Summer Shade Returns to Grant Park for Its 24th Year
Grant Park Conservancy’s Annual End-of-Summer Festival Brings Live Music, Artists, Vintage Vendors, Food, and Family Programming Back to Atlanta’s Oldest Park
Free to Attend on Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2026
Returning Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23, 2026, Summer Shade Festival marks its 24th year as one of Atlanta’s favorite end-of-summer weekends, once again filling Grant Park with live music, regional artists, vintage vendors, local food, and family-friendly programming spread throughout the city’s oldest park.
Presented by and benefiting the Grant Park Conservancy, the free festival takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature more than 140 artists and makers from across the Southeast showcasing handmade goods, original artwork, jewelry, vintage clothing, home décor, specialty foods, and other small-batch finds. Food vendors, cold drinks, shaded picnic spots, and live entertainment throughout the weekend give guests plenty of reasons to spend the day in the park.
The festival arrives as the Conservancy continues expanding programming and investment throughout Grant Park. This spring brought the launch of Market in the Park at Boulevard Green, introducing a new monthly series centered around local food, vendors, and community gathering space near the Gateway entrance. Work is also underway on the Milledge Fountain Outdoor Classroom and Theatre, alongside continued improvements designed to strengthen how the park is used year-round by residents and visitors alike.
“Grant Park has always been a place where Atlanta comes together,” said Michelle Blackmon, Executive Director of the Grant Park Conservancy. “Summer Shade is a celebration of that spirit. Seeing families, neighbors, artists, local businesses, and visitors fill the park all weekend long is a reminder of why these shared public spaces matter and why the Conservancy continues investing in their future.”
Live music will once again carry throughout the park across both days, with performances running from daytime sets into the evening hours on Saturday. Families can expect kid-friendly activities and open green space throughout the weekend, while Deep South Wrestling returns with its wildly entertaining matches that have become a staple of the festival year after year.
The Adams Realtors Run for the Park 5K kicks off the weekend at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, inviting runners, walkers, neighbors, and families to move through the historic Grant Park neighborhood in support of the Conservancy’s work. Registration is available now at summershadefestival.org.
Proceeds from Summer Shade Festival directly benefit the Grant Park Conservancy and support the nonprofit’s ongoing stewardship of the park’s 131 acres, including preservation, maintenance, restoration projects, ecological care, and continued improvements throughout the park. To learn more, donate, or get involved, visit www.gpconservancy.org. For updates on the festival, visit www.summershadefestival.org or follow along at @grantpark.atlanta on Instagram and Facebook.com/SummerShadeFestival.
