Make the most of every weekend in the ATL by checking out these amazing weekend happenings in the ATL! Whether you’re searching for the best bar, the coolest event, or you wanna be in the know at the office on Monday… we’ve got your weekend plans right here. Keep scrolling for the full weekend roundup!
Don’t miss the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Sept 10–13, 2026 — four days of chef-driven tastings, celebrity hosts, and multi-day pass savings. If your weekend vibe is all about great bites and drinks, the 16th annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, presented by Invesco QQQ, runs September 10–13, 2026 at The Home Depot Backyard, with chef-driven tastings, celebrity hosts, and multiple ticketed events across the weekend.
Individual event prices range from around $109 to $195, with multi-day and all-event passes available.
Enter the HAMILTON app lottery for a chance at 40 $10 tickets per performance!
If catching a blockbuster musical is on your weekend wishlist, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON national tour runs at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta from September 2–20, 2026, with multiple performances each week. A lottery offers 40 $10 tickets per performance and Regions Bank Student Rush sells $36 student tickets at the box office two hours before shows.
Take a trip back in time into the world of the dinosaurs during this amazing 30-minute walking Virtual Reality adventure!
Enjoy face-to-face encounters with these awe-inspiring creatures, explore the grand Dino Hall (showcasing over 20 remarkable fossils, including a giant Apatosaurus femur), dive deeper with hands-on learning stations, uncover fascinating dino science, and let your creativity run wild in the interactive dino coloring zone.
Get your tickets today for DinoVerse in Atlanta!
Enjoy free outdoor movies in Atlanta parks every Friday and Saturday in September — films start at dusk!
If you’re looking for an easy, budget-friendly weekend plan, the Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting free ‘Movies in the Park’ screenings every Friday and Saturday in September at parks across the city; films begin at dusk and no reservations are required.
- Friday, Sept. 11 – Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu (PG13) – Coan Park
- Saturday, Sept. 12 – Labyrinth (PG – 18+ only) – Historic 4th Ward Park
- Friday, Sept. 18th – ATL (PG13) – Grove Park
- Saturday, Sept. 19th – GOAT (PG) – Knight Park
- Friday, Sept. 25th – Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (PG13 – 18+ only) – Shirley Franklin Park
- Saturday, Sept. 26th – Movie Still TBD – Adams Park
If your idea of a perfect fall weekend in Atlanta includes a little Halloween energy, start with the classic: carving or decorating a pumpkin.
Atlanta has tons of great pumpkin patches around where you can pick out the perfect jack-o-lantern for you!
Jaemor Farms’ 2026 corn maze proudly honors Dolly Parton and benefits the Imagination Library. If you’re in the mood for a classic fall weekend adventure, head to Jaemor Farms — the farm is honoring Dolly Parton with its 2026 corn maze theme and will donate to the Clermont, GA branch of the Imagination Library on the fall opening day.
The farm’s Fall Harvest Celebration Cornmaze and Activities opens September 12.
Celebrate 30 years of Black women’s art at Spelman’s major new exhibition. If you’re looking for an inspiring museum stop this weekend, Between Here & Infinity celebrates 30 years of the Spelman College Art Collection, featuring nearly 70 works by Black women artists across media and archival materials documenting the museum’s first three decades.
The exhibition opens September 9, 2026 at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art galleries.
Balor and Zephyr have safely arrived at Georgia Aquarium! If you’re looking for an uplifting weekend update in Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium has received two rescued beluga whales, Balor (10) and Zephyr (7), transferred from the closed Marineland of Canada as part of an international rescue.
The pair are now in the tank with the other belugas for public viewing.
It’s that time of year! Whether you’re chomping at the bit to go apple picking or you’re doing it to please your significant other, there are plenty of fun places to go apple picking in the ATL—making it an easy weekend plan in Atlanta.
Enjoy the deliciously crisp fruit right from the tree or a deliciously farm-fresh homemade apple treat, right here in Atlanta! See the full list of amazing apple farms here!
Thrillz Atlanta is finally open, bringing giant slides, drop towers, VR and more under one roof.
If you’re looking for a high-energy weekend activity, mark your calendar: Thrillz Atlanta, a massive first-of-its-kind indoor amusement park in Atlanta. The park features 35-foot mega slides, a 40-foot Drop Tower, VR attractions, trampolines and 20+ total attractions.
Cuddle mini Highland cows Hiccup & Hooch in a private Snuggle Speakeasy! If you’re looking for a cute, low-key weekend adventure just outside the city, head to The Good Place Farm—a 15-acre family farm in Chattahoochee Hills offering animal experiences, including the Highland Cow Snuggle Experience in a private ‘Snuggle Speakeasy’.
