Arts Agenda: fall festivals

Each week, ArtsATL delivers a critic’s short list of the shows, exhibitions, concerts and events we recommend for the coming weeks within one discipline or venue type in the kaleidoscope of Atlanta arts and culture.

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September 3-5

For more than a decade, the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival has served as a hub for playwrights, actors, directors, visual artists and creative professionals to showcase their work, collaborate and amplify the voices of marginalized communities.

September 3-7

Labor Day weekend brings us Atlanta Black Pride Weekend, celebrating 20 years in 2026. The bulk of the celebration takes place in venues around Midtown and Downtown Atlanta over the weekend, including the host hotel, The Starling in Midtown, with the Pure Heat Community Festival happening in Piedmont Park on Sunday, September 6.

September 5-7

Now in its 40th year, Marietta Art in the Park offers three days of outdoor family fun during Labor Day weekend with an artist market that showcases works by 220 artists from all over the country. It takes place in Marietta Square’s Glover Park from September 5 through September 7.

September 6

House in the Park is an annual house music festival beginning at noon on the Sunday before Labor Day in Grant Park. This year features legendary house music DJs Kai Alce, Kemit, Salah Ananse and Ramon Rawsoul.

September 10-13

Stone Mountain Park’s Yellow Daisy Festival welcomes more than 400 artists and crafters, along with craft demonstrations, vintage vendors, live music, a beer garden, food and more. The annual Festival takes place September 10 through September 13.

September 12-November 29

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces keeps the city’s outdoor art calendar packed with seven festivals spread across metro Atlanta parks and neighborhoods throughout the fall, including the Sandy Springs Fall Arts & Craft Festival, September 12 and September 13; Buckhead Arts Festival, September 19 and September 20; Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival, September 26 and September 27; Fall Festival on Ponce, October 10 and October 11; Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival, November 7 and November 8; and the Piedmont Holiday Gift Market, November 28 and November 29.

September 18-20

With more than 60 bands each year, the Shaky Knees Music Festival offers a diverse lineup ranging from world-renowned acts to up-and-coming artists. In previous years, the Festival took place in spring, but this will mark its second year with both a new date and a new home in Piedmont Park. The Strokes, Twenty One Pilots and Gorillaz are this year’s headliners.

September 19-20

JapanFest is an annual celebration of Japanese food and culture, with food from local Japanese restaurants, arts and martial arts performances, anime, vendors, hands-on activities and more. It’s happening at the Gas South Convention Center on September 19 and September 20.

September 23-25

SCAD AnimationFest is the nation’s largest festival that showcases cutting-edge animation and digital media arts techniques, technologies and trends alongside the work of student animators. Check the 10th anniversary edition at SCADshow, September 23 through September 25.

September 24-October 4

The mission of Out on Film is to inform, entertain, educate and enrich the LGBTQ culture by showcasing films by, for and about the LGBTQ community and its allies. In 2020, it became an Oscar-qualifying film festival. This year, screenings begin on September 24 and take place at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

September 26

AIDS Walk Atlanta Music Festival & 5K Run is a benefit for local AIDS service organizations that takes place in Piedmont Park. Look for this year’s Music Festival performers to be announced soon.

September 26-27

For more than 40 years, downtown Duluth has hosted the annual Duluth Fall Festival. The Festival hosts arts and crafts vendors offering everything from paintings and photographs to jewelry and candles, all of it handmade. There’s also a parade, a 5K race, music and other live entertainment.

September 27

Oakland Cemetery’s Sunday in the Park featuring Tunes from the Tombs combines history with music. You’ll find historical tours, a Victorian costume contest, craft beer and cocktails, food trucks, an artist market, living history performances and more in Oakland Cemetery on September 27.

October 10-11

Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade is the Southeast’s largest pride celebration and will take place on October 10 and October 11 in Piedmont Park. The annual parade is always a highlight, stepping off at the Civic Center MARTA station and wrapping up at Piedmont Park on October 11.

October 17-18

One of the premier Scottish festivals in the U.S., the Stone Mountain Highland Games will feature colorful pipe bands, Scottish athletics, piping and drumming competitions, Highland dancers and much more. This year’s event takes place October 17 and October 18 in Stone Mountain Park.

The Little Five Points Halloween Festival & Parade is the biggest Halloween celebration in the Southeast, and it’s something everyone should experience. The two-day event, which takes place from noon until 7 p.m. each day, will welcome more than 100 artists and vendors, along with live music, wrestling and more. The big event is the annual parade, which happens at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 18.  

October 29-November 1

The Native American Festival and Pow Wow is the largest Native American gathering in Georgia and takes place from October 29 through November 1 in Stone Mountain Park. It was named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society and showcases Native American culture through dance, music, authentic craft demonstrations, cooking traditions, storytelling, wildlife presentations and more.

November 7

Cabbagetown’s Chomp & Stomp annual festival and chili cook-off honors the area’s history and benefits the neighborhood’s parks and green spaces. The music is still bluegrass-focused but in recent years has expanded to encompass many other genres. This year’s fest happens from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 7.