Atlanta’s Annual Festivals 2006

Spring kicks off festival season in Atlanta, where at any time of year, there is always a celebration. The moderate climate enables festivals and events to be held year-round in the city. Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods as well as the city’s favorite parks, art, music, food and culture are celebrated at numerous festivals throughout the year.

January

Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year takes place on the first day of the first lunar month (near the end of January or the beginning of February on the American calendar) and is a celebration of health, prosperity and happiness in the coming year. A holiday of sacred traditions and symbolism for the Chinese people, each part of the New Year’s Eve meal and New Year ceremonies have special meanings to honor the past and prepare for the year ahead. The festival shares the importance of the holiday to the Chinese community through the presentation of traditional foods, handmade artwork, musical and dance performances. For more information, please contact the Chinese Community Center at 770.454.9167.

April

Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Held April 7-9, 2006, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is a showcase of springtime in Atlanta featuring local artists, crafters and musicians. 2006 will represent the festival’s 70th year in Atlanta, making it the longest running festival in the city. Annual events include live musical performances, a 24-foot rock-climbing wall, kids’ village and the annual U.S. Disc Dog Southern Nationals Competition. The festival also features great food, an arts festival and artist market with more than 200 of the nation’s top artists. To find out more, call 404.817.6642 or visit www.dogwood.org

Georgia Renaissance Festival
The Georgia Renaissance Festival, April 15-June 4, 2006, transports visitors back to a magnificent 15th century kingdom. Cavort with nearly 1,000 colorfully costumed characters, including kissing wenches, wandering minstrels, jugglers, magicians, hypnotists, rat-catchers and the world famous Hanlon-Lees Jousting Knights. Then shop at 150 artisan shops, featuring everything from fine jewelry, weaving and glass-blowing to a blacksmith and broom-maker. For more information, call 770.964.8575 or visit www.georgiarenaissancefestival.com

Inman Park Festival
Enjoy the best of spring blooms in Atlanta’s oldest neighborhood at the Inman Park Festival April 28-30, 2006. For one weekend each year, the city’s first suburb is transformed into a giant artists market, complete with live entertainment and a wide variety of food vendors.

Festivities also include theTour of Homes and a parade on Saturday, blending the eclectic atmospheres of Inman Park and nearby Little Five Points. To find out more, call 770.242.4895 or visit www.inmanpark.org

May

Sweet Auburn SpringFest
Dubbed as the largest street festival in the Southeast, SpringFest includes 10 stages of entertainment featuring Atlanta’s best gospel, jazz, blues and hip-hop. Events include a children’s fantastic fun area, technology expo and international vendors market. Two festival favorites are the Atlanta Classic Car Show and the Taste of Sweet Auburn, featuring the best soul food Atlanta has to offer. Sweet Auburn is one of Atlanta’s historic African-American neighborhoods and is the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the home to landmark churches, such as Big Bethel A.M.E. and Ebenezer Baptist. The 2006 event will take place May 12-14. For more information, call 404.886.4469 or visit www.sweetauburn.com

The Atlanta Jazz Festival
This 31-day schedule of events brings more than 100 of the best jazz performers to Atlanta for the month of May for performances throughout the city. Festivities include the Free Weekend Concert Series at Piedmont Park, May 27-29, a special benefit concert at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, the best in soul food, ethnic cuisine and American cooking and an expanded arts and crafts market. The 2006 festival will take place May 1-31. For more information, call 404.817.6851 or visit www.atlantafestivals.com

June

Virginia-Highland Summerfest
Summerfest takes place June 3-4, 2006, in the heart of Atlanta’s historic Virginia-Highland, an in-town neighborhood known for its diverse mix of nightlife, galleries, restaurants and unusual shops. The two-day festival includes diverse arts, great food, live local music, a Kidsfest play area and a Saturday morning 5K run and Tot Trot. For more information, visit www.vahi.org

Atlanta Film Festival
This annual festival, now in its 30th year, presents more than 150 independent films from more than 17 countries along with guest appearances by filmmakers, panelists, artists and industry professionals from around the world. Screenings run at multiple venues throughout the 10-day festival, concluding with the Atlanta Film Festival Awards Ceremony. The 2006 festival will take place June 9-17. For more information, call 404.352.4225 or visit www.atlantafilmfestival.com

PRIDE

This annual festival and parade commemorates the Stonewall Riots in NYC that launched the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights movement. Held June 23-25, 2006, at Piedmont Park, the festival attracts as many as 300,000 participants from the Greater Atlanta area and neighboring states. It is the largest festival of its kind in the Southeast and one of the largest in the country. To learn more, call 404.929.0071 or visit www.atlantapride.org

July

National Black Arts Festival
This 10-day cultural festival celebrates the contributions of Africans and African-Americans to art with events throughout the city featuring the work of more than 1,000 artists from the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Included are artist and vendor markets, a gallery crawl and live entertainment encompassing music, literature, theatre and performance art, film, dance, visual art and folk art. Special events include the Pan African Film Festival and Soul Suite, where artists gather to present late-night soul and hip-hop showcases. The 2006 festival will be July 14-23. For more information, call 404.730.7315 or visit www.nbaf.org

