Atlanta hosts arts festival

Ever wanted to dance in the middle of Peachtree Street? Or maybe bid on an elaborate barstool? Perchance the sampling of Atlanta’s finest dining is more enticing? All this and more will all take over Peachtree Street on the Midtown Mile this weekend on Sept. 25 and 26.

The Midtown Festival of the Arts in partnership with local businesses will bring entertainment for the whole family to Midtown. The range of music, arts, food and free entertainment will be on display on Peachtree Street from 5th Street to 10th Street, a mere minute’s walk from Tech Square.

The temporary mini arts district will have something for everyone. Live bands, art auctions and culinary samplings will be at every turn, inviting the community to mingle, meet and be merry.

Music will include shows by The Connells and The Breakfast Club, among many others. With four stages, including a Kids’ Zone Stage and a Beer Garden Stage, entertainment will not be scarce. Music will fill the air as people dance in the street starting at 10 a.m. and it will continue into the evening.

In addition to the entertainment and food, there will be over a hundred visual artists selling and displaying their wares for the public to admire and purchase. This opportunity to view and take home a piece of Atlanta’s local artistic vision and talent is few and far between.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday night, a free screening of Driving Miss Daisy will entertain citizens on the intersection of 10th and Peachtree.

The film, based on Atlanta-born playwright Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work, highlights several local landmarks including Agnes Scott College, Little Five Points, Inman Park and Peachtree Street itself.

The corner of 7th and Peachtree will feature the Plates on Peachtree culinary showcase and beer garden. As the only paid-ticket attraction, it is should be worth the $30 per day per person in advance, $40 at the door.

Atlanta’s premium dining options can all be found here, including Midtown’s own Bakeshop and Ecco.

Tickets include food as well as one cocktail, with additional beverages at an additional cost. The beer garden features Terrapin Brewery, one of the few good things about Athens, which has some nice choices for autumn as well as Oktoberfest.

Festival President, Leslie Johnson, is especially excited to see the Festival finally come to life. Born out of an idea among just a few friends at Yes Home in Feb. 2009, it has come a long way.

“We had forty to fifty people to make this happen. It gathered steam and snowballed from there…Business owners, residents, retired folks the whole gamut of people [supported the idea. Midtown has] experienced a phenomenal growth, and we want to keep that momentum going. We are presenting Peachtree as it should be…a fully engaged street experience,” Johnson said.

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