Things To Do in Atlanta This Weekend
Last Updated July 8, 2026
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Team Discover Atlanta has suggestions for things to do in Atlanta this weekend, July 10, 11 and 12. If you are here for FIFA World Cup 2026™, Ride the Free Discover ATL Shuttle Around Atlanta.
Weekend Highlights
- Fernbank After Dark: Friday
- Final weekend for “Basura”
- L5P brings Hell-O-Ween
- Savanna Nights at Zoo Atlanta
- UPS Second Sunday means free admission at High Museum of Art
- Dream vs. Fire
- Harry Connick Jr. at Chastain
Happenings
World Cup Continues
FIFA World Cup 2026™ takes over Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week when Argentina plays Egypt at noon on Tuesday. Matches, of course, continue throughout the weekend. You can watch the games on a giant screen at the FIFA Fan Festival in downtown Atlanta. If that doesn’t work for you, there are watch parties happening all around the city where you can join like-minded fans who love soccer.
Atlanta History Center Opens Civil War Exhibit
Atlanta History Center opens an exhibit about the Civil War on Friday. “More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era” goes beyond stories of the battlefield to explore how the Civil War defines American identity — from the seeds of conflict sown at America’s founding, to how the war reverberated through all aspects of American life and to how its resolution continues to impact the present day.
The exhibit includes one of the most comprehensive Civil War collections in the world. Many artifacts have never before been displayed publicly. Among the featured objects are an original copy of Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?”, the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender and the battle flag of the 127th U.S. Colored Troops bearing the words “We will prove ourselves men.”
Museum of Design Atlanta Opens Exhibit about Salt
MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) opens an exhibit about salt on Thursday. The exhibit traces salt from the terraced salt ponds of Peru to the ancient mines of Austria, from kitschy salt and pepper shakers, to the Morton’s Girl who has been walking in the rain since 1914. “SALT: A Design Story” includes a tasting station.
Fernbank After Dark Welcomes Adults Friday Night
The second Friday of each month brings Fernbank After Dark (for adults age 21 and older) to Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Each month there are activities planned around a theme and, of course, the opportunity to tour the exhibits, enjoy a cocktail or mocktail and have a bite or two. This week’s theme is “Under Construction.” Hard hats not required. 7 to 11 p.m.
Enjoy UPS Second Sunday at High Museum of Art
UPS Second Sunday, occurring the second Sunday of each month, means free admission to the High Museum of Art. Tour the exhibits, make some art, see a performance.
Visit Zoo Atlanta for Savanna Nights throughout July
This Saturday, July 18 and July 25, adults can enjoy Savanna Nights at Zoo Atlanta. Grab a drink, visit the animals, from 6 until 8:30 p.m.
Head to Underground for Peach Walk and Wellness Talk
Meet at Underground Atlanta’s temporary Peach Grove at noon on Friday for a history of Georgia’s signature fruit (It’s the peach.) and a Downtown stroll featuring nature, culture and wellness.
Visit PeachFest at Underground Atlanta
PeachFest comes to Underground Atlanta on Sunday, 3 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Walk through living peach trees, experience peach-forward dishes from celebrated chefs, hear live music and plenty more.
L5P Presents Hell-O-Ween
Yes, it’s July, but Little 5 Points is looking ahead as it presents Hell-O-Ween on Saturday from 3 until midnight. Billed as the greatest block party on earth, the event brings circus performers, fire artists, live music, shopping and entertainment.
Queens of the Crypts Open in Little 5 Points
Queens of the Crypts, open Fridays and Saturdays through July 18, exhumes the stories, unearths the voices and explores the spirits that echo through the streets of L5P. Along the way, guests will discover local lore, forgotten history, strange happenings and maybe even a ghost or two. Queens of the Crypt is hosted by ALT3R, Little 5 Points’ award-winning drag troupe. Requires a ticket.
Arrive Hungry at Halal Food Fest
Saturday and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m. visit the Halal Food Fest at Old Fourth Ward Skatepark. Sample dishes inspired by regions across the world, discover local food entrepreneurs and artisans, enjoy live entertainment.
Watch a Movie under the Stars in Hapeville
Watch a movie under the stars at Hapeville’s Lucas Y-Teen Park, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Showing this week is Disney-Pixar favorite, “Luca.” Admission is free.
Night Nation Run Plus Music
A running music festival occurs at Center Park Stadium on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Runners can expect a music-filled course complete with DJs, bubble zones and light shows.
Friday Night: Castleberry Hill Art Stroll
Castleberry Hill invites Atlanta to an art stroll on the second Friday of every month. Explore gallery exhibitions, open studios, pop-up installations and creative spaces. Featured stops include Nina Baldwin Gallery, Old Rabbit Gallery, Besharat Gallery, Peters Street Station, Bookstore Gallery and Atlantucky.
The Art Stroll is free, self-guided and open to all.
