Things To Do in Atlanta This Weekend
Published March 15, 2024
Last Updated April 16, 2024
Here’s what’s going on in Atlanta this weekend, April 19, 20 and 21.
Around Town
SweetWater 420 Fest Brings the Music to Pullman Yards
Saturday and Sunday bring the SweetWater 420 Fest to Pullman Yards. Among the performers on Saturday are Gov’t Mule, Grace Potter and Larkin Poe. Sunday performances will include Big Gigantic, Trombone Shorty and Little Stranger, to name a few. Gates open at 2 p.m. both days and the party continues until 11 p.m.
High Museum of Art opens ‘Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts,’ Boston
The exhibit “Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” opens Friday at the High Museum of Art. The exhibition includes more than 60 paintings — still lifes, portraits, seascapes, landscapes, architectural views and genre scenes — by the period’s leading Dutch artists, including Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Willem Kalf and Rachel Ruysch. Also on display are prints, maps and decorative objects in silver, porcelain and more, from the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries. See the exhibit through July 14.
Atlanta Comic Convention Sets Up at Century Center
The Atlanta Comic Convention brings comic books, toys, movie posters, Pokémon and plenty more to the Marriott Hotel Century Center from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday.
Georgia Aquarium Presents Sips Under the Sea — Decades
Celebrate (or just remember) the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s during Sips Under the Sea — Decades at Georgia Aquarium Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Celebrate the iconic styles, music and culture of these bygone decades. The adults-only disco night is all set against the backdrop of the the aquarium’s always fascinating aquatic exhibits.
Oakland Cemetery Lights the Night during Illumine
Illumine returns to Oakland Cemetery this weekend, Thursday through Sunday and again April 25-28. This nighttime experience illuminates the history cemetery with interactive installations plus art and live music.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Welcomes Portuguese Virtuoso Maria João Pires
Portuguese virtuoso Maria João Pires makes her Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut as she joins music director Nathalie Stutzmann and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. The concert stays in the German-Romantic vein with works by Mendelssohn and Schumann, including a musical postcard from Scotland by the 20-year-old Mendelssohn. The “Hebrides” Overture paints a portrait of a sea cave in the Inner Hebrides islands. And Symphony No. 4 by Robert Schumann offers a flight through intense lyricism and bravura. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Saturday. These concerts are part of the ASO’s German Romantics Festival.
The Breman Plans Sunday Concert
Sunday at The Breman features a concert by The Joe Alterman Trio with special guest Ken Peplowski. The reception is a 4 p.m., followed by the concert at 5 p.m. Purchase tickets on The Breman website.
MODA Cooks Up Pasta Exhibit
MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) has opened the exhibit “Al Dente: The Design of Pasta.” Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the design of pasta shapes, mechanical and technical advancements in pasta making, pasta advertising, designer pasta and the future of pasta. Learn all about pasta through Sept. 1.
Atlanta History Center Opens Hank Aaron Exhibit
“More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron” is open at Atlanta History Center. The exhibition features images and artifacts from the collections of the Aaron family, Atlanta History Center, the Atlanta Braves, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Emory University, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and personal collections from throughout the United States. Just about every Atlantan knows that on April 8, 1974, Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record right here in Atlanta. See the exhibit through September.
Back to the 16th century: Georgia Renaissance Festival
The Georgia Renaissance Festival, a trek back to the 16th century, runs weekends through June 2. See jugglers, jesters and jousters, visit the artisan market, enjoy music, comedy and shows. Refresh with a roasted giant turkey leg. Find the festival in Fairburn, Ga.
Flora, Fauna & Flight Returns to Fernbank Museum of Natural History
The popular exhibit Flora, Fauna & Flight has returned to Fernbank Museum of Natural History and will be on display through June 23. Among the things to do are (1) explore the difference between gliding and flying; (2) pose for photos in front of features including butterflies and bats; (3) discover the physics of flight; and (4) see plant and animal sculptures among the trees, grasses, plants and flowers of WildWoods.
Stone Mountain Park Presents Dino Festival
Dino Festival at Stone Mountain Park runs through April 28. Be prepared for rustling in the bushes, footprints on the ground and flying dinosaurs overhead. See high-flying dinosaurs, dinosaurs in 4-D, a lighted dinosaur-themed parade, plus a dinosaur drone and light show. Check the Stone Mountain Park website for specific times and dates for various events.
Balloon Museum Pops into Pullman Yards
The Balloon Museum at Pullman Yards is flying high through June 9. The Let’s Fly exhibition features inflatable installations created by 17 international artists. Among the exhibitions is “A Quiet Storm” by Quiet Ensemble. The audience passes through an environment that awakens childlike wonder and the magic of small things. One more of the 15 exhibitions is “Floating Giants” by Max Streicher. The giant’s bodies are held in a state of perpetual flight, transcending from the earth to reach a state of serenity.
