The hottest days of summer don’t have to get you down, there are still plenty of fun things to do in Atlanta this August, from super fun festivals to delicious drinks and beyond!
Have a blast this August, and enjoy the rest of the last full month of summer in style! Keep scrolling to see our recommendations of all the fun happenings in the ATL this August!
Don’t miss Atlanta’s biggest Jamaican Independence party — August 8, 2026 at Morris Brown College! If you’re looking to keep summer energy high, Street Dance is Atlanta’s largest Jamaican Independence Day celebration, returning on August 8, 2026, with Jamaican street food, rum punch, live music and dance, and a Fulton County proclamation recognizing Jamaican Cultural Day.
Unlock free admission to seven top museums this weekend with your Bank of America card. If you’re looking for an easy, budget-friendly way to kick off August, Bank of America’s Museums on Us program is offering a ‘One Last Summer Quest’ weekend (Aug 1–2, 2026) that unlocks free general admission for Bank of America, Merrill, and Private Bank cardholders at seven participating Southeast museums in Metro Atlanta.
If you’re looking for a stunning under-the-sea adventure right here in Atlanta, you’re in luck! Our city is home to the largest aquarium in North America, and the only one with a whale shark.
You can explore tons of jaw-dropping exhibits, see countless aquatic critters, and learn all about our oceanic friends at the Georgia Aquarium.
Oh, and we’ve got big news! The Georgia Aquarium is rescuing TWO new belugas from a shut-down Canadian zoo!
Discover handmade art, live music and family fun at Piedmont Park this August!
If you’re looking for a can’t-miss August weekend event in Atlanta, the Piedmont Park Summer Arts Festival is a 2-day outdoor celebration in Midtown Atlanta showcasing more than 250 artists — painters, sculptors, jewelers, glassblowers and more — plus live acoustic music, artist demonstrations, an Emerging Artists Pavilion, a children’s play area and festival food.
Organized by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, the festival runs August 15–16, 2026 at Piedmont Park.
If you’re looking for a classic end-of-August Atlanta outing, this free, family-friendly weekend festival celebrates the city’s community, arts, and food scene in Grant Park.
The Summer Shade Festival is an annual end-of‑August community festival in Grant Park, Atlanta, featuring 140+ vendors, live music, family activities, local food, wrestling matches, and a 5K. Proceeds benefit the Grant Park Conservancy to support park stewardship and improvements.
Soar nearly 10 miles on the world’s longest zip line canopy tour at Historic Banning Mills. If you’re looking to mix in an outdoor escape during your August plans, head to Historic Banning Mills in Whitesburg, Georgia—a year-round adventure resort home to the Guinness World Record-holding Screaming Eagle, the world’s longest zip line canopy tour. Beyond the zip lines, you can also try kayaking, hiking, Eco-Spider SWINCAR tours, horseback riding, suspension bridges, and a 14-story free-standing climbing wall.
Drift across a candlelit pool during a restorative sound bath experience. If you’re looking for a calming way to balance out Atlanta’s late-summer energy, Floating into Mindfulness is a restorative sound bath series at The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta where guests float in the indoor heated saline pool during guided meditation and resonant sound frequencies.
Each session includes two hours of spa access, light bites, a non-alcoholic beverage, complimentary valet, and a curated take-home gift.
Sample the best vegan eats in ATL at Piedmont Park this August!
If you’re looking for a delicious way to spend a summer day outdoors, don’t miss the ATL Vegan Festival when it comes to Piedmont Park on August 16, 2026.
This one-day event features vegan food trucks, a dessert village, artisan vendors, and live music, and tons of great community fun!
Ride a historic 26-mile route along the Toccoa River on 2- or 4-hour scenic tours.
If you’re looking to squeeze in one more classic summer day trip outside the city, hop aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway for a 26-mile roundtrip scenic train ride departing from the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge and heading to McCaysville and Copperhill.
Choose from 2- and 4-hour options and ride in open-air or enclosed cars. Summer service runs June 1–September 18 and tickets range from free up to $100.
School is about to start, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some fun summer learning left to have!
Add a little prehistoric adventure to your Atlanta August bucket list: Atlanta’s favorite natural history museum is transforming into a prehistoric playground, with super cool exhibitions, interactive activities, and so much more!
Come learn all about the dinosaurs this summer at Fernbank!
For a late-summer night out that’s equal parts fun and fascinating, check out Astronomy on Tap Atlanta, which hosts free public astronomy lectures by local scholars and graduate students at Three Taverns Brewery. Along with the talks, you can expect Q&A, games, prizes, and 8-inch telescope viewing. Events typically occur once or twice a month.
The August event will be announced soon!
