Things To Do in Atlanta this September (2026)
Looking for things to do in Atlanta this Fall?
Dragon Con nerdiness, cult movie nights, neighborhood festivals, live music, drag dinners, Oktoberfest shenanigans, & the first signs of fall are taking over Atlanta.
Basically? September said pick a side quest. 🍂
Established circa 2019
Last updated on 08/01/2026TL;DR
September’s Vibe Check:
🐉 Dragon Con nerdiness takes over Downtown Atlanta
🎬 Cult movies, experimental cinema & nostalgic big-screen chaos
🎸 Shaky Knees + dancing our way through festival season
🎨 Art walks, craft nights & creative little side quests
🍻 Oktoberfest because apparently we’re German now
🎃 Pumpkin patches while Atlanta is still aggressively hot
🌈 Pride, drag & delightfully unhinged nights out
P.S. Imitation? Cute. Execution? Never the same. 💅 ⭐ Main Character Energy
If you only do a few things this month… start here.
🐉 @dragoncon — 09/03–07
Dragon Con
Dragons, cosplay, fandoms, & Downtown Atlanta becoming beautifully unhinged for five glorious days. Nerd Christmas has arrived.
🚐 @rickandmorty @dragoncon
RickMobile at the Dragon Con Parade
Rick & Morty are rolling into Dragon Con. Keep an eye out for the RickMobile during Saturday’s parade.⚔️ @empireartsgallery — 09/03–07
Dragon Con Flash Day
Want permanent proof you survived the con? Pick from Dragon Con-themed flash designs all weekend.🧸 @centerforpuppetryarts @puppetslam @dragoncon — 09/04–05
Puppet Slam
Puppets after dark during Dragon Con weekend. Weird, nerdy, & definitely not your childhood puppet show.
🤓 Planning your Dragon Con weekend?
Explore more → Your Ultimate Dragon Con Weekend Guide for coffee stops, cheap-ish eats, late-night snacks, arcade games, comics, & local side quests beyond the con.
🎭 @dadsgarageatl — 09/03
Pre-Dragon Con Show: The Tight Acquaintances
Kick off Dragon Con weekend with improv, nerdiness, & the kind of pre-con chaos we fully support. See ya there nerds. ILY 👀
🎬 @sfqp @dirtysouthfilmfestival @thetaraatlanta — 09/10
Cruising: Film Screening + Discussion Panel(Tickets Required)
Cult cinema with something to say. Catch Cruising on the big screen, then stick around for the post-film discussion.
🎞️ @little5pointsofficial @l5ppictureshow @joelsilverman — 09/12
Experimental Cinema
Get a little weird with it. An evening of experimental cinema curated by Joel Silverman in Little Five Points. Immediately yesss.
🎭 @reelfriendsmovies @thetaraatlanta — 09/17
The Mask
Somebody stop me! Jim Carrey, peak ’90s chaos, & The Mask back where it belongs: on the big screen. One of my faves.
👽 @lore.atlanta — 09/17
The X-Files Drag Dinner
The truth is out there… & apparently in drag. Mulder, Scully, spooky cases, & drag performances collide for one gloriously nerdy night at Lore. Trust no one. Except maybe the Kings & Queens. You better tip ho#.
🎸 @shakykneesfest — 09/18–20
Shaky Knees Music Festival
Three days of live music, festival fits, & pretending your knees don’t hurt yet. Atlanta festival season isn’t done with us. Take ya ibuprofen Emo millennials; see ya in the pit.
🤘 Making a whole weekend out of it?
Explore more → Your Ultimate Shaky Knees Weekend Guide for where to eat, drink, caffeinate, & side quest around Atlanta between sets.
🏮 @atlantabeltline — 09/19
Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade
Light up the Southwest Trail with giant lanterns, glowing art, music, & one of Atlanta’s most magical nights of the year. Don’t miss this.
🍸 @name.em.trivia @thewestwoodatl — 09/23
Vanderpump Rules Trivia
It’s not about the pasta. It IS about proving you’ve retained entirely too much Bravo knowledge. You’re welcome.
