Atlanta’s Culture is Medicine: ELEVATE Atlanta Festival returns this weekend

Every fall since 2011, artists and cultural leaders come together to celebrate Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage through public art, block parties, music and dance. The three-day 2025 ELEVATE Atlanta Festival is themed “Rooted & Rising” — a nod to the cultural rise of the city from the late ’80s through the early 2000s, a time of immense growth and expansion that helped to cement Atlanta’s standing as a cultural capital of the world. 

This year’s Festival, which kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday evening, unites the concepts of cultural preservation and wellness. As written in a statement from the organizers, ELEVATE “recognizes the rituals, spaces and stories of Black Atlanta as vital to collective healing and community well-being.” This year’s Festival enlisted curators Courtney Brooks, Melissa Alexander and SLW & Steady Productions to highlight the ways in which Atlanta continues to grow without losing touch with its roots. 

Here’s this weekend’s lineup:

Friday, on the Steele Bridge:

“Steele Fresh,” curated by Courtney Brooks

Soul Fresh Sound Bowl Experience led by Ebony Black. 5 p.m.-6 p.m.

DJ Rasyrious spinning tunes, 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m.

Creative and Cultivated Live Art & Vendors Market featuring ComfiArt, The Narrative, EveryThang Dope, Journey of a Black Girl, Umi Say Candles and Nourish Botanica, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Fashion runway show featuring Wild Seed Butik, 8011, Abeille Creations and Selara Regalia, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

Spoken Word performance with Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. and Adán Bean, 8:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m.

Live music performance by Tiffany Goode and the Goode Stuff Experience, 9 p.m.-10 p.m. 

Funky Fresh After Party at Smokey Stallion Bistro, 10 p.m.-midnight.

Friday, in Castleberry Hill: 

ZuCot Gallery is a highlighted stop on the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday, at Woodruff Park:

“The Space Within” 

A new art installation and wellness event brought about by Atlanta Downtown and Dashboard will transform the grounds of Woodruff Park with installations by artists Lisa Li, Dana Haugaard and Ellex Swavoni, as well as a wind phone installed by The Grief House. 

Free HIIT fitness class by Community RGB Experience, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Free yoga class by Camrei and soundbath by Oyah, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Live harp music by Sonia and food from Smooth N Groove, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Saturday, at Atlanta Underground:

“The Culture Comb-Out,” curated by Melissa Alexander

The Corner Store Marketplace will host DJ Rock Most spinning tunes while visitors shop from City in the Woods, Chilly-O Co, Plant Lady Juice Co, R-Ki-Tekt, Legends Barber Shop and more, Noon-5 p.m.

The Crown Classic Hair Showdown, which is a ’90s-inspired hair competition hosted by Madam CJ and judged by a panel of esteemed hairstylists that includes Ricci de Forrest, Marlie Mahogony and Shara McHale, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Inside Underground — visitors can roam through open studios of resident artists and shop from Mom Said It’s Fine’s creative estate sale, starting at 5 p.m.

Sunday, on the West Side:

“Welcome to the Westside,” curated by SLW & Steady Productions

The Future Is Ours — Westview Artist + Makers Market at Westview Corner Grocery features a number of vendors selling vintage clothing, collectibles and art themed around ’80s to 2000s Atlanta culture, along with DJs spinning tunes, open mic and live music, Noon-5 p.m.

The Westview Makers Space — Exploratory sessions include classes in cobbling, pottery, capoeira and a history of rhythm and drum circle, Noon-5 p.m. 

Under Influenced, a pop-up exhibition at Pop-Up Gallery, curated by Eugene Byrd of the Future Dead Artists and SLW & Steady Productions, will include an artist Q&A, Noon-5 p.m. 

The Pearl Cleage & Zaron Burnett Center for Culture & Creativity will host a panel on balancing legacy and cultural preservation with a futuristic mind-set, 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. Also, don’t miss Live at Club Zebra, a film screening and discussion moderated by Dr. N’Kosi Oates that will engage Pearl Cleage and Zaron Burnett along with the filmmakers of The Palette Group, David and Matthew Adeboye, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.