From festivals to tourist attractions, plenty to do here at home this season

But don’t let that get you down: There are still plenty of events happening around town, along with year-round attractions that welcome locals and tourists alike

Food and festivals

Several large festivals are coming to the metro area this summer. From Memorial Day Weekend’s Atlanta Jazz Festival to the summer-ending Dragon*Con, Atlanta will again welcome huge crowds this summer.

Decatur Arts Festival: The Decatur Arts Festival returns to the square May 25-26 with an artists market, book signings, silent auction, food vendors, a performance stage and much more.   www.decaturartsfestival.com

Atlanta Jazz Festival: Held each year over Memorial Day Weekend in Piedmont Park, theAtlanta Jazz Festival is one of the largest free jazz events in the country and always brings massive crowds. This year, some 30 artists will take the main stage, including Meshell Ndegeocello, who is bisexual; Lemonade Jones, Gabbie McGee and others.  www.atlantafestivals.com

Atlanta Street Food Festival: The Atlanta Street Food Festival returns to Piedmont Park for a second year Saturday, July 13. This year’s festival benefits the Atlanta Community Food bank. Last year, the festival raised just over $40,000 to help feed some of Atlanta’s poorest families.  www.atlantastreetfoodfestival.com

Dragon*Con: Let your inner-Khaleesi fly at one of Atlanta’s largest annual events. Sci-fi, fantasy, and geeks of all kind descend downtown Aug. 30 – Sept. 2. Panels, parades and parties make Dragon*Con weekend a unique Atlanta experience. www.dragoncon.org

Mmm… (beer and wine)

Let’s face it. If you can do it while entertaining a cocktail or three, it’s probably a lot of fun. Several Georgia breweries, like Terrapin in Athens and Sweetwater in Atlanta, organize summer events, tours and samplings.

Martinis & IMAX: The Fernbank Museum of Natural History opens the bar on Friday nights throughout the summer with its Martinis & IMAX series. This Memorial Day weekend kicks off with The Nick Longo Band and the film “Everest.”  www.fernbankmuseum.org

Zoo Atlanta: This Memorial Day Weekend, Zoo Atlanta hosts Brew in the Zoo. Tickets include unlimited beer and wine sampling, a live music concert and up-close encounters with many of the zoo’s animals. This year’s event will help fund the zoo’s primate collection.  www.zooatlanta.org

Georgia Aquarium: The Georgia Aquarium will host Red, White & Brew on July 4. The party, a benefit for the aquarium’s education efforts, will be held in the Oceans Ballroom and will move to the aquarium’s parking deck roof for the Centennial Olympic Park fireworks show. www.georgiaaquarium.org

OUTDOOR OPTIONS

Georgia is home to 11 national parks and 65 state and historical parks. From marshes to waterfalls, beaches to mountains, there’s something for everyone, including even stubborn ITP’ers.

Atlanta Botanical Garden: Located in the middle of Midtown, the Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts “Imaginary Worlds” through October. The exhibit features 19 living sculptures ranging from a unicorn to a pair of cobras. Other events, like Cocktails in the Garden and Concerts in the Garden, are scheduled throughout the summer.  www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

Shoot the Hooch: Whether you’re looking for a short pleasure cruise or an all-day trek, several local companies can get you on Chattahoochee River adventures by raft, tube or kayak. Chattahoochee Outfitters, an all-in-one shop located in Roswell, offers six different launch points on the river to accommodate any schedule and will be open seven days a week throughout May.  www.shootthehooch.com

FAMILY FUN

There is no shortage of family-friendly events this summer, no matter how you define family. The Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, Center for Puppetry Arts, Fernbank Museum of Natural History and the High Museum of Art all host special events in the coming months.

Lanier World: Nothing says “summer” quite like a trip to the water park. Lanier World at Lake Lanier Islands in Buford opens with regular hours in late May and will be open throughout the week during the mid-summer months. Friday nights include family-friendly movies in the wavepool on a 200 foot screen.  www.lakelanierislands.com

Stone Mountain Park: ‘Johnny’ himself, Charlie Daniels, will bring the Devil down to Georgia Sunday, May 26, with a concert at Stone Mountain Park to commemorate Memorial Day Weekend. The park will host a weekend of special events, including special laser light and fireworks shows.  www.stonemountainpark.com

Georgia Renaissance Festival: Hear ye! Hear ye! The Georgia Renaissance Festival kicked off its 28th year mid-April. The annual event, held through early June, is just south of Atlanta in Fairburn and offers a full day’s worth of merry entertainment.  www.garenfest.com

SPORTING EVENTS

Atlanta, once dubbed “the most miserable sports city in America” by Forbes magazine, has seen a revival in recent years among its professional teams. The Falcons are flying high on the wings of Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Braves are looking to turn the page on a few recent disappointing seasons.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves began the season without longtime third baseman Chipper Jones in the lineup, but 2013 is already off to a promising start even lacking the former perennial all-star. With new additions like BJ Upton joining returning stars Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward, the Braves hope to break a post-season dry spell and get back to their winning ways. Games are held at Turner Field throughout the summer.  http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com

Atlanta Falcons: Everyone’s favorite “dirty birds” return to action against heated division rivals New Orleans Sept. 8, but summer training camp and pre-season football gets underway this summer. Fans can catch open practices for free at the team’s Flowery Branch beginning in July.  www.atlantafalcons.com/

Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club: The gay boys in purple will celebrate their 10th anniversary July 19-21 with three-days packed full of rugby-themed events, including a Friday evening banquet, an exhibition match and anniversary brunch.  http://on.fb.me/141fRPw

 

Top photo: Hotlanta Softball’s Big Peach tournament is Atlanta’s biggest LGBT event over Memorial Day Weekend, drawing teams from around the country. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)