🦖 @lore.atlanta — 09/29
JurASSic Park Drag Dinner
Life finds a way… apparently directly to drag dinner. Dinosaurs, performances, & delightfully prehistoric chaos.
🎭 Movie & Theatre Fun
For the film nerds, theater kids, & anyone chasing a little magic.
👠 @plazaatlanta — Every Friday Night
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Atlanta’s longest-running cult movie tradition. Costumes, callbacks, & absolute chaos encouraged.
🪳 @okmovieclub @plazaatlanta — 09/02
Mimic
Guillermo del Toro, mutant bugs, & ’90s creature-feature goodness on the big screen. Casual Wednesday behavior.
🎭 @dadsgarageatl — 09/03
Pre-Dragon Con Show: The Tight Acquaintances
Kick off Dragon Con weekend with improv, nerdiness, & the kind of pre-con chaos we fully support. See ya there nerds. 👀
🧸 @centerforpuppetryarts @puppetslam @dragoncon — 09/04–05
Puppet Slam
Puppetry after dark meets Dragon Con weekend. Expect short-form performances, weirdness, & definitely not your childhood puppet show.
🎬 @sfqp @dirtysouthfilmfestival @thetaraatlanta — 09/10
Cruising Film Screening + Discussion Panel
Cult cinema with something to say. Catch Cruising on the big screen, then stick around for the post-film discussion.
🎞️ @little5pointsofficial @l5ppictureshow @joelsilverman — 09/12
Experimental Cinema
Get a little weird with it. An evening of experimental cinema curated by Joel Silverman in Little Five Points.
🎭 @reelfriendsmovies @thetaraatlanta — 09/17
The Mask
Somebody stop me! Jim Carrey, peak ’90s chaos, & The Mask back where it belongs: on the big screen.
🏴☠️ @centerforpuppetryarts — 09/30–10/11
Everybody Loves Pirates
Pirates + puppets = already listening. A swashbuckling little side quest to carry us straight into October.
🌈 Drag, Pride, & Delightfully Unhinged (Obviously)!
Because being normal is vastly overrated.
🏳️🌈 @atlblackpride — 09/02–07
Atlanta Black Pride
A full week celebrating Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community with parties, performances, community events, & plenty of Pride energy.
💃 @ons.atl @malskitchenatl — 09/05
Gworls Night Out: Black Pride Party
Black Pride weekend, but make it a night out. Music, dancing, community, & food by Mal’s Kitchen ATL.
😂 @lucillesatlanta @sherrybeersdorf — 09/26
Laughs, Entertainment, & Cocktails
Cocktails + comedy + a little fabulousness. Your Saturday night plans just handled themselves.
🦖 @lore.atlanta — 09/29
JurASSic Park Drag Dinner
Life finds a way… apparently directly to drag dinner. Dinosaurs, performances, & delightfully prehistoric chaos.
👨👩👧👦 Family-Friendly Atlanta Events
Tiny humans deserve side quests too.
🧵 @atldistrict — Through 09/05
Quilt Festival
Color, patterns, & textile art for a creative little outing the whole crew can explore.
🚲 @atldistrict — 09/03–07
Atlanta Cycling Club
Get outside, grab the bikes, & add a little pedal-powered adventure to the long weekend.
🌼 Stone Mountain — 09/10–13
Yellow Daisy Festival
Arts, crafts, makers, festival food, & a whole lot of wandering through one of Atlanta’s longtime fall traditions.
🐶 @atldogmomsocialclub @atldogmomfullhearts — 09/12
Pool, Pizza & Pups Fundraiser (Tickets Required)
Pool time, pizza, pups, & giving back. The dogs may technically be the main characters here.
🛞 @reynoldstown_atl — 09/19
Wheelbarrow Festival
A neighborhood celebration with local vendors, activities, & plenty of reasons to spend the day in Reynoldstown.
🏮 @atlantabeltline — 09/19
Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade
Light up the Eastside Trail with giant lanterns, glowing art, music, & one of Atlanta’s most magical nights of the year.
🪴 @atlantaplantest @pinkpothosatl — 09/20
Plant Fest: Equinox Edition
Plants, food, local vendors, & a perfectly leafy way to welcome fall.