CDC Museum Presents Exhibit about Segregation
Atlanta’s CDC Museum has opened the exhibit, “Ghosts of Segregation: Photographs of Rich Frishman.” The exhibit explores the lingering presence of segregation, slavery and institutional racism hidden in everyday American architecture. From segregated schools to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama to a recent church firebombing in Louisiana, Frishman’s photographs show how our surroundings bear witness to history. See it through May 24.
Family
It’s Little Critters Day at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Saturday is Little Critters Day at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Kids may spend time with baby animals and do the following: Visit feathered friends from Papayago Rescue House and learn about how this exotic bird shelter provides rescue, rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming services; play with some paws-itively adorable pups from PAWS Atlanta; discover some friendly farm animals, perhaps goats, sheep, chickens or rabbits, from Cricket’s Mobile Petting Zoo; meet an amphibian and a reptile; and learn about animals native to Georgia with AWARE Wildlife Center.
Music for the Very Young Features ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Music for the Very Young series presents “The Velveteen Rabbit” through Saturday at the Rich Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center. “The Velveteen Rabbit” tells the story of a child and his toy bunny. The child’s endearing love — represented by the trio of musicians — brings the stuffed animal to life. The music is a blend of Beethoven’s Serenade in D Major for flute, violin and viola. This 45-minute interactive performance is designed for 3- to 8-year-olds, and it reminds us at any age that love can transform us all.
‘Stellaluna’ Playing at Center for Puppetry Arts
“Stellaluna‘ is playing at Center for Puppetry Arts through May 19. Accidentally dropped by her mother, the helpless baby fruit bat, Stellaluna, falls into a nest of bird fledglings. The baby birds graciously accept her as one of the family — as long as she acts like a bird and doesn’t confuse her adoptive siblings. See it through May 19. Guests who are deaf or hard of hearing will enjoy a performance accompanied by live American Sign Language interpretation. This organized visual language (“ASL”) will be used in tandem with spoken dialogue.
‘Outside the Box’ Open at Children’s Museum of Atlanta
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta has opened the exhibit, “Outside the Box.” The exhibit runs through May 5. “Outside the Box” aims to fuel children’s imaginations by unleashing a world of timeless fun. Simple cardboard boxes are transformed into bridges; ordinary cylinders become futuristic rockers; and basic blocks create obstacle courses. “Outside the Box” ignites the creative spark in adults and children alike, encouraging innovative thinking while uncovering the foundational elements of math, engineering and technology. The featured programs change monthly.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History Showcases Spiders
“Spiders — From Fear to Fascination” is on view at Fernbank Museum of Natural History through May 5. You will learn about spider anatomy, reproduction and growth, webs and silk, and spider senses. You will see what it’s like to walk through hundreds of scattering spiders along a glowing forest floor and compete in a mating dance-off with a jumping peacock spider. Live spiders are displayed throughout the exhibition.
Theater and Film
Dad’s Garage Presents ‘To Peach Their Own’
Dad’s Garage presents “To Peach Their Own,” Saturday through May 4. Scenes, songs and characters take a look at Atlanta in a way that only Dad’s Garage can. “To Peach Their Own” is a new and original comedy revue that will leave you peach-less
See ‘Sense and Sensibility’ at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse
A reimagining of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” is playing at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse. In this version, the wealthy Mr. Dashwood dies, and his introverted daughter Elinor finds herself alone at the helm of a dysfunctional family. To make matters worse, Elinor seems to be falling in love with the only man she can’t have while her headstrong sister Marianne succumbs to the charms of a local scoundrel. As the Dashwood sisters navigate romance, heartbreak and loss, they find an unlikely ally in their fearless tween sister Margot. The play runs through April 28.
7 Stages Presents Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni,’ a Rock Opera
7 Stages presents Mozart’s opera, “Don Giovanni,” sung in English with a new modern translation backed by a rock orchestra. This adaptation transports the characters and story into the modern era while staying true to the essence of the original. The notorious womanizer, Don Giovanni, still meets a supernatural end, but his exploits are now portrayed with frankness and complexity, reflecting today’s more nuanced perspectives on gender and morality. See it through Sunday.
Sports
Atlanta United Plays Cincinnati at Home
Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Atlanta United is ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference; FC Cincinnati is ranked fifth.
Atlanta Braves Host Texas Rangers this Weekend
The Atlanta Braves welcome the Texas Rangers for a three-game series at Truist Park this weekend. The Friday night game begins at 7:20 p.m., and, as is the custom for Friday night home games, the last out will be followed by fireworks. Saturday’s game, which begins at 7:20 p.m., features pre-game music by Party Nation. Sunday, when the first pitch occurs at 7:10 p.m., is Deaf Awareness Night. Fans who purchase that ticket package will receive a 20-ounce Tervis tumbler. The Braves are ranked first in the NL East; the Rangers are ranked first in the AL West.
This article updates weekly with brand new things to do in Atlanta for the weekend. Feel free to bookmark it for next weekend. For more weekend events, check our calendar.
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