Cool Things To Do in May in Atlanta

By Taylor Boser

Published April 22, 2025
Last Updated May 16, 2025

It’s May. Festival season is in full swing. There are plenty of events to keep you busy for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Weekend.

It’s Showtime

Buckhead Theatre

Omar Courtz, May 1

The War and Treaty, May 2

Mo Amer: El Oso Palestino Tour, May 3

Melanie Fiona: Say Yes Tour, May 4

Hudson Westbrook, May 8

Stan Society Presents Best Song Ever: A One Direction Dance Party, May 9

Grentperez – Backflips in a Restaurant Tour with special guest Rocco, May 10

Daniel, Me Estás Matando, May 13

Maria Bamford, May 14

Dei V – Los Flavorz USA Tour 2025

Citizen Soldier: The Semicolon Tour wsg 10 Years & Thousand Below, May 17

Lil Poppa: Almost Normal Again Tour, May 24

OMD, May 29

Fox Theatre

Peter Pan, April 29-May 4

The Temptations and Four Tops, May 10

Mother’s Day Celebration, May 11

xikers 2025 WORLD TOUR Road to XY: Enter the Gate, May 12

Morrissey, May 14

Heather McMahan, May 17

Shucked, May 20-25,

Kizz Daniel – Uncle K Tour, May 30

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta United vs. Nashville SC, May 3

Post Malone’s The BIG ASS Stadium Tour, May 11

Atlanta Untied vs. Union, May 17

Atlanta United vs. FC Cincinnati, May 25

Atlanta United vs. Orlando City SC, May 28

State Farm Arena

Pearl Jam, April 29-May 1

Cash Money Millionaires, May 3

Ivan Cornejo, May 9

We Them One’s Comedy Tour, May 17

Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever, May 22

Rauw Alejandro, May 24

Live Breath Fight Tour, May 29

Tabernacle

Hippie Sabotage: Echoes of Time Tour, May 2

Devin Townsend’s PowerNerd Tour!, May 3

Matriarch: An Evening with Tina Knowles, Family, and Friends, May 8

BADBADNOTGOOD – The Mid Spiral Tour, May 9

Jacquees & Dej Loaf – F#*K A FRIEND ZONE TOUR, May 10

DUKI WORLD TOUR, May 14

Tom Papa: Grateful Bread Tour, May 16

Marilyn Manson, May 20

Durand Bernarr Presents: You Gon’ Grow, Too! Tour, May 21

An Evening With Dark Star Orchestra, May 30

Turnover – 10 Years of Peripheral Vision, May 31

Atlanta Braves Home Games at Truist Park

Atlanta Braves vs. LA Dodgers, May 2-4

Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds, May 5-8

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals, May 12-15

Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres, May 23-25

Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox, May 30-31

Let the Fun Begin

C10s in the City

Hey car lovers, C10s in the City is making its return to Summerhill. C10s are a style of trucks with a two-wheel-drive system. This classic GM/Chevy truck show is happening in the Summerhill B Lot at 563 Capitol Avenue SE. The free event is on May 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade

The Southwest Beltline Trail will come alive during the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade on May 3. 

You can make your own lantern and walk in the parade. Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons are hosting workshops to help inspire your design. There are adult-only classes, lantern puppet workshops and drop-in coloring lantern workshops. 

On the evening of the parade, groups will line up at Adair Park I at 7:35 p.m. The parade will begin at 8:35 p.m. Afterward, the bands and puppets will line up for a jam session and celebration in the Lee + White Food Hall parking lot.

Sweet Auburn Springfest

Enjoy free concerts all day at Sweet Auburn Springfest. There will be vendors, comedy shows, a kids area and delicious food. The festival is called the “World’s Largest Family Reunion” so it’s fitting that it’s happening Mother’s Day weekend, May 10 and 11.

Chastain Park Spring Arts Festival

The Chastain Park. Arts Festival has been named one of the nation’s Top 100 Arts Festivals Nationwide by Sunshine Artist Magazine. From fine art and crafts, a children’s area and food trucks and live music, there’s plenty to to enjoy. This festival is free to attend. The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 10 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 11.