Family
Sunday is Grossology Day at Zoo Atlanta
Grossology Day begins at 10 a.m. Sunday at Zoo Atlanta. Learn about yucky diets, get the scoop on poop and discover how the digusting defenses of some animals actually help them survive. Investigate bird diets, scavenge like a vulture, design your own insect and meet ambassador animals.
Relive American Tall Tales at Center for Puppetry Arts
Remember Paul Bunyan? John Henry? Relive America’s favorite tall tales at Center for Puppetry Arts through Aug. 2. Fall in love again with Doctor Bigelow’s Wild West Puppet Show, Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill and John Henry in this celebration of American stories.
T. Rex Exhibit Open at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Fernbank Museum of Natural History has opened the exhibit, “T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator.” Meet the entire tyrannosaur family and learn the truth about the most iconic dinosaur in the world through life-sized models, specimens and interactives. Explore how a T. rex grows from a small, fluffy, turkey-sized hatchling into a towering, bone-crushing predator. See the exhibit through Sept. 7.
Children’s Museum of Atlanta Exhibits ‘Wild Kratts Ocean Adventure‘
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is exhibiting “Wild Kratts Ocean Adventure.” The exhibit, created by Minnesota Children’s Museum in collaboration with the Kratt Brothers Company, enables kids and families to explore various animal habitats and the creatures within them. The exhibit focuses on cultivating STEM skills in children ages 3 to 9 and invites guests to explore animal habitats from around the globe, discover creature powers and go on missions to foil the villains’ nefarious plans. The exhibit continues through Sept. 13.
Theater
‘Basura’ Playing at Alliance Theatre
“Basura,” a musical by singer Gloria Estafan and her singer/songwriter daughter Emily, continues at Alliance Theatre through Sunday. The play was inspired by the true story of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra, where young artists turn scrap material into instruments and music into possibilities.
See ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Shakespeare Tavern
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opens at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse on Saturday and runs through Aug. 2. The story: A fairy king and queen come across four runaway lovers and a gaggle of amateur actors trying to rehearse a play in the forest. The magical royal couple meddles with their mortal lives, culminating in a comical cluster of confusion. (But don’t worry, we’ll get to the “Bottom” of it.)
Dining
Whiskey Throwdown
On Friday from 5 until 8 p.m. Kimpton Shane Hotel is hosting its Great American Whiskey Throwdown, a blind tasting of American bourbons, ryes and Tennessee whiskeys.
El Ponce Adds Tamale Carts in South Downtown
Find El Ponce’s pink tamale carts in South Downtown (across from Spiller Park) in a space that it is sharing with King of Pops. The carts also are open at Decatur WatchFest through the World Cup.
Ahead of the Weekend: A Benefit for Open Hand and Giving Kitchen
Discover Atlanta invites guests to enjoy a culinary gathering on Wednesday, in the Teaching Kitchen of Open Hand at 1380 West Marietta St. NW. The event, from 5 until 7 p.m., features live cooking demonstrations from chef Freddy Money, director of Atlas and The Garden Room, and chef Philip Tessier of PRESS Restaurant in California’s Napa Valley. Proceeds will benefit Open Hand and Giving Kitchen.
Guests will taste creations from both chefs throughout the evening. In addition to wine, a mixologist will craft a signature cocktail live. The format will encourage guests to mingle freely, move through flavors at their own pace, and have access to both chefs. Bites and beverages are all-inclusive. Tickets are $150.
Live Music and Entertainment
Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakwood
Saturday, 8 p.m. NE-YO and Akon, club hits and sing-a-long
Center Stage Theater
Thursday and Friday, 8:30 p.m. Pour Minds, podcast
Friday, 8 p.m. Domani, rap
City Winery
Sunday, 8 p.m. Buena Vista Orchestra, traditional Cuban
Fox Theatre
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Jill Scott, vocalist
State Farm Arena
Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Tame Impala, psychedelic pop and rock
Through July 18, Summer Kickoff ATL. As Atlanta takes the global stage during the World Cup, State Farm Arena brings a multi-week run of top artists.
Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Saturday, 8 p.m. Harry Connick Jr., jazz, pop, big band
Terminal West
Friday, 8 p.m. Pond, psychedelic pop and rock
Underground Atlanta, Masquerade
Friday, 7 p.m. DJ Chen, alt metal and alt rock
Friday, 9 p.m. Club 90s Presents 2000’s Nights, dance
Friday, 9 p.m. KPOP Club Night with DJ Chen
Variety Playhouse
Friday, 8 p.m. Dedrick Flynn, comedian
Wolf Creek Amphitheater
Saturday, 8 p.m. Tank, Tyrese & Lyfe Jennings, R&B and blues
Sports
Atlanta Dream
WNBA’s Atlanta Dream plays Portland Fire at 4 p.m. Saturday at Gateway Center Arena. The Dream is ranked third in the Eastern Conference. The Fire is ranked sixth in the Western Conference.
