Top Things to Do in
Metro Atlanta This Week.
Your weekly guide to what's happening across Metro Atlanta, September 4 through 7, 2026. Festivals, farmers markets, live music, family activities, outdoor adventures, and cultural events worth your time this Labor Day weekend.
September 4, 2026
Metro Atlanta has a way of filling every week with something worth showing up for, and Labor Day weekend is no exception. Whether you are a longtime resident or just getting to know the area, the range of events, markets, and activities across the metro is one of the things that makes living here genuinely exciting.
This is a weekly roundup of what is worth your time, the events, markets, live music, family activities, outdoor spots, and cultural happenings that I would recommend to anyone looking to get the most out of life in Metro Atlanta.
Featured Events This Week
Dragon Con 40th Anniversary
Atlanta's biggest weekend of the year returns for its 40th anniversary. A multi-genre pop-culture, gaming, and cosplay convention fills downtown's host hotels and AmericasMart. The famous Dragon Con Parade is free and open to the public, Saturday, Sept 5 at 10 a.m. along Peachtree Street.
Atlanta Hip Hop Day Festival
A free, two-day community music festival in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward with live performances, DJs, dance, food, and vendor booths. A celebration of Atlanta's hip-hop culture that belongs on any holiday weekend list.
Stone Mountain Park Labor Day Weekend Celebration
Family-friendly attractions and daytime stunt shows all weekend, then the free Classic Lasershow at 9:30 p.m. with an extended fireworks finale. A farewell-to-summer tradition that draws families from across the metro. Attraction tickets start around $40; parking required.
Art in the Park on the Marietta Square
A free, 40th-anniversary fine-arts festival with 200+ artists, live demonstrations, live music, food vendors, and a Children's Art Alley and Chalk Spot. A relaxed way to spend a holiday weekend in one of the metro's prettiest squares.
FoodieLand Food Festival
A national food festival bringing 250+ food and shopping vendors to the former Atlanta Motor Speedway grounds. Global cuisines, live music, games, and family activities across three days. The biggest food event of the holiday weekend.
The Atlanta Weekender
The 15th annual five-day festival of soul, house, and Afro-beats featuring 40+ DJs across multiple venues. A homegrown dance-music celebration that has become a Labor Day tradition in Atlanta.
Live Music & Entertainment
Atlanta's live music scene is one of the most underrated in the country. From intimate clubs to the big stages downtown, this holiday weekend has options across the map. Here is what is on stage:
Sevendust & Theory of a Deadman: The Dead / Seven Tour
Saturday, Sept 5 at 7:00 PM. The two hard-rock stalwarts co-headline an all-ages show at the historic Tabernacle with special guest Return to Dust. Expect a heavy, high-energy set from both bands.
Atlanta Hip Hop Day Festival
Saturday & Sunday, Sept 5-6. A free community music festival with live performances, DJs, and dance on the park stages. Family-friendly and open to all.
The Atlanta Weekender
Thursday, Sept 3 through Monday, Sept 7. Five days of soul, house, and Afro-beats with 40+ DJs across venues around the city. A Labor Day mainstay for dance-music fans.
Hamilton
Friday, Sept 4 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, Sept 5 matinee, and more through Sept 20. Lin-Manuel Miranda's revolutionary musical takes the historic Fox stage for a three-week Atlanta run.
WRFG's 41st Annual Labor Day Blues BBQ
Monday, Sept 7 at 1:00 PM. A Labor Day tradition of live blues from Piper & The Hard Times, Diane Durrett, Yates McKendree, and Cash's Juke Joint, with barbecue to match. A community fundraiser worth supporting.
Food & Drink Events
Metro Atlanta's food scene runs deep, and the long weekend gives you extra time to dig in. Here are the food events and special happenings worth building your schedule around:
FoodieLand Food Festival
A national food festival with 250+ food and shopping vendors serving global cuisines, plus live music, games, and family activities. Come hungry and plan to stay a while.
WRFG's 41st Annual Labor Day Blues BBQ
Live blues and barbecue at Park Tavern beside Piedmont Park, a community fundraiser that has run for more than four decades. A fitting close to the holiday weekend.
Labor Day + Food Truck Festival
A food-truck gathering in Home Park over the holiday weekend with a rotating lineup of local trucks and vendors.
Mimosa Fest Rooftop Brunch + Day Party
A rooftop brunch and day party with bottomless mimosas in the Edgewood district. A lively option for the Sunday of the long weekend.