Atlanta Sandwich Festival

Atlanta Beer Festivals and Atlanta Wine Festivals are putting together the Atlanta Sandwich Festival. Get ready to enjoy a variety of sandwiches ranging from BLTs to grilled cheese. The festival will be at Atlantic Station on May 17. 

Latino Family Festival and Light Show at Stone Mountain Park

The weekend of May 3 and 4, Stone Mountain Park is hosting the third annual Latino Family Festival. The festival celebrates Latino music, dance and culture. Attendees will see traditional dances and entertainment from different regions of Latin America. The drone and light show will feature 250 color-changing drones choreographed to music.

Catch Tuplet at Atlanta Ballet

The Atlanta Ballet has a mixed bill program for their season finale. It will feature three ballets: Catch, Tuplet and The World Premiere of Hypnagogia. See the show from May 9-11.

Tailgating Experience at Centennial Yards

With Sunday, May 25 being International Soccer Day, cheer on Atlanta United FC during Centennial Yards’ tailgating experience. The tailgate at the Steele Bridge will have food trucks, music and a pregame show from 4-5 p.m. The tailgate will be from 4-7 p.m. before the Atlanta United match vs. FC Cincinnati.

Le Petit Chef at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead

Get ready to enjoy an immersive dining experience with the world’s smallest chef. Le Petit Chef has a chef standing 6 centimeters tall roaming around your table serving dinner. The technology used is a 3D projection mapping to provide a virtual story onto the tabletop. Reserve your spot now for the one-of-a-kind dining experience at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.

Wellness by the Water Sound Bath

The Georgia Aquarium is hosting a unique sound bath experience on Tuesday, May 13 from 6-8 p.m. The healing practitioner and Reiki Master from SND Bath will take you along the journey of sound working to move energetic blockages, reduce stress and promote healing in the body.

Virginia Highland Porchfest

The VaHi Porchfest returns for another incredible year of celebrating community through music on the front porches in the area. Local bands and musicians will perform on porches around the neighborhood on May 17.

Virginia Highland Farmers Market

It’s Sunday morning and it’s time to hit up the Virginia Highland Farmers Market. Vendors are selling everything from candles to fresh produce to organic juices. Plenty of spots also have fresh flowers for purchase to take home for decoration. The spring farmers market happens every Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through June 22.

Sweet Auburn Barbecue’s Good Luck Smokeshow

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Sweet Auburn Barbecue is hosting the first-ever Good Luck Smokeshow. The event, happening Wednesday, May 14 at 5 p.m., will honor Asian American stories, flavors and firepower.

Local Atlanta favorites include Leftie Lee’s, Soupbelly, Brian So (Spring), Salty Smiles, So So Fed and Hapa ATL.

Atlanta City Games

A two-day track and field festival is taking over Piedmont Park on May 17. There will be a custom-built elevated track. The Adidas Atlanta City Games let fans experience the sport up close. There will be a dedicated fan zone, meet-and-greets with elite athletes, exclusive Adidas gear and food trucks. 

Olympians Noah Lyles, Grant Holloway and Anna Hall will headline the games.

SCOOBY-DOO!™ Mansion Mayhem Exhibit at Children’s Museum of Atlanta

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta invites families to solve the mystery of SCOOBY-DOO!™ Mansion Mayhem. Kids will combine forces with the members of Mystery Inc. to analyze clues and put their problem-solving skills to the test. Along the way, find iconic TV show characters with the hopes of unmasking the jewel thief in the end. The exhibit runs from May 17 through September 7.

The exhibit opens on Saturday, May 17.

American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month at Children’s Museum of Atlanta

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta has different programming throughout May for American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Kids will go on a journey through the Pacific Islands with a pool float and use their imaginations to row boats, scale mountains and escape volcanos. They’ll do all this while learning about the vibrant flora, fauna and geography of the Pacific Islands. There will be a retelling of a classic fable, “Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon” by Ying Chang Compenstine. Kids will also learn about Chinese-American scientist Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal when they dive into the world of viruses and vaccines at the Science Bar. At the Art Studio, create a bug inspired by the work of Japanese artist Hiroshi Shinno.

