Georgia, United States — Events
The Animation Show
The creator of Beavis and Butt Head, Mike Judge, and Academy Award-nominated animator, Don Hertzfedt, present the Animation Show. Each year they tour America, generally stopping in Atlanta in February, showing a selection of the best short films from all around the world, bringing the delight of animation to the theater loving public. This is a great event for young families and animation buffs.
October Scarecrow Festival
The October Scarecrow Festival, held annually at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, hosts a series of events and activities for families. See over 50 weird, wonderful and sometimes scary scarecrows created by the locals. The special events held every weekend in October include games, storytelling and scarecrow crafts. The festival culminates in a children’s costume party, with lots of Halloween treats and entertainment.
Peach Drop
Peach Drop, first held in 1989, takes place on New Year’s Eve at Underground Atlanta. This is an all-day event with a variety of live entertainment, food stalls and activities to occupy the whole family, imaginatively culminating in a splendid fireworks display and the fantastic 58-second descent of a giant peach.
Southeastern Flower Show
The south is renowned for its gardens, and the Southeastern Flower Show has become a five day floral extravaganza, eagerly awaited by gardeners, both professional and amateur. The show provides many activities and experiences, from talks by experts to acres of magnificent landscaped gardens, unique plant exhibits and a bookstore and flower shop.
Savannah Music Festival
The Savannah Music Festival is Georgia’s largest musical arts festival, and has earned a formidable reputation since its establishment in 1988. Those in the know report that, ‘pound for pound’, the Savannah Music Festival attracts more talent each year than the majority of music festivals in the US. A uniquely cross-genre event, that celebrates both the musical heritage of the American South and the diversity offered by international musicians, the festival is extraordinarily popular with performers and visitors alike.
The US Masters
The US Masters Tournament (referred to simply as The Masters) is one of golf’s four major championships. Unlike the other three ‘majors,’ the Open, The US Open and the PGA Championship, this tournament is held at the same venue each year, the Augusta National Golf Club. The Masters was begun in 1934 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, two amateur golfers who wanted to provide a service to the sport by creating the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. It was only in 1939 that the tournament became referred to as The Masters Tournament.
Inman Park Spring Festival
Spring is certainly sprung with great gusto in historic Inman Park each year. The neighborhood, located just to the east of downtown Atlanta, was one of America’s first garden suburbs and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Every year the locals enthusiastically put on a festival during the last weekend in April, delighting spectators with a colorful parade of floats, marching bands, entertainers and all manner of quirky participants.
Atlanta Jazz Festival
The annual Atlanta Jazz Festival is a 31-day series of events featuring internationally celebrated jazz artists, which has included the likes of Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Hugh Masekela and Dr John. It claims to be the nation’s largest free jazz festival, with jazz playing throughout the city at restaurants, clubs, museums, parks, churches and department stores, with a special focus on the three-day festival of performances in Woodruff Park at the end of the month over the Memorial Day weekend.
Sweet Auburn Springfest
Each year in May, the multicultural Sweet Auburn Springfest celebrates the food, film, art and music of the world. This all-inclusive family festival attracts close to half a million people annually. There are several themed stages, including the Just For Women Stage, Stage of Inspiration and the International Youth Stage, providing many different types of entertainment.
Georgia Shakespeare Festival
Each year the Georgia Shakespeare Festival hosts a five-month season of William Shakespeare’s plays, as well as a few works by other playwrights, at the Conant Performing Arts Center on the campus of Oglethorpe University. The festival starts with a week of free performances in Piedmont Park. This event is a must for fans of ‘the Bard’ and families alike.
