Passing through town
Big shows, festivals, and one-weekend wonders rolling through metro Atlanta. Blink and they’re gone — that’s half the fun!!
Downtown Decatur · Decatur — music, food, and room to wiggle
A free, family-friendly celebration of African, Caribbean, and African American culture on the Decatur Square, with live reggae, Afrobeats, hip-hop, dance, and art from 2 to 10 PM. Kids head straight for the Children's Village, packed with hands-on arts and crafts for all ages, while grown-ups browse vendors and African cuisine.
Legacy Park · Decatur — dinner solved, no dishes
A rotating lineup of food trucks parks on the big lawn at Legacy Park every Tuesday evening in September, 5 to 8 PM. Free to come hang out — you just pay for dinner — with music and plenty of room for kids to run while you spread out blankets and chairs.
Peachtree Street · Downtown — every superhero your kid can name, marching
Atlanta's biggest parade rolls down Peachtree Street with thousands of costumed superheroes, stormtroopers, wizards, and floats — pure spectacle for kids who love dress-up. You watch free from the sidewalk downtown, no convention badge required; arrive early, because roughly 75,000 people turn out. Starts Saturday at 10 AM sharp.
Stone Mountain Park · Stone Mountain — 400 craft booths and a mountain
More than 400 artists and crafters fill Stone Mountain Park's Special Events Meadow, and kids get their own Fun Zone with bounce houses, face painting, sand art, and games — plus a Children's Entrepreneur Market on Saturday and Sunday where young makers sell their own creations. Festival entry is included with a parking pass ($20 Thursday, $25 Friday–Sunday).
Gas South Arena · Duluth — princesses on skates, at 5-year-old volume
Disney's newest skating spectacular brings favorite characters to the ice at Gas South Arena with dazzling effects, big projections, and plenty of sing-along moments. Tickets start around $37, and every child age 2 and up needs their own seat. Weekend shows include 11 AM and 3 PM matinees — handy for little ones!
Downtown Decatur · Decatur — a whole street of books, kids' track included
Downtown Decatur turns into a giant book party: author talks, signings, exhibitor booths, live music, food, and kids' activities sprinkled throughout. Friday evening hosts the Keynote and a kid-focused Kidnote, then Saturday is the big festival and street fair day. A great low-key outing for early readers and book-obsessed tweens alike.
BeltLine Southwest Trail · Atlanta — note the new route this year
Thousands of handmade glowing lanterns float down the trail after dark, and anybody who brings a lantern can join the back of the line. It's free to watch and free to walk in, and this year it follows an extended route on the Southwest Trail rather than the usual Eastside. It starts after sunset, so plan on a carrier or stroller and a late bedtime for little ones.
Stone Mountain Park · Stone Mountain — Halloween with the scary parts removed
Daytime is the gentle version — pumpkin play, characters and not a single jump scare — and then after sunset the Crossroads area lights up with giant carved jack-o'-lanterns and glowing dinosaurs. It's ticketed, and the nighttime laser show costs extra on top. It only runs on select dates, so check the park calendar before you make the drive.
Jim R. Miller Park · Marietta — the midway will find your wallet
Metro Atlanta's biggest fair: barn animals, blue-ribbon baking, a midway and every fried thing on a stick. There's a gate admission charge, but a lot of the stage shows and exhibits inside are free once you're through the turnstile. Weeknights open at 4pm and Saturdays run 10am to midnight — Saturday morning is the calmest stretch with little kids.
Town Green · Duluth — funnel cake counts as breakfast
Downtown Duluth fills up with craft booths, food stalls and a Saturday-morning parade, with a kids' area on the Town Green. Admission has historically been free, though we'd confirm on the festival's own site before you load the car. Parking goes fast, so aim for a shuttle lot and go early.
Worth the wait
Holiday magic is already queueing up!! Pop these on the calendar now and act surprised later.
A behind-the-scenes exhibit of real puppets and sets from stop-motion favorites like Rudolph, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, with hands-on elements showing how animators bring puppets to life one tiny movement at a time. Admission includes all the Center's exhibitions and free onsite parking.
Center for Puppetry Arts · MidtownA faithful puppet-stage adaptation of the beloved 1964 TV special, complete with Christmastown, the Island of Misfit Toys, and that famous glowing nose. An Atlanta holiday tradition for ages 4 and up — Create-A-Puppet Workshop and all museum exhibitions included. Runs November 11 through December 27.
Center for Puppetry Arts · MidtownAtlanta Ballet's young second company dances a trimmed-down Cinderella under the Fox's famous fake starry sky. The shorter running time makes it a friendly first ballet for kids who can sit still for about an hour. Ticketed, and there are only two performances.
Fox Theatre · MidtownCostumes, daylight hours and zero jump scares make this the gentlest Halloween outing in town for toddlers and early elementary kids. It runs the two weekends before Halloween plus Halloween day itself, and it's included with zoo admission. Come in costume and arrive at opening — the treat stations back up by midday.
Zoo Atlanta · Grant ParkA homeschool day built by the Aquarium's education team for K–12 families, with guided activities through the galleries from 9am to 1pm. Registration is required and the sessions fill well in advance. Check the Aquarium's event calendar for pricing and which activities match your kid's grade band.
Georgia Aquarium · DowntownHeads up: this is the touring "Magical Christmas Ballet," not Atlanta Ballet's own Nutcracker — same theater, different show. Two performances land right at Christmas, including a Christmas Eve slot at the Fox. Ticketed; buy through the Fox rather than a resale site.
Fox Theatre · MidtownScrooge, three ghosts and the yearly excuse to make everyone wear a nice sweater. It's a full-length evening production with some genuinely eerie moments, so it lands better with older kids than with preschoolers. Runs six weeks, which makes weekday matinees easier to snag.
Alliance Theatre · MidtownA brand-new family musical that throws Wonderland and Neverland into the same story, premiering here before a Broadway run. It's far out on the calendar, but worth marking now if your kids like big-scale theatre. Watch the Alliance season page for on-sale dates and family pricing.
Alliance Theatre · MidtownThe Kidlanta Star
Every Friday, a short and sweet email with the weekend’s best kid stuff around metro Atlanta. That’s it. That’s the email!!