Cool Things to Do in November in Atlanta

By Mary Welch

Published October 10, 2023
Last Updated October 19, 2023

November in Atlanta brings popular festivals, a new Cirque du Soleil show and the beginning of holiday things to do. Have fun, Atlanta.

Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival

One of the last major arts festivals of the year, the Chastain Parks Fall Arts Festival is always a favorite. Produced by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, the award-winning, two-day festival that takes place Nov. 4 and 5 features more than 185 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craft artisans, glass blowers, jewelers and more. Event-goers are invited to enjoy a children’s area, view artist demonstrations, listen to live acoustic music, participate in hands-on activities and explore a variety of offerings from food trucks and vendors

Chomp, Stomp and Eat

Cabbagetown’s annual Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off and Bluegrass Festival takes place Nov. 4 with more than 80 local artists, food vendors, games and five stages full of music groups — that may or may not play bluegrass. Central to all the fun is the chili where dozens of restaurateurs and cooks offer up a spoonful of their best chili.

Unwrap the Magic at the Piedmont Holiday Gift Market 

Get into the spirit of gift giving at the second annual Piedmont Holiday Gift Market. Presented by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, the two-day event will take place in Piedmont Park in the heart of Midtown, Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Event-goers are invited to sip hot cocoa, listen to holiday music and stroll through the park while exploring gift items from artists including painters, photographers, sculptors, glass blowers, leather and metalworkers, jewelers and crafters. The Piedmont Holiday Gift Market is free to attend for all ages and welcomes dogs.

See Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Echo’ at Atlantic Station

Cirque du Soleil opens its show, “Echo,” Nov. 5 under the big top at Atlantic Station. “Echo” is a story about evolution and symbiotic unions important to our future. Poetry, stagecraft, acrobatics and technologies come together in a spectacle exploring the balance between humans, animals and the world we share. See it through Jan. 21, 2024.

Panda Perfect

With the Chinese Giant Pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., being returned to China, Zoo Atlanta is the only zoo in the country where you can visit these adorably playful pandas. Visit Zoo Atlanta and say hello to Lun Lun, who  enjoys sitting in the hammocks while Yang Yang loves to rest on the lower platforms of their jungle gym. Xi Lun loves to snuggle into the nooks and enjoys people watching. Ya Lun is a sleeper who likes to eat on the highest platform. Their antics are enchanting and you can only see Giant Pandas — along with more than 1,000 other animals — at Zoo Atlanta.

Party — Red Bull Style

The Red Bull Culture Clash, a live music experience with four opposing crews across four stages, returns to the Gateway Center Arena Nov. 4. This spectacle pays homage to the city’s unique tapestry of culture, color and sound. For one night only, four dynamic crews representing Atlanta’s hottest parties — Rum Punch Brunch, Perreo404, Bamba Tuesdays and Mashup Sessions — will bring their fiercest competition and freshest sounds in Dancehall, Reggaeton, Amapiano and Hip-Hop to one stage. In a four-round battle, they’ll bring booming soundscapes, unreleased tracks, intense rivalry and a lineup of special guests and surprises, all aimed at winning the crowd’s hearts and outshining their opponents. Only one winner can be crowned Red Bull Culture Clash champion and earn bragging rights as the best party crew in the A.

Ease on Down that Road

Broadway Across America, sponsored by Regions Bank, goes into high gear with “The Wiz,” the Tony Award-winning Best Musical in an all-new Broadway-bound tour — the first in 40 years. This groundbreaking twist on “The Wizard of Oz” changed the face of Broadway — with its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock and ’70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. See it at Fox Theatre.

Brunching a Bunch

There may be a bit of a nip but November is a perfect time to hug a mug of coffee while sitting outside and enjoying brunch. Several restaurants offer special fall items, and you still might able to still have some pumpkin spice drinks. Snooze is a great place for brunch, and its new fall menu includes some dishes such as pumpkin pecan pie pancakes, Monte Cristo brioche toast, carbonara breakfast pasta, blood orange punch, pumpkin latte, pumpkin martini and cold-pressed juices. Other great restaurants with outdoor seating for brunch include: Anis Cafe & Bistro, South City Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Der Biergarten, Osteria 832 and Bazati.

Bridezillas Need Not Apply

Planning a wedding can be stressful, so figure it all out at the Bridal & Wedding Expo that has everything you need for that perfect day. AmericasMart will be jammed packed with all the people and companies needed to pull off the perfect wedding — bands, photographers, florists, hotels, travel agents, wedding planners, disc jockeys and food and beverage vendors. Just go and say “I do.” The date: Nov. 12.

The Play’s the Thing

Plays to see during November include “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812″at Horizon Theatre, “The Tempest” at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse; “Ziwe: The Black Friend Tour” at Variety Playhouse and “As Much As I Can,” a free LBGBTQ+ theater event at the Georgia Freight Depot.

Christmas for Children

The holiday season is kicking up and there are plenty of cultural activities for families including a holiday children’s performance, “Knock, Knock,” at the Alliance Theatre; “A Christmas Carol” at the Alliance Theatre; “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at the Center  for Puppetry Art; and “Home Alone” Live in Concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

It’s Tea Time

The Ritz-Carlton Downtown is offering a family-friendly tea service designed to create loving holiday memories. Santa will make special appearance and children will delight in the hot chocolate, a cookie decorating kit, seasonal treats and a keepsake from Mrs. Claus herself. Children are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy that will be donated to a local charity.

German Christkindl Market — Buckhead style

The German Christkindl Market returns to Atlanta’s Buckhead Village Nov. 17-10 and then again Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. Christkindl Market is a magical experience blending traditional German festivities with the vibrant spirit of Atlanta. In partnership with The German American Cultural Foundation, the market will be free and open to the public, and it will feature a variety of authentic culinary treats, endless selections of curated items for shoppers, live music, family-friendly entertainment and, of course, Santa Claus. 
Visitors and holiday-goers will be able to experience the magic with drinks like German Glühwein – also known as mulled wine – hot chocolate, cider and traditional German food including pretzels, schnitzel, brats and more. Shoppers will find items like hand-crafted ornaments, wooden toys, jewelry, clay and hardwood pipes, bath and body items and much more.

Pickleball for All

A few years ago, we had never even heard of pickleball; now everyone is playing it. There are lots of courts around Atlanta, so grab a racket and join the fun. There are courts at Pullman Yards, Lenox-Wildwood, Peachtree Hills Park, McClatchey Park, Grant Park, Adams Park, Isabell Gates Webster Park and Murphey Candler Park Tennis Courts. If you don’t want to brave the weather, head over to Atlanta Pickleball Center for indoor courts.

Light Up the Holiday

A popular Atlanta holiday tradition is Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden. New exhibits this year include: A giant white skynet suspended near the Flower Walk. By Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, it is 144-feet long by 11-feet wide. There will be large, illuminated metal sculptures of deer and birds by French artist Cedric Le Borgne — two deer grazing among the grasses and six birds perched among the hardwoods or taking flight through the treetops.

Three more new additions are the the towering White Rabbit covered in multi-colored lights and holding court at the center of the Skyline Garden pond; gigantic lighted butterflies – each 11 feet wide – suspended from the treetops above Camellia Walk; and a new Kiss Me Arch featuring a crescent moon and mistletoe, perfect for those romantic Instagrammable moments.

Check our calendar for a complete list of Atlanta events.

Journalist Mary Welch writes business and lifestyle stories for local and national publications.