July 4th in Atlanta
Independence Day is a citywide celebration in Atlanta. Festivities begin early with the Peachtree Road Race, a hilly, 6.2-mile course through the heart of the city. With 55,000 runners, it is recognized as the largest 10K in the world. Participants then head downtown for the Salute 2 America Parade, which ends in Centennial Olympic Park for a day-long family festival. The event offers a wide range of fireworks shows with the most popular taking place at Centennial Olympic Park, Lenox Square, Turner Field and Stone Mountain Park. To find out more, visit www.centennialpark.com

August

Latino Festival
Underground Atlanta is the scene of dancing in the streets with Latin music, costumes, food and more. Festivities include several different international performances, arts and crafts exhibits and a parade. For more information, call 404.321.0663 or visit www.festivalpeachtreelatino.com

September

DragonCon
Since 1987, Atlanta has provided a playground for science-fiction and fantasy fanatics from all over the world at America’s largest popular culture conference, held over Labor Day weekend.

Meet celebrities from the worlds of animation, comic books, acting and film-making. To learn more, call 770.909.0115 or visit www.dragoncon.org

Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park
Now in its 38th year, the Yellow Daisy Festival is one of Georgia’s largest craft shows of its kind, boasting more than 450 vendors from 45 states and three countries. Voted by Sunshine Artists magazine as one of the nation’s top 10 arts and crafts shows, the festival features open-air shopping, live entertainment and food. The 2006 festival will be held Sept. 7-10. To learn more, call 770.498.5633 or visit www.stonemountainpark.com

Taste of Atlanta
Take a bite out of what’s cooking in Georgia’s capital at Lenox Square mall. This festival of taste features cuisine from more than 70 of the city’s finest restaurants and wines from North Georgia. The 2006 event for Atlanta’s food lovers will be Oct. 13-15. For more information, call 404.875.4434 or visit www.tasteofatlanta.org

JapanFest
Experience an authentic Japanese outdoor festival at this annual celebration at Stone Mountain Park, Sept. 23-24, 2006. Japanese cuisine is accompanied by bonsai displays, kite making workshops, taiko drumming and dance performances to provide a multifaceted look at the ancient traditions of this culture. To find out more, call 404.842.0736 or visit www.japanfest.org

October

Atlanta Greek Festival
Experience one of the oldest cultures in history at the Atlanta Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Oct. 5-8, 2006. Sample authentic Greek wine and cuisine paired with traditional music and dance. A shopping bazaar offers authentic Greek items such as clothing, ceramics, copper, books, jewelry, handmade tapestries, needlepoint and original artwork by international, national and local artists. For more information, call 404.633.7348 or visit www.atlgoc.org/festival.htm

Atlanta Celebrates Photography
More than 100 exhibits, artist talks, a lecture series and studio tours provide a chance to experience the versatility of artistic expression on film. Highlights include The Collector’s Series, which provides a place for anyone interested to learn about the photography art market, and the Post No Bills public art project, an event where spectators are encouraged to take MARTA throughout Atlanta’s distinct neighborhoods to view stereoscopic images. The 2006 festival will be Sept. 28-Oct. 31. To learn more, call 404.634.8664 or visit www.acpinfo.org

Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade
Atlanta’s most eclectic neighborhood celebrates the season with the annual parade and costume contest the weekend before Halloween, Oct. 20-21. The free, outdoor event boasts the 2003 Best Festival award by the International Festival and Events Association. Highlights include entertainment, an 8K “Run Like Hell,” artist market, children’s activities and more. Competition will heat up during the casket races and costume contest. For more information, visit www.l5p.com

Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Scarecrows in the Garden
Dozens of imaginative scarecrows are displayed in the Children’s and Woodland Shade gardens, Oct. 1-31. Educational activities are scheduled every weekend in October and include storytelling, crafts and scavenger hunts. To find out more, call 404.876.5859 or visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

Stone Mountain Highland Games
The sound of bag pipes echo throughout Stone Mountain Park, as Scots from around the world gather for the annual Stone Mountain Highland Games & Scottish Festival. The festival features traditional Scottish piping, drumming and harping accompanied by athletic events, dancing and aparade of tartans from various Scottish clans. The 2006 festival will be held Oct. 21-22. For more information, call 770.498.5633 or visit www.smhg.org

December

Festival of Trees
This spectacular festival celebrates international holiday with exhibits, extraordinary gingerbread creations from Atlanta’s top chefs, specialty shops, a special Norman Rockwell’s “Home for the Holidays” exhibition and a “Deck the Halls” display showcasing designs and decorations to warm the heart and home. The 2006 festival will take place in Dec. 2-10. To learn more, call 404.785.8815 or visit www.choa.org/festival

Established in 1913, ACVB is a private, nonprofit organization created exclusively to market metro Atlanta and Georgia as a premier convention, meeting and leisure destination in the regional, national and international marketplace and to favorably impact the Atlanta economy through conventions and tourism. For more information, visit www.atlanta.net

March 29, 2006   Posted in: United States SouthEast