Also known as ‘The Gateway to the South’ or ‘The City Too Busy to Hate’, Atlanta has a rich and diverse culture prominent not just in Georgia but also in other states of the US. Since the city’s foundation in 1733, the people have started to cultivate their own identity in music, commerce, and arts, with legends and stories that are hard to miss.
The city of Atlanta is home to a number of natural attractions and parks that will surely satisfy people who crave for cultural events and adventurous vacations. Because of the city’s moderate climate, the city hosts a lot of outdoor activities, including live concerts, biking and hiking, art exhibitions, and vibrant festivals and cultural events.
The vibrant festivals and cultural events that the city holds throughout the year reflect its rich history and culture. One of Atlanta’s famous festivals is the Atlanta Jazz Festival. This month-long festival is celebrated in May, and is sponsored by the city government. It features live concerts with performances from various jazz artists. The festival also features workshops and classes conducted by professionals in jazz music. Meanwhile, Dog Festival is an annual celebration of arts in Atlanta celebrated during the month of April. It features arts and crafts booths, dog competitions, and a variety of food and delicacy, with live music entertainment. The annual Atlanta Pride, also known as the Gay Pride Festival, is celebrated for three days in June. This festival features scantily-dressed parade participants. The National Black Arts Festival, on the other hand, is a celebration of African-American culture in different categories, including theater, literature, music, and film. This ten-day festival is celebrated in mid-July, and is participated in by people from all regions in the world. Inman Park Festival is celebrated towards the end of April. The festival is filled with live music, parades, and a tour of homes.
These festivals and other cultural events are held in different historical sites throughout the city. Centennial Olympic Park is among Atlanta’s famous destinations. This park was constructed to serve as a reminder of how Atlanta excellently hosted the famous Olympic Games in 1996. It also hosts a number of springtime celebrations. For people who yearn for Atlanta ‘ history, The King Center is the perfect place. This center houses the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was founded in 1886. This brick church is open to all tourists and to various cultural events throughout the year, and is strongly recommended to American and Atlanta history students. Aside from this church, The King Center also has a fountain that symbolizes peace, tranquility, and nonviolence. Meanwhile, the Fox Theater, one of Atlanta’s historic sites with high value, hosts various broadway shows, concerts, and modern performances by different artists. This theater started as a movie theater and was later renovated into a building it is today. Piedmont Park is also among the famous festival venues in Atlanta.
Arts in Atlanta are also well represented in the city’s various theaters and historical museums. Among these are The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center which houses the city’s variety of contemporary arts; and The High Museum of Art, which is the city’s major venue for fine arts and visual arts, and exhibits a large collection of different arts and a variety of travel exhibitions. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Opera, which was established in 1979, is considered one of the top emerging opera outfits in the U.S.