🎨 @o4wna — 09/26–27
Fall Arts Festival
Art, local makers, & neighborhood wandering make for an easy fall weekend side quest.
🎉 @eavstrut — 09/26
East Atlanta Village Strut
A wonderfully weird neighborhood party packed with music, local businesses, art, & peak EAV energy.
🥮 @atlchinatown — 09/26–27
Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrate the season with food, culture, community, & mooncakes in Atlanta’s Chinatown.
🏴☠️ @centerforpuppetryarts — 09/30–10/11
Everybody Loves Pirates
Pirates + puppets = already listening. A swashbuckling little side quest to carry the family straight into October.
🛒 Fall Sh*t Has Arrived
Frolicking through the pumpkin patches & other fall fun in Atlanta. It’s still 87 degrees outside, but spiritually? We’re wearing sweaters.
🎃 Stone Mountain Park — 09/17–11/01
Pumpkin Festival
Pumpkins, fall activities, family fun, & enough autumn energy to temporarily forget Atlanta is probably still sweating.
🎃 @pittsburghcommunitymarketsq @pittsburghyards — 10/03
Pumpkin Patch
Pick a pumpkin, support the neighborhood, & officially begin your annual quest to bring home one that’s way too big.
OTP
🌽 @bufordcornmaze — Opens 09/11
Buford Corn Maze
Get lost in a giant corn maze, hop on a hayride, & embrace peak fall farm energy. Pumpkins join the party later in September.
🎃 @burtsfarm
Burt’s Pumpkin Farm
Rows & rows of pumpkins, fall treats, & the annual North Georgia pilgrimage for people who take pumpkin season very seriously.
🛒 Markets, Makers & Weird Little Finds
Support a maker. Accidentally leave with three new plants.
💿 @thevinylcon @gvgatl — 08/29–30
VinylCon
Dig through crates, meet fellow collectors, & maybe finally find that record you’ve been chasing.🎭
🎨 Bookworms, Art Kids, & Creative Types (ILY!)
Touch some books. Touch some art. Touch grass respectfully.
🧂 @modaatl
Salt: A Design Story
Art, local galleries, & the perfect excuse to slow down for an evening.
🎨 @isawmothership @occasionalsuperstar
What It Was. What It Is. What It’s Gone Be.
Immersive art, Atlanta storytelling, & a little ATL creative weirdness? See ya there. 👀
🖼️ @abvgallery — until 09/06
Repost Group Exhibit
Fresh works from multiple artists in one gallery visit. Perfect excuse for an art date.
🎨 @andrew.blooms @kbbqsotatl — 09/01
Mural Reveal Party
New art deserves a party. See Andrew Blooms’ latest mural reveal while grabbing some Korean BBQ along the way.
🧶 @vhandstitching @sincerelyyoursbookstore — 09/05
Gilmore Girls Craft & Yap (Tickets Required)
Crafting + yapping + Gilmore Girls? Grab your fellow Stars Hollow nerds & consider Friday night handled.
🧵 @atlcraftclub @roundtrip — 09/10
BYO Craft Night
Bring whatever you’re working on, grab a drink, & yap with fellow crafty humans. WIPs deserve nights out too.
🌼 Stone Mountain — 09/10–13
Yellow Daisy Festival
Wander through hundreds of artists, makers, & creative booths while pretending Atlanta has officially entered fall.
🎞️ @little5pointsofficial @l5ppictureshow @joelsilverman — 09/12
Experimental Cinema
Get a little weird with it. An evening of experimental cinema curated by Joel Silverman in Little Five Points.
🧶 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/19
Crafts & Crates
Beer + making things with your hands. A surprisingly productive way to Oktoberfest.
🏮 @atlantabeltline — 09/19
Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade
Giant glowing art takes over the Eastside Trail for one of Atlanta’s most magical creative traditions.
🎨 @howardfinstersparadisegarden — 09/19–22
Paradise Garden
Take the side quest north for art, oddities, & the wonderfully weird world of Howard Finster.
🍂 @atlcraftclub — 09/25
Autumn Clay Magnets
Tiny fall things, but make them out of clay. Come make some cute lil seasonal magnets with fellow creative folks.