Fernbank Museum’s Spirit Guides Exhibit

This exhibit takes you through WildWoods at Fernbank highlighting ancient Mexican culture and contemporary art. Oaxacan artists Jacobo and María Ángeles designed these eight sculptures featuring imaginary hybrid animals, like the rabbit-deer, monkey-iguana and coyote-fish. Visit Fernbank to see the exhibit through August 3.

MomoCon

MomoCon is one of the fastest growing “all ages” conventions in the country with more than 50,000 expected in Atlanta May 22-25 to celebrate costuming, comics, gaming, music, visual arts and voice acting. Fans of Japanese anime, American animation, comics and gaming (video games, esports, tabletop, LARP) will celebrate their passion, play games and dress in cosplay costumes. The convention occurs at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Atlanta Jazz Festival

During Memorial Day Weekend, enjoy live jazz in Piedmont Park during the Atlanta Jazz Festival. The festival showcases local and national jazz greats, a neighborhood jazz series, youth jazz band competition, a kids zone and many other family-friendly activities.

The best park? The event is free and open to the public. There is limited parking, so it’s recommended to take MARTA or rideshare. There’s even a free bike valet station on 10th Street near Park Tavern.

Brew at the Zoo

Hang out at Zoo Atlanta while enjoying beer and wine from around Georgia. Brew at the Zoo will feature live music, yard games and more. This event has been a Memorial Day Weekend favorite for more than 18 years. Get your tickets for the event on May 24 with VIP early entrance from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and the main event from 5:30-9 p.m.

Spirit Guides at Fernbank

The newest exhibit at Fernbank bridges ancient Mexican culture and contemporary art. Spirit Guides showcases the work of renowned Oaxacan artists Jacobo and María Ángeles, offering visitors a journey into the spiritual landscape of Southern Mexico’s indigenous traditions.

Eight mythic animal-themed artworks can be seen throughout Fernbank’s WildWoods. The exhibit runs through August 3.

Atlanta Fringe Festival

The annual Atlanta Fringe Festival features live theater, dance, comedy, storytelling and more from all over the world. This year’s festival will feature 80 performance groups across 10 venues. It’s happening May 27 through June 8. The Kid Fringe is May 31-June 1. June 7-8 will feature a free, family-friendly series with performances and activities. Atlanta Street Fringe is an outdoor showcase in Little 5 Points happening May 31-June 1 and June 7-8.

Cinco de Mayo

Plenty of places around Atlanta are offering food and drink deals for Cinco de Mayo.

Azotea Cantina in Atlantic Station will have $9 house margaritas and $7 tequila shots. The rooftop will be open all day and there will be a DJ starting at 3 p.m.

Tacos & Tequilas Mexican Grill will be having $8 Texas margaritas and $7 tequila shots. On Cinco de Mayo, there will be limited-edition Cinco de Mayo branded t-shirts to guests throughout the day while supplies last. There will be a DJ playing throughout the weekend.

Aerial Kitchen & Bar at Epicurean Hotel in Midtown is hosting “Tres de Mayo” happening on Saturday, May 3. There will be a taco cart offering a variety of street tacos, including chicken al pastor, pork carnitas or sirloin asada. There will also be a street corn station, a churro bar and Agua Fresca station with hibiscus, pineapple and cucumber or horchata flavors. The handmade craft cocktails include a spicy margarita with Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila and a Smoky Sunset, with Gracias a Dios Espadin Mezcal. The restaurant will be open Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Celebrate Mom

With Mother’s Day slated for May 11, explore our list of ways to celebrate mom whether you’re looking for a delicious brunch to go to or that perfect gift she will love.

For even more things to do in Atlanta, check our calendar of events.

A Chicago transplant, Taylor loves exploring what makes Atlanta the place to be. Name a popular festival, food hall or brewery to check out and she will be there.