15 fun activities to enjoy in Atlanta’s summer sun
It may be hot and humid in Atlanta, but that’s no reason to stay indoors. Here’s a list of summer attractions, activities, and adventures that are so cool, you won’t even think about the heat. Round up your family or friends and head outdoors!
1. Atlanta Balloon Glow (August 1-4, 2019)
The first-ever Atlanta Balloon Glow event will take place in Piedmont Park. These giant hot air balloons will light up the night, surrounded by the best food vendors, shopping, and activities for the entire family. General admission is free and tethered balloon rides are available for $20 per person. Grab a picnic blanket and enjoy a magical night gazing at the stunning colors and the amazing designs. It’s fun for the entire family!
2. Porsche Drive and Dine (August 7, 2019)
Porsche’s Drive and Dine event is a “power-lunch” for the modern woman with a 30-minute Drive Experience. In this thrilling yet compact 75-minute program, you’ll enjoy an unforgettable driving experience and a prix fixe lunch at the Porsche restaurant, 365. You’ll have the opportunity to drive a 2-door vehicle and a 4-door vehicle, a taste for both ends of their model line, and opportunity to network with other like-minded women. Can you say GIRL POWER?
3. Dirty South Yoga Fest (August 9-11, 2019)
Calling all yogis! The Dirty South Yoga Fest is a weekend yoga festival featuring 50 classes, local yoga instructors, vendors, food trucks, wellness brands, spa treatments, energetic work, conscious shopping and all of your new yoga friends! Grab a friend and buy a one-, two-, or three-day pass to the best yoga event of the year!
4. Decatur BBQ & Blues and Bluegrass Festival (August 10, 2019)
The 19th annual Decatur BBQ Blues & Bluegrass Festival will once again bring the sights, sounds, and smells of classic southern BBQ along with 7+ hours of original live blues and bluegrass music from aspiring and accomplished artists o Decatur, Georgia. This is a family-friendly event that is fun for all ages. This year, the event will be held at their new and much cooler location, Legacy Park in East Decatur.
5. Zoo Atlanta: Keeper for a Day (August 10, 2019)
Ever wanted to work in a Zoo? Keeper for a Day is an exciting program at Zoo Atlanta that gives teens and adults a firsthand look at working in a zoo. Come spend the day helping zookeepers with their daily routines of food preparation, cleaning, and animal care. Whether you’re considering a career in zookeeping or have always wanted to spend some time with your favorite animal, this exclusive behind-the-scenes program is a once in a lifetime experience.
6. Piedmont Park Arts Festival 2019 (August 17-18, 2019)
The Piedmont Park Summer Arts Festival is a 2-day outdoor event with an emphasis on visual arts and family fun. This is the ideal summer festival to enjoy the outdoors, browse the art and crafts, and appreciate the beauty of Atlanta’s largest park. The event will feature up to 250 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metalwork, glass blowers, jewelers, and crafters. It will also offer artist demonstrations, live acoustic music, an Emerging Artists Pavilion, a children’s play area, and festival foods and beverages. Best of all, admission is free!
7. EastLake Golf Club Tour Championship (August 21-25, 2019)
The TOUR Championship is the culminating event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedEx Cup, with only the top 30 players on the points list qualifying each year. East Lake Golf Club has been the permanent home of the TOUR Championship since 2005. Daily grounds tickets, college student tickets, weekly tickets, and family plan tickets are available now and complimentary grounds access is available to all Active Duty, Reserve, or Retired Military.
8. Grant Park Summer Shade Festival 2019 (August 24-25, 2019)
For more than a decade, Atlanta art and music lovers have flocked to Grant Parkeach August to bid adieu to summer at the Summer Shade Festival. It’s two days of outdoor fun, including a 5K run, food trucks, craft beer, an entertaining Kids Zone, and a music line up that gets better every year.
9. Stone Mountain Yellow Daisy Festival (September 5-8, 2019)
The annual Yellow Daisy Festival was voted one of the top arts & crafts shows in the nation. With its more than 400 artists, potters, painters, jewelers, crafters, and woodworkers from 35 different states, it’s one of the largest shows in the southeast. Enjoy strolling along the two miles of craft booths, listening to live entertainment, tasting the fabulous festival foods, and watching the crafter demonstrations throughout the event. It’s a family festival, so bring the whole crew for a day full of fun!
10. Stone Mountain Segway PT Tours (Through October, 2019)
Take a ride on your very own Segway PT through historic Stone Mountain Park. Surrounded by beautiful lakes, lush treescapes, and the largest exposed granite carving in the United States, this tour will take you on a 5-mile guided loop around the Mountain. Get ready for stunning scenery and interesting fun facts and trivia about Stone Mountain Park!
11. Stone Mountain’s Rockin’ Land and Lake Tour (Through November 10, 2019)
The Rockin’ Land & Lake Tour is a guided, interactive journey through Stone Mountain Park. Each family-friendly trip is a high-energy, 40-minute journey that begins with a tour around the park on an open-top, double-decker bus, followed by a sightseeing cruise around the lake on a pontoon boat. It’s a day full of adventure on wheels and water, so grab the fam and go!
12. Ponce City Market Food History and Street Art Tour (Through December, 2019)
Eat like a local in Atlanta during this 2.5-hour guided visit to the Ponce City Market. You’ll follow your guide through the converted historic Sears, Roebuck, & Co. building that features a market hall and some of the city’s best restaurants. You’ll make eight stops at award-winning restaurants to taste food samples created by some local celebrity chefs, and take a walk down Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail.
13. Wine Tasting Atlanta Journeys (Through December, 2019)
Wine Tasting Atlanta Journeys are experts at combining fun, rejuvenating outdoor activities, beautiful settings and the pleasure of fine wines. Choose from hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, golfing, archery, biking, tennis, or visiting an Amish Community, and they’ll combine it with wine tasting at one of Georgia or Tennessee’s wineries. It’s a perfect day trip for any occasion or no occasion at all.
14. Bicycle Tours of Atlanta (Year-round)
There’s simply no better way to explore this beautiful city than by bicycle. Bicycle Tours of Atlanta will lead you to the historic sites, through the beautiful intown neighborhoods and the vibrant street art scene, and introduce you to so many other hidden jewels in Atlanta. Relive the joy of feeling like a kid again with every one of their tours: Fall in Love with Atlanta Bike Tour, “Off the Wall” Mural Tour, Sustainability in Action Bike Tour, and the Tiny Door ATL Bike Tour.
15. TopGolf (Year-round)
You’re always a winner at TopGolf, the premier entertainment destination in Alpharetta. It features dozens of climate-controlled hitting bays with HDTVs in each one, and throughout the sports bar & restaurant. Whether it’s a birthday celebration, date night, or just an afternoon of family fun, you’ll have a fabulous time—even if you’ve never swung a golf club before. Their summer promotions include unlimited games with a Summer Fun Pass, Teacher BOGO Mondays, Half-priced Tuesdays, Hertz Wednesdays, Sundays with Spirit, and many more!