By Lee Lindsey, Candler Park resident and Fall Fest Volunteer.
This September, the Fall Fest returns to Candler Park with festival favorites and exciting new additions for 2018.
As always, Fall Fest brings music to Candler Park with two full days of live bands. We’re very excited to bring back “Tribute Saturday” — beginning at 4:10 pm with “Harvest Moon,” the rest of the music will be tribute acts. Some, like Neon Queen, do more than just covers of popular bands, and we can’t wait to dance to ABBA-inspired tune while the sun sets. On Sunday, the focus is Atlanta-based bands. The highlight of Sunday is a 2-hour set by “Atlanta Legends of the Blues.” These local blues musicians, some of whom have national recognition, come together for a set combining multiple blues traditions and influences.
Other highlights of the Fall Festival in Candler Park include:
- Saturday morning 5K and Fun Run: This is a hilly and fun course through Freedom Park and streets of Candler Park. Runners all receive a free drink and t-shirt for participating, as well as post-run stretches provided by Constellation Energy with Solstice Yoga.
- Artists: Approximately 200 artists and vendors from all over the southeast attend Fall Fest. The curated roster of artists includes a balance of high-end and accessible artists, and attendees will always find something a little different. This year, the tintype artist Michael Foster will bring his mobile studio to the festival to do on-site portraits. He’s been profiled in Garden and Gun, and the band Lucero recently selected his artwork for the cover of their latest album. https://michaelnfoster.com/
- Beer and food vendors: We have more than 20 specialty food trucks that go well beyond your standard corn dogs and funnel cakes such as barbecue, tacos, bakery sweets, and pizza. Best of all, for the first time in several years, Sweetwater is back as the chosen beer of Fall Fest. We love Sweetwater in the neighborhood (as the original home of the Sweetwater 420 Fest) and are glad to highlight Atlanta beer.
- Kidlandia: Our kid-friendly section will have balloon artists, magicians, games, kid-focused vendors and freebies, and face painting. Kidlandia is near the wide-open soccer fields of Candler Park, and there’s usually a few informal pick-up games among neighborhood kids.
- Tour of Homes: On Sunday afternoon, Candler Park residents open their homes to showcase what makes our neighborhood unique. From traditional craftsman-style homes to modern construction (and sometimes chicken coops), the tour provides a peek into one of Atlanta’s best in-town neighborhoods. Attendees can purchase tickets at the festival or ahead of time at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-fest-in-candler-park-tour-of-homes-tickets-44598645750?aff=eac2
- Sunday yoga: We start Sunday with an invigorating outdoor yoga session led by Tough Love Yoga, beginning at 10:00 am. This is free for all attendees.
- Ferris wheel and midway games: The Ferris wheel takes riders on a view of Candler Park and the Candler Park golf course, and fall is a perfect time to view the trees! We’re also bringing back the high striker which will be bigger and better than ever.
- Our design concept this year was developed by Sarah Neuburger of Paper Ghost Studio, with design support by RED Designs. Sarah has created some fun and funky pieces that remind us of what makes Candler Park and Atlanta special.
Please check out our website, http://fallfest.candlerpark.org/. We’re also on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FallFestCandlerPark) and Instagram (@fallfestincandlerpark), and those posts are really ramping up now to help promote the festival.