Ongoing Events
Atlanta Welcomes the World with Murals
The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs commissioned 17 murals for downtown Atlanta to welcome the world to the city. Four more murals were added by Downtown Atlanta Inc. Here’s a sampling: Nick Turbo Benson created “ATL Nighthawks at the Diner,” on display at the Waffle House on International Boulevard. Muhammad Yungai created a mural depicting the 1966 parade welcoming the Atlanta Braves to Atlanta. It is located on Andrew Young International Boulevard. On Freedom Parkway, Larkin Ford created “The Golden Thicket,” which shows a woodland scene.
Learn about Soccer and Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights has opened “The People’s Game: Soccer and Human Rights” exhibit. Find out how the world’s most popular sport has become a global platform for solidarity, justice and community.
Center for Puppetry Arts Explores Stop-Motion Animation
Center for Puppetry Arts has opened the special exhibition, “Frame by Frame: The Art of Stop Motion Animation.” The exhibition, running through Nov. 1, explores how stop motion combines puppets, scenery, human hands and patience to bring still artwork to life.
High Museum Presents Playful Exhibit on Carroll Slater Sifly Piazza
The High Museum of Art presents on Carroll Slater Sifly Piazza, “Los Porfiados” (The Stubborns). It is a group of monumental, interactive sculptures by Chilean creative studio gt2P, the 10th in the High’s multiyear series of inclusive and playful projects on its outdoor space.
Inspired by the classic roly-poly wobbling toy, known in Chile as “mono porfiado,” the installation comprises a landscape of 14 inflatable, limber sculptures, some measuring up to 17 feet tall, and invites visitors to interact with their pliable surfaces. These sculptures come to life through human interaction and play, transforming the Piazza with collective movement that explores collaboration and the construction of public space. When activated, the sculptures become a living metaphor for resilience, understood not as rigidity but as adaptability: The capacity to move with others, to be displaced and to return to balance through shared effort, persistence and care. Each sculpture responds to individual action while also becoming part of a larger whole, created by accumulated gestures. The exhibit will remain through Nov. 29.
Amy Sherald Works on Display at High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art has opened an exhibit of Amy Sherald paintings. “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” is the largest exhibition of her work to date. Featuring a broad range of paintings made from 2007 to 2024, the presentation includes many of Sherald’s most iconic works, along with rarely seen paintings spanning her career. See it through Sept. 27. To enjoy the exhibit with smaller crowds, consider the museum’s VIP Nights.
Born in Columbus, Ga., Sherald has deep ties to Atlanta and to the High. She trained as a painter in the city and graduated from Clark Atlanta University. In 2018, the High awarded her its annual David C. Driskell Prize in African American Art and Art History,
See Niki in the Garden at Atlanta Botanical Garden
Niki in the Garden, a sculpture exhibit at Atlanta Botanical Garden, remains open through Sept. 6. The exhibit features 42 works in what’s believed to be the largest showing of Niki de Saint Phalle’s outdoor work ever presented in North America. The late French-American artist was best known for her massive, playful sculptures, particularly her “Nanas” – voluptuous works of women that celebrate femininity — as well as whimsical animals, mythical figures, totems and even sports heroes. The sculptures range in size from the 2,000-pound “Grand Step Totem” and 16.5-foot “Large Yelling Man” to small wall hangings of reliefs only 2 feet square.
Glow Nights Returns to Georgia Aquarium
Glow Nights is back at Georgia Aquarium where it will continue through Aug. 9. Beginning at 4 p.m. each day, Glow Nights includes immersive entertainment, live performances and glowing moments inspired by the magic of the ocean after dark.
Serial Killer Exhibit Extended
“Serial Killer: The Exhibition” at Pullman Yards has been extended and will remain open through July 26. Featuring more than 2,000 original artifacts across 27 themed sections, the exhibition represents one of the largest private collections of authentic true crime objects ever assembled. The exhibition’s most viewed artifacts include Jeffrey Dahmer’s original eyeglasses, Armin Meiwes’s chest freezer, Robert Berdella’s Powerkraft circular saw, Leonarda Cianciulli’s cauldron, John Wayne Gacy’s Smith-Corona typewriter and prison TV and the electric chair.
Experience Life as an Astronaut at Pullman Yards
Open through Aug. 13 at Pullman Yards, “Space Explorer: THE INFINITE” gives guests the opportunity to explore life as an astronaut without leaving the ground. They will be able to venture around the International Space Station, see real astronauts in their element and experience first-hand the “overview effect” – the powerful cognitive shift astronauts describe when seeing Earth from orbit.
Experience ‘Rise ATL’ at Centennial Yards
Through July 15, Centennial Yards brings food, lemonade, slushies and coffee plus the chance to create a keepsake at a Custom Hat Bar at the “Rise ATL” pop-up.
‘Footwork: Where We Gather’ Open at Michael C. Carlos Museum
The Michael C. Carlos Museum is showing the exhibit, “Footwork: Where We Gather,” which combines sports photography and sports culture. The exhibit is on display through July 19. Photographer Sheila Pree Bright turns the camera to the fans — and through them, to the teams they love — finding togetherness and solidarity in the places where sport becomes tradition and fans become family.
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.
Originally Published January 5, 2026
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