Live local music, lantern making workshops, the best food trucks in town, special areas for kids and pets to play – all were a part of the Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest, presented by XFINITY, held Friday and Saturday, September 9-10 at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark field. A crowd estimated at close to 10,000 attended the two-day festival.
Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark field was once again the venue for the second Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest.
This was the second year for Fall Fest, a free, family-oriented festival designed around the magic of the Lantern Parade, sponsored by Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center, which stepped off from the Irwin St. end of the Eastside Trail at about 8:15 pm Saturday night. Because of its location near the trail’s midpoint, Fall Fest’s grandstands offered an incredible view of the annual procession of brightly and colorfully lit lanterns. More information about the Lantern Parade – brought to life each year by Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons – can be found here.
The colored lights of the 2016 Lantern Parade flow by Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest. The festival’s grandstands provided some of the best parade viewing on the Eastside Trail.
The fun got started Friday at 5:30 pm when Jiggy took the main stage. Bloodkin and The Whiskey Gentry rounded out the night’s musical entertainment. Local artists Lynn Lilly, Noosh, Olive47 and Hannah Betzel provided guidance and inspiration at the well-attended Friday night lantern making workshops, which were also sponsored by XFINITY.
Friday night headliner The Whiskey Gentry entertains the crowd at Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest.
Dozens of yogis turned out on Saturday morning for a free session of King of Pops yoga, part of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Free Fitness Series, led by popular KOP instructor Charlie Baxter Graham.
KOP yoga instructor Charlie Baxter Graham led a free morning yoga session on Saturday at Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest.
For those still in need of a lantern for the parade, there were five more workshops on Saturday. Instructors for these popular workshops were local artists Karen Anderson (Tiny Doors ATL), Tindel, Amy Ashbaugh, Katie Bush, and Barry Lee.
Tiny Doors ATL’s Karen Anderson (far back in this photo) leads a lantern-making workshop on Saturday at Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest.
Attendees were encouraged to bring kids and pets to the Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest and two of our generous sponsors provided dedicated areas for both “groups” to play. At the Whole Paws Pet Zone, sponsored by Whole Foods Atlanta, pets could play, swim or just hydrate, and Paws Atlanta held an adoption clinic (BTW, three lucky dogs – Griswold, Jim Beam and Sugar Ray – went home with three even luckier new owners). At the McArthur’s Apothecary Kids Zone children spent time doing sand art, getting their faces painted or engaging in a variety of games, sports and fitness activities.
In top photo, Paws Atlanta conducted an adoption clinic at the Whole Paws Pet Zone, sponsored by Whole Foods Atlanta, during Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest. At bottom, the Kids Zone, sponsored by McArthur’s Apothecary, was a popular spot for the kids at Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest.
Norman Frank & The Ghost Dance kicked off Saturday’s line-up of live, local music at 1:00 pm. The Georgia Flood, Pony League, Jacob & the Good People and headliner Atlanta Funk Society entertained the crowd until the Lantern Parade arrived around 8:45 pm. As many festival goers watched the river of colored lanterns stream down the Eastside Trail, other attendees danced the night away in front of the music stage.
On Saturday night, headliner Atlanta Funk Society entertained the Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest crowd until the Lantern Parade arrived.
In addition to presenting sponsor XFINITY, the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership’s festival partner for the second year was Rival Entertainment. Additional festival sponsors included Whole Foods Market, McArthur’s Apothecary, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal Constitution/Living Intown, Sweetwater Brewing Company, Pickers Vodka, Perennial Properties, Fontis Water, BAI, Atlanta Trails Photography, Good Measure Meals, Georgia Parks and Historic Sites, and Wholly Guacamole.
Thank you to everyone who came out to help make this year’s Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest such an amazing success! See you next year!
