 2026: fireworks, drones and family fun
New Year's Eve 2026 in Atlanta: what the city did after the Peach Drop, Zoo Year's Eve for kids, Garden Lights, MARTA's NYE schedule and the Peach Bowl.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Atlanta 2027: events, dinners and date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 in Atlanta falls on a Sunday. What the Botanical Garden, Ponce City Market and Piedmont Park held in 2026, and what to book early.
Spring break
Spring break in Atlanta 2027: APS dates, camps and things to do
Atlanta Public Schools spring break is April 5-9, 2027. Zoo Atlanta's spring break camp, the Dogwood Festival dates and what to do while school is out.
Easter
Easter in Atlanta 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services
Easter 2027 in Atlanta is Sunday, March 28. The egg hunts and family programs held in 2026, with dates by year, and where to check services and brunch.
Brunch
Brunch in Atlanta: 7 places with weekend brunch hours
Weekend brunch in Atlanta at seven restaurants, with days, hours and addresses from each one's own website: Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park and Midtown.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Atlanta: dog parks, patios and the leash rules
Atlanta's eight city off-leash dog parks with addresses, the city's park leash ordinance, where dogs are banned, and dog-friendly patios and shopping.
Kids
Kids' activities in Atlanta: zoo, museums, pools and rainy days
Kids' activities in Atlanta with hours and addresses: Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, Children's Museum, Fernbank, Center for Puppetry Arts and free pools.
Trails
Atlanta walking and biking trails: BeltLine, greenways, parking
Atlanta walking and biking trails with distances and trailheads: the BeltLine's Eastside and Westside trails, Freedom Park, PATH400, Chastain and more.
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park: a guide to Atlanta's downtown park
A guide to Centennial Olympic Park and its neighbors: park hours, Fountain of Rings show times, the aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and museums nearby.
Live music
Live music and nightlife in Atlanta: venues, addresses, links
Atlanta live music venues with addresses, phones and official links: the Tabernacle, Variety Playhouse, Terminal West, the Masquerade, The EARL and blues bars.
Free
Free things to do in Atlanta: parks, history, art and pools
Free things to do in Atlanta: the MLK National Historical Park, Oakland Cemetery, Centennial Olympic Park's fountain, BeltLine art, trails, pools and festivals.
Date night
Date night in Atlanta: restaurants, theater, wine and late hours
Date night in Atlanta with hours and addresses from each venue: dinner spots, City Winery, the Alliance Theatre and High Museum, and places open late.
Atlanta Pride
Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade: dates, route, parking
Atlanta Pride 2026 is over: storms canceled Saturday, and the parade and festival ran Sunday, Oct. 11. 2027 dates are not out; it is held each October.
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Atlanta Dogwood Festival: 2027 dates, hours, parking
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival returns to Piedmont Park April 9-11, 2027, the organizer says. Hours, tickets, MARTA, parking and the no-dogs rule.
Inman Park Festival
Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes: 2027 dates, parade
The Inman Park Festival is Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, 2027, free; the Tour of Homes runs April 23-25 for $35 presale. Parade 2 p.m. Saturday.
Peachtree Road Race
Peachtree Road Race: July 4 date, registration, road closures
The Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10K, is Sunday, July 4, 2027, from Lenox Square to Piedmont Park. Lottery registration opens in spring 2027.
Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade
Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade: date, route, parking
The Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade is held each fall on the Southwest Trail. The 2026 parade ran Sept. 26; the 2027 date is not announced yet.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Atlanta: lists by category
Every Atlanta where-to-eat list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, sushi, desserts, bakeries, patios and brunch.
Wings
Where to get wings in Atlanta: West End, Midtown and Cascade
36 places for wings in Atlanta, from West End and Cascade Road to Midtown and Piedmont Avenue, with hours from each place's own site where it posts them.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Atlanta: Westside, Midtown and Buckhead
42 pizza places in Atlanta, from Hemphill Avenue and Little Five Points to Buckhead and downtown, with hours from each place's own site where it posts them.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Atlanta
51 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Atlanta, from Midtown and Ponce de Leon Avenue to Inman Park, the Westside and Cascade, with hours from their own sites.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Atlanta: Summerhill, Westside and Cascade
12 barbecue restaurants in Atlanta, from Summerhill and South Downtown to the Westside, Cascade and Piedmont Avenue, with hours from their own sites.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Atlanta: Midtown, downtown and the Westside
28 breakfast spots and coffee shops in Atlanta, from Midtown and downtown cafes to East Atlanta and the Westside, with hours from their own sites.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Atlanta: Midtown, Westside and Edgewood
23 burger places in Atlanta, from The Varsity and Midtown to the Westside, Edgewood and Little Five Points, with hours from their own sites.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Atlanta: Midtown, Westside, Buckhead
41 sushi, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese restaurants in Atlanta, from Midtown and Howell Mill Road to Buckhead and downtown.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Atlanta: BeltLine, Midtown and downtown
25 ice cream, gelato, cookie and dessert shops in Atlanta, from the BeltLine and Midtown to downtown, Atlantic Station and Cascade Road.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Atlanta: Grant Park, Poncey-Highland and Buckhead
18 bakeries and doughnut shops in Atlanta, from Grant Park and Poncey-Highland to Kirkwood, Midtown, downtown and Buckhead, with hours from their own sites.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Atlanta: Midtown, BeltLine and east side
21 Atlanta restaurants, cafes and bars whose own sites say they have a patio, rooftop or outdoor seating, from Midtown to Summerhill and Castleberry Hill.
Event news
Veterans Day
Atlanta Veterans Day Parade 2026: Nov. 7 route, time
The 45th Georgia Veterans Day Parade is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, on Peachtree Street from 15th to 5th Street in Midtown. Free, after a 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
Arts
Arts and exhibitions in Atlanta: October 2026
Arts in Atlanta, October 2026: Puryear and a new photo show at the High, two Alliance musicals, Atlanta Ballet's Cinderella and a free Marine Band concert.
Things to do
Things to do in Atlanta this weekend, Oct. 9 to 11
Atlanta Pride fills Piedmont Park Saturday and Sunday, with the parade at noon Sunday, plus the Fall Festival on Ponce and the Falcons hosting the Ravens.