HAPPY CITY NEWS · ATLANTA
Atlanta Happy News
Good news from the Capital of the South — uplifting stories, local wins, and reasons to smile.
Latest Happy News

Atlanta Pride Unveils Full 2026 Entertainment Lineup with JT Headlining
Atlanta Pride just turned up the volume! The festival announced its full 2026 entertainment lineup on September 21, with JT headlining a weekend packed with artists, DJs, drag performers, and local favorites. The celebration takes over Piedmont Park on October 10–11 under this year’s theme, “Louder & Prouder.” From show-stopping headliners to beloved community performers,…

Must See Sites of Atlanta Private City Tour Review: The Perfect First-Day Welcome to Atlanta
New in town and want to see it all? This private city tour is designed to be taken early in your trip: your own guide handles all the driving while showing you Atlanta’s city centers, neighborhoods, street art, history and stadiums, customized to you and your visit. The best part is the personal touch. After…

Private Stranger Things Film Locations Tour Review: Step Into Hawkins in Real-Life Atlanta
What if you could walk the streets of Hawkins without leaving Atlanta? This private tour takes you straight into the real-world locations where Stranger Things came to life, from the cozy suburban neighborhoods of Hawkins to the eerie rural towns south of the city where the show’s darkest scenes were filmed. Your guide leads you…

Haunted Seas After Hours Returns to Georgia Aquarium on October 16
Atlanta is about to get delightfully spooky beneath the waves. Georgia Aquarium is bringing back its fan-favorite adults-only evening, Haunted Seas After Hours, on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 PM — a Halloween celebration with an ocean twist. This eerie edition of the Aquarium’s popular after-hours series takes inspiration from the mysterious creatures and shadowy…
Tours
Handpicked tours and experiences in Atlanta — reviewed by our team, loved by travelers.

Must See Sites of Atlanta Private City Tour Review: The Perfect First-Day Welcome to Atlanta
New in town and want to see it all? This private city tour is designed to be taken early in your trip: your own guide handles all the driving while showing you Atlanta’s city centers, neighborhoods, street art, history and stadiums, customized to you and your visit. The best part is the personal touch. After…

Private Stranger Things Film Locations Tour Review: Step Into Hawkins in Real-Life Atlanta
What if you could walk the streets of Hawkins without leaving Atlanta? This private tour takes you straight into the real-world locations where Stranger Things came to life, from the cozy suburban neighborhoods of Hawkins to the eerie rural towns south of the city where the show’s darkest scenes were filmed. Your guide leads you…

Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour Review: An Inspiring Walk Through Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward
Some places you visit, but this neighborhood changed the world. The Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour takes you through the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta for an inspiring 2.5 hours, tracing the life of one of history’s most beloved leaders — from his childhood home to Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center.…

Southern Essentials Cooking Class Review: Atlanta’s Flakiest Biscuits and Creamiest Pimiento Cheese
Some Atlanta experiences you watch — this one you get to eat. The Southern Essentials Cooking Class is a 90-minute hands-on celebration of the flavors that built the South: flaky, buttery biscuits, a rich pimiento cheese spread, and sweet iced tea, all made with your own hands and guided by instructors who know every story…
Events
Mark your calendar: the happiest happenings around Atlanta.

Atlanta Pride Unveils Full 2026 Entertainment Lineup with JT Headlining
Atlanta Pride just turned up the volume! The festival announced its full 2026 entertainment lineup on September 21, with JT headlining a weekend packed with artists, DJs, drag performers, and local favorites. The celebration takes over Piedmont Park on October 10–11 under this year’s theme, “Louder & Prouder.” From show-stopping headliners to beloved community performers,…

Haunted Seas After Hours Returns to Georgia Aquarium on October 16
Atlanta is about to get delightfully spooky beneath the waves. Georgia Aquarium is bringing back its fan-favorite adults-only evening, Haunted Seas After Hours, on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 PM — a Halloween celebration with an ocean twist. This eerie edition of the Aquarium’s popular after-hours series takes inspiration from the mysterious creatures and shadowy…

Two Atlanta Museums Turn 100 and Celebrate with a Special Centennial Conversation
Atlanta is having a birthday — actually, two! The Atlanta History Center and the High Museum of Art are both turning 100 this year, and to mark the occasion the two beloved institutions are joining forces for a very special evening. On Thursday, October 8, 2026, the Atlanta History Center hosts “Centennial Conversations: Two Atlanta…

Fest-of-Ale Brings Craft Brews and Live Music to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on October Thursdays
The Atlanta Botanical Garden has a delicious reason to keep your Thursday evenings free this October: Fest-of-Ale is back with specialty craft ales, live music, and evening strolls through the Garden’s glowing autumn blooms. Every Thursday night in October, the Garden opens its gates for a beer fest like no other. Guests can sample a…
Events
No events scheduled for this period yet. Check back soon!
No events scheduled for this period yet. Check back soon!
No events scheduled for this period yet. Check back soon!
Arts & Culture
Art, music and culture lighting up Atlanta.

Joy to the City: Atlanta History Center Celebrates a Century of Smiles
Atlanta has a new reason to smile — and this time, it’s official. The Atlanta History Center has just opened Joy to the City: Atlanta Smiles at the Camera, a delightful new exhibition drawn from the Center’s vast historic photography collection that captures pure moments of joy and delight across the city. On view from…

Paper Trees: High Museum of Art Celebrates Tree Studies in American Art
There’s something magical about trees, and the High Museum of Art knows it. The museum’s newest exhibition, Paper Trees, celebrates the tree study in American art — those intimate sketches and finished works where artists pour their love for nature onto paper. On view through February 21, 2027, the exhibition traces how American artists have…

High Museum Goes Behind the Scenes with First Conservation Exhibition in 2027
What does it take to keep art alive for the next hundred years? The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will answer that question with its first-ever exhibition devoted to the art and science of conservation: Future Work: Preserving the Legacy of Art, on view February 12 through May 16, 2027. The exhibition will showcase…

Martin Puryear: Nexus Opens at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art
Atlanta is celebrating a major art moment this fall! The High Museum of Art has unveiled Martin Puryear: Nexus, the most comprehensive survey of the celebrated sculptor’s work in nearly two decades, and Atlanta is the exclusive Southeast venue for this landmark exhibition. On view from September 25, 2026 through January 17, 2027, the exhibition…
Places to Love in Atlanta
Beloved landmarks, hidden gems, and spots worth visiting in Atlanta — our favorites, no sponsors attached.
More places are on the way — check back soon!
Where to Stay
Rest easy: our favorite places to stay in Atlanta. Hotel guides coming soon.
More places to stay are on the way — check back soon!
Where to Eat
Taste the city: where Atlanta eats happiest.
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Family
Family fun in Atlanta: ideas everyone will love.

Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival Lights Up Atlanta Botanical Garden on October 22
Halloween weekend arrives early in Atlanta! On October 22, from 5 to 9 pm, the Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts its Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival, a night where creatively carved pumpkins take center stage. Families and friends can enjoy live music, festive entertainment, cocktails, and pure fall fun, then stroll through the Garden’s Scarecrows in the Garden…

Scarecrows in the Garden Returns to Atlanta Botanical Garden for Its 50th Anniversary
Atlanta’s favorite fall tradition is back — and bigger than ever. Scarecrows in the Garden returns to the Atlanta Botanical Garden from October 1 through November 1, filling the grounds with colorful, handcrafted scarecrows made by local schools, families, artists, businesses and nonprofits. This year is extra special: the Garden is celebrating its 50th anniversary,…