🎨 @o4wna — 09/26–27
Fall Arts Festival
Local artists, makers, & neighborhood wandering. Basically permission to spend the weekend looking at pretty things.
🎶 Live Music, Dancing & Nightlife
Stretch first. We’re not 22 anymore.
💃 @terminalsouthatl @dancegroovement — 09/12 & 26
Salsa Night
Grab a partner (or find one there) & spend the night dancing at Terminal South.
🎸 @shakykneesfest — 09/18–20
Shaky Knees Music Festival
Three days of live music, festival fits, & pretending your knees don’t hurt yet. Atlanta festival season isn’t done with us.
💃 @placitalatinageoriga — 09/19
Salsa on the Square
Downtown Decatur becomes the dance floor. Come for the salsa, stay because you suddenly think you know the footwork.
🎉 @eavstrut — 09/26
East Atlanta Village Strut
Live music, local businesses, art, & peak EAV weirdness take over the neighborhood for the day.
🎶 @turnin.n.burnin.atl @thelocalonponce — 09/26
Turnin’ N Burnin’
Records spinning at The Local. Grab some wings, a drink, settle in, & let somebody else handle the playlist.
😂 @lucillesatlanta @sherrybeersdorf — 09/26
Laughs, Entertainment & Cocktails
Cocktails, laughs, & a little fabulousness. Saturday night plans successfully acquired.
🌭 Foodies Side Quests
Come hungry. Leave with zero regrets.
🍦 @kingofpops x Nerdy Retreat
Still beating the Atlanta heat one popsicle at a time
🍽️ @ons.atl @malskitchenatl — 09/05
Gworls Night Out: Black Pride Party
Black Pride weekend gets a foodie side quest with bites from Mal’s Kitchen ATL alongside the party.
🪴 @atlantaplantest @pinkpothosatl — 09/20
Plant Fest: Equinox Edition
Plants + food + local vendors? Come hungry, leave with another plant you absolutely had room for.
🥮 @atlchinatown — 09/26–27
Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with community, culture, & a very good reason to go searching for mooncakes.
🍻 Oktoberfest & Deutsche Shenanigans
Willkomment! Come for the beer. Stay because someone put on lederhosen. Prost!
🍻 Oktoberfest & Deutsche Shenanigans
Prost! Come for the beer. Stay because someone put on lederhosen.
🍻 @halfwaycrooksbeer
Oktoberfest — 09/12-10/04
Halfway Crooks said why celebrate Oktoberfest once when you could simply make it your entire September personality?
🩳 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/12
Follow the Leder🍺 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/15
Damenweissen.🧶 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/19
Crafts & Crates🥨 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/20
Kinderfest💿 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/26
80’s Dance Party🚗 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 09/29
Love the Autobahn🍪 @halfwaycrooksbeer — 10/01
Lebkuchenhers
🍻 @chattabrewcheethehangar — 09/26
Oktoberfest
Beer, pretzels, Bavarian energy & another perfectly reasonable excuse to yell “PROST!” at strangers.
💛 Community Corner
Caring… is bad b*tch power
Atlanta’s real magic is its people (& their pets)… & this month’s reminder:
Adopt. Volunteer. Donate at 🐾 @lifelineanimal @fultonanimalservices @dekalbanimals
Support local.
Buy from a maker.
Leave the city a little better than you found it.
💦 Other Neighborhood Fun
💦 @atlparksandrec @cityofatlantaga — FREE through 10/02/2026
Splash Pads
Including:
• Historic Fourth Ward
• Perkerson Park
• Rodney Cook Sr. Park
• D.H. Stanton
• Center Hill
• Rev. James Orange Park
free + outside? We support it
👀 Coming Soon…
Hi, I update this guide throughout September as new events pop up, so bookmark it & check back. If I missed something, send it my way!
🌭 Before You Go
If this guide helped you even a little:
Save it.
Send it to your group chat.
Actually, go make a werid lil summer memory this weekend.
📬 Join the Nerdy Neighborhood
Get the Atlanta event drop, chaotic good recs, +local nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.
Stay chaotic.
Stay cozy.
Stay local always.
Atlanta’s Go-To Guide
— Messy Jesi