4 Ways to Enjoy the Last Days of Summer in Buford, GA

The heat of summer sticks around longer in Atlanta, Georgia, than it does in other parts of the country, but you can still tell when summer ends thanks to Labor Day and the start of school. To mark this shift in the calendar, the Atlanta area has plenty of ways to pass the time, including summer-long activities and special events.

Music Midtown

The third weekend of September is when Music Midtown sets up in Piedmont Park. For two days you can wander through the Atlanta Botanical Garden, enjoy the natural beauty, and listen to nationally famous acts from the past and present as they perform on four separate stages. A basic general admission ticket costs $135, but if you have money to spare you can get a VIP ticket and enjoy the VIP lounge, special viewing areas, a private air-conditioned restroom, and complimentary concessions.

Decatur Book Festival

If you think the written word still holds some power, you might want to attend the Decatur Book Festival, which takes place throughout the downtown area of this Atlanta suburb. The event is the biggest independent book festival in the country, and it takes place on the weekend leading up to Labor Day. The festival has workshops and classes on writing prose and poetry, and it’s an excellent place for new and aspiring authors to meet with literary agents and learn from more experienced writers. And if you just want to find some new books, it’s good for that, too.

Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival

The Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival also takes place over the Labor Day weekend. It happens in Callaway Gardens, a resort in the town of Pine Mountain, which sits about an hour south of Atlanta along I-85. The main attraction is watching and flying in the big hot air balloons, but the festival also features live music, performers, beach activities, a bar, a kids area, and a classic car show. With so much to do, the drive is definitely worth it, especially if you can go on a balloon ride at sunrise.

Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta doesn’t go anywhere when summer ends, but it is the sort of place that’s best to visit on a nice summer day. The zoo takes up the southern end of Grant Park and has plenty of exotic and interesting animals, including African elephants, lions, black mambas, black rhinoceroses, flamingos, lemurs, kangaroos, and more. The zoo has plenty of special events for you to attend, but even if you don’t come on an event day you can enjoy the zoo’s attractions, rides, petting zoo, and wild encounters.

If you want to mark the end of summer with a bang, you can find plenty of ways to do so in the Atlanta area. With music, writing, outdoor festivals, and more, it’s easy to find something that appeals to everyone. Just make sure to keep your schedule straight because you don’t want to miss more of these events and attractions than you have to.