An introduction to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Economically, population wise and, resultantly, its popularity and events scene is only getting better. The birthplace of Coca-Cola, Atlanta is known for its cultural and musical diversity, considered the capital of hip-hop, and having one of the most vibrant jazz scenes in the country.
A bit about Georgia
Home to a variety of different neighbourhoods with distinct features, Atlanta is the perfect place to a range of events. Just 10 miles from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Downtown Atlanta offers action packed city living. Home to Woodruff park, it offers a range of outdoor spaces to host events from yoga classes, to fun runs, to markets in the sunshine. Further south you’ll find Gran Park, home to the Zoo Atlanta, and a park that hosts a range of festivals, including Summer Shade Arts & Music Festival, Halloween Lantern Parade, and the Pic’n in Grant Park BBQ & Music Festival. The Grant Park Farmers Market, open every sunday morning, has over 60 vendors, and celebrates local and celebrity chefs, a local produce.
A little further north, Midtown Atlanta is often presented as the heart of arts and culture in the city, host to the famous Piedmont Park (the ‘central park’ of Atlanta) and a variety of theatres and arts centres. The 185 acre park in the heart of the city boasts swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, as well as beautiful walking trails and outdoor space. Also in midtown are the Botanical Gardens – 30 acres of an urban oasis and a beautiful location for outdoor classes, events, and tours.
Further west you’ll find the Atlanta Beltline; a network of 1,300 acres of public parks, 33 miles of multi use trails – perfect for long outdoor running and cycling events. Westside also has 22 miles of transit along an historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown.
Events in Atlanta
Atlanta is ‘proud’ to be an inclusive and top destination for LGBTQ+ travel, and in support of black-owned business, and the celebration of its diversity is evident in the plethora of events supporting both communities. Huge celebrations begin on January 17th to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, seeing parades and marches scattered in unity across all neighbourhoods in the city. Juneteenth, or Emancipation day, on June 19th, seeing the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade & Music Festival in Centennial Olympic Park. Georgia’s capital also boasts an impressive celebration of Global music: from hip-hop, R&B, reggae, Afro beats, Latin soca, jazz, funk, techno pop and country music. Other famous events include the world’s largest Greek picnic, and the Red’s Beer Garden annual hot dog eating contest in July, testing who can eat the most hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Piedmont Park, offering 189 leafy acres in Midtown’s centre, is a popular location for large outdoor festivals, including Atlanta Jazz Festival in May, Music Midtown, as well as smaller events like weekly yoga, walking and sports classes. Housing swimming pools, and tennis and basketball courts, it’s the perfect central location for a wide range of outdoor events.
In the Studio, we have options for both satellite and google maps so you can visualise your event but also look at the roads around. Plan your marquees on the grass and then your travel on the street view; we also have a Black and White map option. Here, you can see where your event plan fits against the backdrop of Piedmont!
Transport in Georgia
Atlanta’s MARTA offers a comprehensive and efficient public transportation system across the state capital. Branded as ‘take MARTA, Save Money’ the service runs buses, trains and streetcars, making getting from Grant Park to Midtown affordable and fast. With live tracking and drive alerts updated frequently, event attendees and planners can plan ahead for event travel, and make the most of their time in the city without worrying about getting from A to B.
Piedmont Park is a popular location for a range of events; from festivals, to fun runs, and fairs!
Event Permits
The application process for permits is fairly long, and the necessary permits depend on the type of event you wish to host. The process categorises three types of outdoor events that require permits: assemblies, outdoor festivals, and large gatherings. It’s important to consider whether your event will have any of the following, in order to determine the necessity for a permit:
- 75 people or more to be gathered for an hour or more
- Could the safety of the participants and/or the residents of the City of Atlanta may be affected if certain aspects of the event are not properly constructed, installed, or handled?
- Use of public space
- Stages
- Vendors
- Whether the event requires any City of Atlanta services, including road closures
If your event is in a park and includes tents over 10×10, stages, vending of food or merchandise, alcohol, amusement rides or advertising/product sampling, then you will be required to fill out an outdoor festival application. You can use OnePlan’s infrastructure tools to check the dimensions and measurements of your tents, marquees, or stages, to help guide whether a permit is necessary.
For outdoor festival permits, event planners must appear before the affected Neighbourhood Planning Unit (NPU) in person, to present the details of the event. OnePlan’s planning system can help to deliver the necessary plans and event details efficiently. Including event plans in centimetre detail, planned road closures, necessary public transport usage, and event safety plans. Our detailed routes and wayfinding tools ensure you can provide accurate plans for the NPU and provide all necessary information that may affect the local area in the lead up to, and the day of the event.
"The time saving compared to the way I used to develop a site map is huge. OnePlan is so much more streamlined and saves me a considerable amount of time, especially when the organisation wants certain areas editing"
Phil Morgan
Taunton Live & Pride, Event Organiser, GoCreate
Using OnePlan will enable planners to get the most out of the city of Atlanta, and create smooth running events that optimise everything the city has to offer.
Sign up for free and start planning today.
