Things To Do in Atlanta This Weekend

By Discover Atlanta Editorial Team

Published March 15, 2024
Last Updated April 22, 2024

Here’s what’s going on in Atlanta this weekend, April 26, 27 and 28.

Around Town

Georgia Aquarium Kicks Off Sound Waves Music Series

The Sound Waves Music Series kicks off Friday night at Georgia Aquarium. Every Friday from April 26 through May, Georgia Aquarium’s Sound Waves celebrates the arts, diversity and local talent. Enjoy live music with enhanced lighting and atmospheric elements in the atrium to complement the artists. You will have access to the aquarium’s galleries, included with general admission. Sound Waves occurs from 5 until 8 p.m.

Enjoy the Prom at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Turn back the calendar during “Back to the ’80s Adult Prom” at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Adults 21 and older can enjoy a night of nostalgia from 7:30 until 11:30 p.m. Friday. The night will be packed with favorite hits, cocktails, tapas and more. 

Atlanta Opera Opens ‘Die Walküre’

Richard Wagner’s “Die Walküre” opens this weekend at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.” The Ring Cycle, Wagner’s magnum opus, continues with “Die Walküre,” the second installment in the series. The daughters of Wotan, ruler of the gods, serve as Valkyries tasked with guiding the souls of fallen warriors to Valhalla. Greer Grimsley returns as the definitive Wotan in The Atlanta Opera’s new production of one of opera’s greatest triumphs. It is sung in German with English supertitles. Performances are April 27 and 30, May 3 and 5. Join The Atlanta Opera and Jay Hunter Morris, operatic tenor, for a short, informative pre-opera talk about the history and music of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” one hour before curtain. This event is free with your ticket.

Heritage Fire Returns

Heritage Fire, which unites live-fire cooking, family farms and local chefs, returns to Atlanta this weekend. The goal is to celebrate heritage breed livestock, heirloom produce and good food. The event presents an array of sustainably sourced bites from family farms and purveyors, prepared by some of the region’s top chefs. There is a fee. Featured restaurants are The Iberian Pig, Buckhead; the Porchetta Group; Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall; and Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. The event runs from 3:30 for VIPS and 4:15 for general admission and goes until 7 p.m. It occurs at Guardian Works in West Midtown.

Atlanta Film Festival Opens at Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre

The 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference opens Thursday and continues through May 5 at Plaza Theatre, Tara Theatre and virtually. While 118 countries are represented in the selections, more than 24% of films have ties to Georgia filmmakers. Eleven marquee screenings will combine Hollywood star power with the best of independent film. “Attendees will enjoy 10 days of in-person screenings, many with filmmakers in attendance, and then a whole virtual week to be able to catch some at home, too,“ said Christopher Escobar, executive director of the Atlanta Film Festival. “We’re excited to be welcoming audiences back to the Plaza Theatre, but for the first time in our 48-year history, we’ll be screening at the Tara Theatre, too.”

Atlantic Station Plans MS Walk and Atlanta Seafood Festival this Weekend.

Atlantic Station is the site of an MS Walk from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday. The walk is a fund-raiser for the Georgia Chapter of the National MS Society. There will be music, free refreshments for participants and a 1-mile loop for walkers who choose 1, 2 or 3 loops. There will be race day specials in Atlantic Station restaurants and shops for those showing proof that they participated.

Also at Atlantic Station, from 1 until 5 p.m., there will be the Atlanta Seafood Festival in the Pinnacle lot. There is a fee, and admission includes variety of beer, wine, mimosas, music and plenty of seafood plus some non-seafood. Tickets include entry, entertainment, souvenir cup and all drink samples. Food costs extra.

See ‘Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts,’ Boston at High Museum of Art

The exhibit “Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” is open 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.

Oakland Cemetery Lights the Night during Illumine

Illumine is open at Oakland Cemetery this weekend, Thursday through Sunday. This nighttime experience illuminates the history cemetery with interactive installations plus art and live music.

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 Sunday. 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

‘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 Sunday.

Sports

Atlanta Braves Host Cleveland Guardians this Weekend

The Atlanta Braves welcome the Cleveland Guardians 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 at the Georgia Power Pavilion. Sunday, when the first pitch occurs at 1:35 p.m., is Kids Run the Bases day after the game. The Braves are tied for first in the NL East; the Guardians are ranked first in the AL Central.

Atlanta Vibe Plays at Home on Sunday

The Atlanta Vibe welcomes the Vegas Thrill to Gas South Arena Sunday at 2 p.m. The Vibe is ranked first in the Pro Volleyball league with a 17-5 record; the Thrill is ranked last with a 6-13 record.

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.