The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SPRING FEVER: THE BEST CONCERTS, FOOD FESTS
Warmer weather brings outdoor taste events.
Is there anything better than dining — and drinking — al fresco? We don’t think so, and now that the weather is warming up, there are plenty of outdoor food, beer and wine festivals around metro Atlanta to usher in spring.
Atlanta Spring Wine Fest. Drink up at the inaugural Atlanta Spring Wine Fest, which will offer more than 100 wines, beers and ciders, as well as food from local vendors for purchase, live music and games.
1-5 p.m. April 15. 665 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta. $50 in advance, $60 the day of the event. Tickets include entry, souvenir wine glass and all wine and beer samples. atlantawinefestivals.com/.
No Water No Beer Festival. Designed to show the importance of water, No Water No Beer offers beer samples, food and music. Proceeds will help to provide clean water to people in developing countries as well as to keep Georgia’s water supply clean.
6:30-9:30 p.m. April 29. $25. SweetWater Brewing Company, 195 Ottley Drive N.E., Atlanta. bit.ly/2obnc2N.
Taste of Marietta. At this event held in the Historic Marietta Square, more than 75 restaurants, food trucks and caterers showcase their culinary delights. With more than 70,000 expected visitors, try to arrive early to secure a parking spot, and plan on staying late to enjoy the sunset concert after you eat.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. April 30. Free entrance; food tasting starts at $1. Historic Marietta Square, 50 Park Square, Marietta. tasteofmarietta.com.
Taste of Alpharetta. Alpharetta hosts some of the best chefs in town at this annual event, which delivers tastes from more than
60 local restaurants. Watch the Culinary Competition while listening to live music, and make sure to bring the kiddos along to take part in the “Fun Zone,” which includes a climbing wall, face paining, multiple obstacle courses and slides.
5-10 p.m. May 4. Free entrance; food tickets 50 cents. Historic downtown, Alpharetta. www. alpharetta.ga.us. Taste of East Cobb. Get a taste of some of the best of east Cobb’s restaurants including Marlow’s Tavern, Righteous Que and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar while enjoying live music and other entertainment.
11 a.m. May 6. Free entrance; food tickets $1 (“bites” range from one to five tickets). Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 955 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. tasteofeastcobb.com.
Wild, Wild Beer Fest . The third annual festival will feature more than 100 of “the best mix fermentation and sour beers made in the state of Georgia, across the United States and the world,” according to an organizer. Three hundred tickets will be sold; the event has been known to sell out a month beforehand.
Noon-4 p.m. May 6. $69. Wrecking Bar Brewpub, 292 Moreland Ave. N.E., Atlanta. http://bit.
ly/2nfpxci. Kennesaw Beer and Wine Festival. This festival will feature more than 100 beers and 50 wines and live music.
1-5 p.m. May 6. $35-$50. Depot Park, 2829 Cherokee St., Kennesaw. kennesawbeerandwinefest.com/.
Gwinnett Beer Fest. A ticket gets you unlimited samples of more than 150 American craft beers, a tasting cup, live music and games.
1-5 p.m. May 6. $40-$110. Coolray Field, 2500 Buford Drive, Lawrenceville. gwinnettbeerfest.com/gbf/. Taste of East Point. Sample some of East Point’s best food
while enjoying an eclectic array of musical talents and regional crafts and artwork.
3-9 p.m. May 6. Free entrance; food tickets $1. 1612 W. Cleveland Ave., East Point. downtowneastpoint.com.
SouthEats. A festival showcasing Atlanta restaurateurs and chefs creating Asian and Asianinspired cuisine. Proceeds go to Asian Americans Advancing Justice. A ticket gets you a souvenir glass, six food tickets and six drink tickets.
6-9 p.m. May 10. $45. Monday Night Brewing, 670 Trabert Ave. N.W., Atlanta. http://on-ajc.com/2nwu1Hi. Taste of Town Brookhaven. Back for a third year, the event offers food tastings from participating restaurants, beer, wine, music and prizes. The event will benefit LifeLine Animal Project. All tickets include five food tastings. Additional food tasting tickets and beer/wine tickets available for purchase at event.
3-7 p.m. May 20. $25 (advance), $35 (day of event) for general admission. 4330 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven. bit.ly/2nMLpvB.
Tap Into Georgia. This festival has a unique angle in that it places emphasis on celebrating Georgia’s beer makers. More than 100 beers, all made in Georgia, will be available alongside live music.
3-7 p.m. May 20. $35-$50. Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. bit.ly/2nyP91p. East Atlanta Craft Beer Festival. This springtime beer festival in an old-growth forest gives 100 percent of its proceeds to community grants via the East Atlanta Foundation.
1-5 p.m. May 20. Price TBD. Brownwood Park, 602 Brownwood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. bit. ly/2nD6cRP. Atlanta Food and Wine Festival. For the seventh year, some of the Southeast’s top chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and pitmasters will descend upon Midtown for this festival, which offers attendees different package options to experience dinners, classes and tasting tents.
June 1-4. Prices vary depending on package. Centrally located at Loews Atlanta Hotel, 1065 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, with some events happening at other Midtown locations. atlfoodandwinefestival.com. Candler Park Music and Food
Festival. Chow down on eats from more than 20 local food trucks and restaurant vendors and check out the Terrapin Draft Lounge offering rare Terrapin brews and a craft cocktail bar. The fest will also feature a local artist market, adult field games and music from acts including Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Railroad Earth, Lake Street Dive and Matisyahu. A portion of proceeds will support the festival’s philanthropic beneficiaries.
June 2-3. $25-$80. Candler Park, 1500 McLendon Ave., Atlanta. candlerparkmusicfestival.com.
Brookhaven Beer Fest. The event — in its seventh year — will offer more than 150 beer and wine tasting options, food trucks and live music at a new location.
3-8 p.m. June 10. $30-$40 plus service fee. Brookhaven Park, 4158 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven. spiralentertainment.com. Atlanta Summer Beer Fest. Guests will have access to more than 200 beers, wine and ciders and live music.
4-9 p.m. June 17. $40-$55. Historic Fourth Ward Park, 680 Dallas St. N.E., Atlanta. atlantasummerbeerfest.com.