Atlanta is packed with tons of green spaces hosting free outdoor movies this summer, and you definitely don’t want to miss out! Grab your pals and some snacks, and head to one of these amazing free outdoor movie screenings for FREE!
You can see which movies are playing and where on our full roundup of all the free outdoor movies in the city, here! Get your popcorn ready, Atlanta!
Tucked away in the outskirts of Atlanta, is the picturesque Starlight Drive-In, the last drive in movie theatre in the ATL. But if you’re expecting old movies… we’ve got great news for ya! They play brand new blockbusters too!
The Starlight Drive-In is open 7 nights a week, with new showtimes posted weekly on Wednesdays.
Perfect for a unique date night, an evening out with friends, or even a solo date to the movies!
Southern Belle Farm is the go-to spot for peach lovers this summer! If you’re looking for an easy August escape from the city, head to Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Georgia for the joy of picking your own sun-kissed peaches. This charming local farm serves up a classic summer U-pick peach experience—plus blueberries and blackberries.
With ten varieties of peaches, it’s a family-friendly outing packed with fun extras like pedal karts and gem mining. And if you’d rather skip the picking, you can always grab pre-picked fruit—either way, Southern Belle Farm is the go-to spot for peach lovers this summer!
Want an easy way to soak up the last of summer outdoors?
Atlanta is packed with amazing hikes for every vibe—whether you’re after an easy trail with a waterfall waiting at the end or a more rigorous trek to really work up a sweat.
August 1st is International Beer Day… but why not celebrate all month long!?
We’ve got some of the best breweries around, and we wanna show them off! So whether you’re looking for a mouth-puckering sour or a classic IPA (or anything else!), there’s an Atlanta brewery with your name on it!
Get ready — Nan Xiang’s famous soup dumplings arrive in Georgia with a grand opening on August 3, 2026! Adding to Atlanta’s (and the suburbs’) ever-growing food lineup, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao — the celebrated NYC soup dumpling and Shanghainese comfort food spot — is opening its first Georgia location at the Mall of Georgia in Buford.
The restaurant will host a grand opening celebration on August 3, 2026, following its soft opening period from July 3–August 2.
When the dog days of summer hit, beat the heat at one of Atlanta’s amazing amazing pools! You can lounge poolside and sip on a delicious drink (check the pool rules, of course!), or swim and dive to your heart’s content.
Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a pool in Atlanta that can provide! See the full list of Atlanta pools here!
Don’t miss the adults-only Glow Nights After Hours — one unforgettable night under the sea on August 7th!
If you’re looking for a cool way to spend a summer night in Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium is hosting Glow Nights this summer, including two 18+ After Hours evenings with acrobatic performances, bioluminescent décor, cocktails, and late access to exhibits.
The last After Hours date is August 7th from 7:30–10:30 PM.
If you’re more of a nature-lover than a pool-side swimmer, then maybe you’d prefer to swim in a natural spring, waterfall or the like!
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there too! Enjoy a dip in the cool natural waters after a nice hike or drive!
With Atlanta boasting such an iconic and stand-out skyline, rooftop bars are a great way to experience breathtaking views of the city… and sip on some mouth-watering cocktails while you’re at it!
Great for catching up with friends or a nice date night, you really can’t miss out on the best views of the city, especially if you’ve got a nice drink in your hand!
For the ultimate candlelit experience this August, you’ve got to check out Candlelight Concerts: a series that takes all your favorite music, and transforms it into a live instrumental experience!
Surrounded by thousands of flickering LED candles and the most immaculate vibes, you’ll experience the music like never before.
Here are some of our recommendations:
If you’re looking for a sweet treat this summer, you’ve gotta check out some of the best ice cream shops in the ATL! From delicious soft serve to all your frozen favs loaded with toppings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at these Atlanta ice creameries!
Discover North Beach — one of Travel + Leisure’s top U.S. beaches, just a day trip from Atlanta.
If you’re looking to escape Atlanta for a classic end-of-summer beach day, North Beach on Tybee Island is an easy pick. Named among Travel + Leisure’s top 26 U.S. beaches, it features grassy sand dunes, shell-filled shores, and a dose of local history. It’s also a family-friendly, peaceful beach a day trip from Atlanta, with options for fishing, watersports, surfing lessons, and nearby shopping and seafood.
Dive into the ultimate adventure at Bubble Planet this spring in Atlanta! Step into a colorful world of bubbles, spheres, balloons, and more! Kids and adults alike will enjoy the beautiful immersive experience, complete with:
- more than 10 themed rooms
- an immersive experience with VR tech, simulators, and illusions
- fantastic landscapes designed to stimulate the senses
Inside this spherical world full of bubbles, you will have the opportunity to hop from one immersive space to the next, experiencing them all with your five senses!