Classic one-hour visits are $55, with a limited Highland Happy Hour option at $75.
Celebrate Halloween at Amore e Amore with spooky decor, themed dishes and a devilishly good adults-only party on Oct 31.
If your weekend plans call for something festive (and a little eerie), check out Amore e Amore’s A Nightmare on Highland — a Halloween pop-up running through the end of October with themed Italian dishes, seasonal cocktails and special events for families and adults.
Helen’s Oktoberfest is a can’t-miss, family-friendly fall festival full of food, music, dancing and Bavarian fun. If you’re up for a quick weekend escape from Atlanta, Helen, Georgia shines in the fall with stunning mountain foliage, Bavarian food and crafts, and its long-running Oktoberfest celebration.
For a cozy stay, the Himmelhaus Luxury Hot Tub Retreat on Airbnb offers a three-bedroom mountain home with a private hot tub and outdoor amenities just 10 minutes from downtown Helen.
Get a boozy espresso martini soft serve topped with a mini croissant at Brush Sushi! If your weekend plans call for something sweet (and a little spirited), Brush Sushi in Buckhead is serving a boozy Espresso Martini soft serve made with espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur, finished with a mini croissant from Pastry Chef Chingyao Wang.
The dessert is available at Brush during their regular lunch, brunch, dinner and daily happy hour hours.
Ride a historic 26-mile route along the Toccoa River on 2- or 4-hour scenic tours. If you’re up for an easy weekend escape from Atlanta, hop aboard the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway for a 26-mile roundtrip ride from the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge to McCaysville and Copperhill. Choose a 2- or 4-hour option and ride in open-air or enclosed cars. Summer service runs June 1–September 18, and tickets range from free up to $100.
If your weekend plans call for something sweet, Morelli’s serves some of Georgia’s best scoops and milkshakes — try banana cream pie or rosemary olive oil! Tasting Table named Morelli’s the best ice cream shop in Georgia. The family-run shop (originally a 2008 East Atlanta walk-up) now has four ATL locations offering scoops, shakes, cakes and flavors like banana cream pie and rosemary olive oil.
If a sunny morning stroll (and a great snack) is your kind of weekend plan, the Peachtree Road Farmers Market is here for the season with 70+ local vendors, live music, chef pop-ups, a children’s play area and more.
This awesome market runs every Saturday from 8:30am–12:00pm through December at The Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta.
One of the world’s 100 best buffets is right outside Atlanta. If your weekend plans include eating well, Gohan Buffet in Duluth, GA, was ranked #72 on a global list of best buffets and serves a wide array of Asian seafood, sushi, and other favorites, open seven days a week.
If you love a good weekend treasure hunt, check out one-of-a-kind rescued ceramics priced at just $4 per pound at this Atlanta shop.
Olaria is an Atlanta ceramics shop that rescues slight-seconds and surplus pieces from independent European potteries, selling them in-store by the pound. Each artisan ceramic is $4 per pound; pieces are food-, dishwasher-, and microwave-safe and available only at the shop.
Grab brunch at one of Atlanta’s yummy brunch spots
Sundays are the perfect time for a delicious brunch with your gals, pals or S.O.! And thankfully, Atlanta is FULL of yummy brunch spots! So whether you’re looking for a mouthwatering southern breakfast or bottomless mimosas, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at brunch in the A!
Atlanta ain’t known as the City in a Forest for nothing! Take a hike through some of the city’s most beautiful nature trails and hikes. You’ll get to see the changing leaves, explore new parts of the city… and maybe even stumble across a cool spot you’ve never seen before! (Uh, have we mentioned ATL has a whole BAMBOO FOREST in the city??)
If you’re looking for the perfect spot for drinks this weekend, let us help you out! Whether your vibe is high-end and classy craft cocktails or something a little more casual and low-key… there’s the perfect bar in the ATL for everyone to enjoy!
From your favorite Romance tropes to literary fiction, it’s the perfect weather for cozying up with a nice book, drinking some warm coffee or tea, and staying in this weekend! But, of course, you need the perfect book to do so!
See a flick at the Plaza Theatre
Looking for the perfect way to spend your weekend? See an artsy, impactful film at the Plaza right here in the heart of our city! And you’ll be supporting small theaters while you enjoy an amazing film, so it’s a total win-win!
Happy weekend, Atlanta! If you end up taking our weekend advice & checking out one of these awesome activities, make sure to tag us in your posts on Instagram, @secret_atlanta!