Family & Kids Activities
Metro Atlanta is one of the best metros in the Southeast for families, and the holiday-weekend programming at the city's attractions and community events reflects that. Here is what to check out:
Stone Mountain Park Labor Day Weekend Celebration
Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7. Family attractions by day, aerial-acrobatic and stunt shows, then the free Classic Lasershow and fireworks at night. A full day of fun for all ages.
Dragon Con Parade
Saturday, Sept 5 at 10:00 AM. Thousands of costumed fans walk Atlanta's iconic parade, with superheroes, sci-fi characters, and elaborate creations. Free to watch and a crowd favorite for kids and grown-ups alike.
Butterfly Experience
Saturday & Sunday, Sept 5-6. Walk among hundreds of native butterflies in mesh tents, explore the Pollinator Path, and meet birds of prey. Includes a Kids Zone, music, crafts, and food. Tickets around $18; kids 3 and under free.
Labor Day Family Canoe Day
Monday, Sept 7 · 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. A guided beginner paddle on Beaver Pond for ages 5 and up, with nature-center admission included. Advance registration recommended.
Art in the Park Children's Art Alley & Chalk Spot
Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7 · 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Kids can create their own art in the Children's Art Alley and the Chalk Spot at this free festival, surrounded by 200+ artists and live music.
Outdoor & Nature
Atlanta's tree canopy, river access, and nearby parks make outdoor recreation easy, even inside the perimeter. Here are the trails, parks, and outdoor experiences worth your time this weekend:
Stone Mountain Classic Lasershow & Fireworks
Nightly through Monday, Sept 7 · show starts 9:30 PM. The free Classic Lasershow closes out each holiday evening with an extended fireworks finale. Bring a picnic blanket and watch the mountain light up.
Butterfly Experience at Dunwoody Nature Center
Saturday & Sunday, Sept 5-6. A rare chance to walk among hundreds of native butterflies in mesh tents, explore the Pollinator Path, and meet birds of prey. Tickets around $18; kids 3 and under free.
Labor Day Family Canoe Day
Monday, Sept 7 · 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. A guided beginner paddle on Beaver Pond along the Chattahoochee, for ages 5 and up. Nature-center admission included; advance registration recommended.
Lanier Islands Labor Day Weekend
Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7. Lakeside family fun with Fins Up Waterpark, a poolside cookout, live music, and fireworks Saturday night. A close-to-home sendoff for summer.
East Palisades Trail & Bamboo Forest
A favorite hiking trail inside the perimeter. Follow the river through bamboo forests and along bluffs with water views, then cool off at the riverside beach area. Best visited in the morning before the heat builds.
Arts & Culture
Atlanta's cultural scene punches well above its weight. World-class museums, live theater, gallery districts, and festival programming. Here is what to catch this weekend:
Hamilton
Through Sunday, Sept 20. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical brings its Broadway tour to Atlanta for a three-week run. Weekend performances run Sept 4-6. A must-see on any Atlanta arts calendar.
Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Through Sunday, Sept 20. A Creative Loafing Critic's Pick running through the holiday weekend, from the Tony Award-winning playwright behind The Piano Lesson. A powerful, original production at one of the region's leading theaters.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime at the High Museum
On view now · High Frequency Friday, Sept 4, 6:00 – 10:00 PM. The largest-ever retrospective of the painter behind the official Obama portrait, wrapping its national tour in Atlanta. Friday's after-hours event includes VIP access to the show.
Atlanta Black Theatre Festival
Thursday, Sept 3 through Saturday, Sept 5. A performance-arts festival plus a Black art and business expo spotlighting local Black-owned businesses, playwrights, and performers.
Atlanta Black Pride
Saturday, Sept 5 through Monday, Sept 7. One of the nation's largest Black gay Pride celebrations, with day parties, mega parties, and community programming across the long weekend.
Weekend Market Guide
Weekend markets are one of the best ways to experience a neighborhood, and Metro Atlanta has them running every Saturday and Sunday across the metro. Here is the lineup for this weekend:
| Market | When |
|---|---|
| Decatur Farmers Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Oakhurst Farmers Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Marietta Square Farmers Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Alpharetta Farmers Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Morningside Farmers Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 8:00 – 11:30 AM |
| Peachtree Center Green Market | Saturday, Sept 5 · 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
| Farmer's Table First Saturday Market | Saturday, Sept 5 |
| Grant Park Farmers Market | Sunday, Sept 6 · 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
Metro Atlanta has no shortage of ways to spend a holiday weekend, and honestly, that is one of the best parts about living here. The farmers markets, live music, outdoor trails, family attractions, and cultural institutions across this metro give you a reason to explore a new neighborhood every weekend.
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