Spring Into Festival Season: Explore Atlanta And Dunwoody With Marta
As temperatures rise and flowers bloom, festival season springs to life in Atlanta and Dunwoody! From vibrant art markets to soulful jazz gatherings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. And the best part? You can seamlessly hop from festival to festival by taking the MARTA train from Dunwoody to downtown Atlanta, avoiding the hassle of parking and navigating city traffic.
Dunwoody: Your Festival Gateway
Nestled just north of Atlanta, Dunwoody serves as the perfect home base for your festival adventures. With nine conveniently located hotels, you’ll find comfort and relaxation after a day of festivities. Plus, Dunwoody offers its own array of attractions and activities to explore between festivals. Let’s dive into some of the must-visit festivals happening in Atlanta and Dunwoody this spring and summer, check out our EVENT CALENDAR to explore more.
Dunwoody Art Festival
When: May 11-12, 2024
Where: Dunwoody Village
The HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/PLAY/EVENTS/ANNUAL-EVENTS/DUNWOODY-ART-FESTIVAL/DUNWOODY ART FESTIVAL is a Mother’s Day tradition and is the perfect way to celebrate mom! Over 40,000 grandmothers, moms, kids, and dads come out for this whimsical artist market that continuously attracts top artisans from all over the country. Often labeled as a “shopper’s paradise,” this festival is the perfect gift and the perfect place to find gifts. Complete with a Festival Food Court, a relaxing stage with continuous live music, and a Kidz Zone, this festival is fun for ages 1 to 92.
Sweet Auburn Springfest
When: May 11-12, 2024
Where: Historic Sweet Auburn District
SWEET AUBURN SPRING FEST is the largest free outdoor festival in the Southeast. It takes place in the historic Sweet Auburn District – home to Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, his birthplace, and the APEX Museum. The festival offers a mix of live music, food, and fun for the whole family with a rich, historical Atlanta neighborhood as the scenic backdrop.
Atlanta Jazz Festival
When: May 25-27, 2024
Where: PIEDMONT PARK
Celebrating more than 40 years of soulful expression, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is the perfect way to start your Memorial Day weekend. Explore Piedmont Park and visit vendors displaying some of the city’s finest arts and crafts, food and drink and merchandise.
Don’t Miss Out on These Festivals Next Year:
Monarchs & Margaritas
When: May 4, 2024
The Nature Center’s largest annual fundraiser is back for 2024! Join us for an evening of delicious food, unlimited drinks, live auctions, and community fun. Guests will enjoy live Flamenco music and dancers and unique tequila tastings from Anteel Tequila before the exciting auction and raffle! The evening will be spent surrounded by the beauty of nature, the perfect setting for reconnecting with the community and raising money to support the Dunwoody Nature Center’s mission.
Shaky Knees Music Festival
When: May 3-5, 2024
Where: CENTRAL PARK
This 3-day festival earned the No. 4 spot on USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Music Festivals list and was also listed as one of the 50 Must-See Music Festivals in Summer 2015 by Rolling Stone. Featuring both world-renowned acts and up-and-coming artists, the Shaky Knees Festival is Atlanta’s proper indie music showcase comparable to Coachella and Bonnaroo. Just “smaller.” And more enjoyable (if you ask us.) We say “smaller” because this baby still brings out at least 40,000 people.
Photo courtesy of shakyknees.com
Atlanta Film Festival
The Atlanta Film Festival is one of the region’s largest and longest-running preeminent celebrations of cinema in the Southeastern United States. More than 25,000 festival attendees enjoy independent, animated, documentary and short films each year.
When: 4/25/24 – 5/5/24
Location: Plaza Theater Atlanta
Lemonade Days Festival
When: April 19-23, 2024
Where: HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/LISTING/BROOK-RUN-PARK/9/BROOK RUN PARK
In HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/STAY/GETTING-HERE-AND-GETTING-AROUND/DUNWOODY, we believe that when life gives you lemons, you should make an entire festival out of them. In 1998, an F2 tornado tore through Dunwoody at 150 mph causing much disaster and devastation throughout our beloved city. Not long after, the community banded together to create HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/PLAY/EVENTS/ANNUAL-EVENTS/LEMONADE-DAYS-/LEMONADE DAYS, a charity event designed to bring relief to those families affected by the tornado. This beloved five-day festival is complete with more than 30-full scale carnival rides, more than 20 food and beverage vendors, a 5K run, a Made in Dunwoody Country Store, a petting zoo, Dunwoody Idol contest, and lots more if you can believe it! This tragedy-turned-triumph has blossomed into a family festival that brings out more than 80,000 festival-goers – but there’s always room for plenty more.
Sweetwater 420 Fest
When: April 20-21, 2024
Where: HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/LISTING/CENTENNIAL-OLYMPIC-PARK/247/CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK
At its core, this festival is all about music, beer, and the environment. HTTPS://WWW.SWEETWATER420FEST.COM/SWEETWATER 420 FEST brings live music, comedy, art, food, workshops, and brews to HTTPS://WWW.DISCOVERDUNWOODY.COM/LISTING/CENTENNIAL-OLYMPIC-PARK/247/CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK. What started as a small celebration by Georgia’s native Sweetwater Brewery has now evolved into a weekend bash appreciating Mother Earth and all the good things she has to offer the world.
Green EGGS & Kegs
When: April 20th, 2024
Where: THE VILLAGE DUNWOODYHTTPS://WWW.FUNWOODYRESTAURANTS.COM/
Green EGGS & Kegs is the Best Party in the ‘Burbs! The Funwoody Village transforms into the hottest party destination! Ticketed guests indulge in the finest beers, spirits, & wine while enjoying small bites from some of the Best Chefs in Georgia and Live Music from Family Truckster and Sucker Punch! This year will feature three live bands, 25+ food vendors, 20 beer, wine & spirits vendors, live cooking demos, and so much more!
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
When: April 12-14, 2024
Where: PIEDMONT PARK
Celebrate art, music, food, and the beauty of spring at Atlanta’s oldest fine arts festival. With MARTA, you can easily access Piedmont Park from Dunwoody and immerse yourself in this iconic event. Attendees can purchase sculptures, paintings, pottery, jewelry, photography, and other art during THIS STAPLE ATLANTA EVENT.
Explore with MARTA, Stay in Dunwoody
Make the most of festival season by staying in Dunwoody and taking advantage of MARTA’s convenient transportation network. Whether you’re indulging in art, music, or culinary delights, let MARTA be your ticket to unforgettable experiences in Atlanta and Dunwoody.
Check out this video and see how to ride MARTA A QUICK LOOK: HOW TO RIDE TO DOWNTOWN EVENTS:
For additional tips on navigating around Dunwoody, please visit our DUNWOODY MAPS AND TRANSPORTATION PAGE.