A Complete Guide to the Best Local Experiences Right Now

Atlanta is in the middle of a cultural boom. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights reported a 22 percent increase in attendance last month compared to June 2025, and the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail saw more than 1.2 million visitors in the second quarter alone. Right now, the city’s best local experiences aren’t just about nostalgia, they’re about rediscovery.

The timing matters because July is when Atlantans traditionally flee the heat. But this year, several newly renovated landmarks and fresh programming are drawing people back in. The Sweet Auburn Curb Market, at 209 Edgewood Avenue SE, reopened its doors June 15 after a $14 million renovation that added a permanent food hall called Market Hall. Vendors like Grindhouse Killer Burgers and the original Henri’s Bakery counter are serving lines that stretch past the art deco entrance. On a recent Tuesday at noon, the market counted 847 visitors in two hours, nearly double the pre-renovation average.

Where the history hits hardest

For a deeper dive, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park offers free ranger-led tours of the birth home at 501 Auburn Avenue. The tours are capped at 15 people and fill up by 8:30 a.m. daily. Just four blocks west, the APEX Museum at 135 Auburn Avenue just launched a new permanent exhibit called Sweet Auburn: The Economic Engine, which traces the neighborhood’s rise from the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre through the civil rights era. The museum’s director told me they’ve seen a 35 percent spike in walk-ins since the exhibit opened on July 1.

If you prefer to experience history outdoors, the Jackson Street Bridge at night still offers the best skyline view in the city. But the less-crowded alternative is the John Lewis Freedom Parkway PATH, which connects the Carter Center to Piedmont Park. A 2.2-mile stretch was repaved in April, and you can spot the new interpretive markers that detail Lewis’s 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.

Nature, food, and a $5 ticket

Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Druid Hills has extended its WildWoods night walks through August 30. The program costs $5 for members and $12 for non-members, and starts at 7:45 p.m. from 767 Clifton Road NE. On July 9, the walk sold out at 200 tickets. The museum’s 65 acres of old-growth forest are lit only by moonlight and a few amber LED lanterns, it’s a completely different experience from the daytime trail.

For food, the Buford Highway Farmers Market at 5600 Buford Highway NE just started a summer tasting series. Every Saturday through August, $25 gets you a sampling passport good for six stops inside the market, including the Argentine empanada counter and the Korean rice cake section. The first event on July 4 drew 340 people, according to the market’s Facebook page. The market itself is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and parking is free.

The practical advice: book ahead. The Atlanta BeltLine’s guided Art on the BeltLine walking tours, which spotlight 23 new murals installed this spring, are already waitlisted through July 22. The tours run every Saturday at 10 a.m. from the historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, and cost $15. If you can’t get in, the self-guided tour map is available for free download at artonthebeltline.org.

Finally, the Atlanta History Center at 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW has a Summer of Sound concert series on Thursday evenings. Tickets are $20 for members and $30 for general admission, and include access to the Cyclorama: The Big Picture exhibition. The July 18 show features the local jazz fusion band Kamaal Wiliams & the People. The center’s parking lot fills by 6:15 p.m., so MARTA’s Buckhead station is the better bet, it’s a 12-minute walk from the museum gates.