Whether it’s in your own little corner of Atlanta, or a neighborhood you’ve been meaning to check out, Atlanta boasts a bevy of fall festivals full of fam-friendly fun. We’ve put together a list of local fests you won’t want to miss this season.
Fall Folklife Festival
Grab the kiddos and head over to the Atlanta History Center for a fall festival that promises to entertain and educate. The focus of this festival is on the fall harvest. With woodworking, blacksmithing, garden tours and cooking demonstrations, your little ones will be in awe of how Atlantans prepared for the cold weather long before the days of the “Kroger run.”
Kiddos will Love: The Little Red Barn will be on site with a petting zoo and pony rides. Stay for lunch! Coca-Cola Café will be serving up Chick-fil-A. What’s more Atlanta than that?
When: Sep 27th, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Rd.
AutumnFest
There’s lots of fall family fun to be had in the quaint Tudor village of Avondale Estates. You’ll find bands, a huge artist market, food trucks and of course a KidsZone. Be sure to check out AutumnEats, a fun feature with local chefs cooking up yummy treats with locally farmed and sourced ingredients.
Kiddos will Love: Do your little ones love creepy crawly things? Check out The Reptile Wagon and take a peek at some native snakes and reptiles. Or, maybe they are more into things that sparkle than slither? Whee Ahh Faerie Kin is a troop of merry elves and magical stilt walkers who will be frolicking through the festival.
When: October 4th-5th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Avondale Estates (across from City Hall), 21 N Avondale Rd.
Youth Day Parade
Fall festivals are fine, but how about a whole day just to honor kiddos? In the 1950’s the mayor of Roswell proclaimed the second Saturday of October a day to celebrate the city’s children and ever since the youth day parade and festivities have been going strong. The day is kicked off with a 5k, followed by a huge parade which leads to a festival in Roswell Area Park.
Kiddos will Love: Besides the usual festival fare of inflatable slides, moonwalks, and pony rides, kids 15 and under are treated to a free lunch (while they last)!
When: October 11th, parade begins at 10 a.m.
Where: Parade lines up is at Roswell First Baptist Church on Mimosa Blvd. and ends in Roswell Area Park.
Pace Fall Fair
This can’t miss fall fair started out in the 1960’s as just a small school festival and has grown to be a favorite for Atlanta families in Buckhead and beyond. You’ll find everything you would expect to find at a larger fair: inflatables, rides, food and games, but set on the beautiful and convenient Pace Academy campus. Other highlights include a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, organic farmer’s market and a cake walk.
Kiddos will Love: Your bigger or braver kids will love the fun frights of the haunted house. The littlest fair goers have plenty of options too; the Box Maze has always been popular with the smaller set. Bonus for you: If you can sneak in a few moments of shopping time, the Pace Fall Fair Street Market is known to have lots of great local finds.
When: October 25th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Pace Academy, parking with shuttle service at Church of the Apostles (3585 Northside Pkwy.)
Owl O’ Ween Hot Air Balloon Festival
Two days of Trick-or-Treating, amazing Food Trucks, a special interactive area just for kids AND hot-air balloon rides?! You may just blow your little one’s mind with this one! Don’t miss the beautiful balloon glow where over twenty huge hot air balloons light up the night sky.
Kiddos will Love: As if Trick-or-Treating from hot air balloons, were not enough. Owl O’Ween has added another magic element: troupes of roving entertainers. Look out for magicians, stilt walkers and fire breathers!
When: October 25th, 4 to 10 p.m.; and 26th, 3 to 9 p.m.
Where: 3200 George Busbee Parkway, Kennesaw
With so many unique festivals in Atlanta during the fall, we could not possibly cover them all. What are some of your favorite local festivals?
—Candice Rose
Photos courtesy of Avondale Estates AutumFest, Pace Fall Fair and Atlanta History Center via Facebook, ryan30305 and soozums on Creative Commons via Flickr
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