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Atlanta, GA

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Dragon Con

4.2 (123 reviews)
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Dragon Con Photos

Recommended Reviews - Dragon Con

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Not one single celeb.
Ellen W.

We attended on September 2, the last day. We pre-purchased three tickets for $33 each, plus fees. We spent $60 on parking. DragonCon failed to mention why the tickets were cheapest on Labor Day. Nobody was there. The booths and displays were packed up and gone. People were checking out of the hotels. Most of the merchandise was sold out. We figured it would still be worth the price to get a few autographs, so we went to the Walk of Fame. Security guards were standing at the entrance, making sure everything was safe. Imagine our surprise and confusion when we entered the Walk of FAME with ZERO FAMOUS people. Not ONE. I was looking forward to seeing my friend Mike Colter. My son wanted a picture with Giancarlo Esposito. That's it. We should have taken our money and spent the day at the aquarium. DragonCon 2024 should have been very clear about the last day. What a HUGE letdown.

Me and my girl having fun.
Kevin B.

Dragon Con was Awesome. Our first time coming here with a few of my girls. I love the Dragon Con events and fan pages. Lots of people and having fun. They came back with a bang after the misfortune of Covid 19. Little rain and bad weather we endured, But it was still fun. So much great Cosplaying and fun. So many goodies and toys to buy. Tickets are high , But its all worth it. Good food here, Id love to do this again next year.

Annie M.

So I didn't even realize we could review dragon con. It's over labor day weekend and it's worth the cost to go at least once. We've been a few times and it's a ton of fun. If you can get a hotel, get it. There's no parking & something like 70000+ people in one small area. If you're not going, avoid that area of Atlanta during con. People spend the entire year making these awesome costumes & compete in contests. They have panels Thursday - Monday. There's pop up shops, plenty of food in the area and a lot of places offer discounts to attendees. The hotels don't have normal quality of service during this time and they do overbook or give you first come first serve rooms which is annoying but there's no alternative if you're staying there and you'll want to since there's events 24 hours a day. Definitely download the app and plan what you want to do because no way you get to everything.

Carrie Neal W.

I *heart* people-watching in The. Biggest. Way. And, boy oh boy (pun intended), did this event surpass even my wildest expectations, on all levels!! First, everyone around here probably isn't the least bit surprised to hear I was more "cheerleader" than "geek" in any "Breakfast Club"-esque breakdown of high school cliques. While I had friends in all groups, including those who could've told me what an event like DragonCon was all about, I couldn't tell you the difference between any of the characters on costume display last weekend, or pick out anyone specific that I recognized beyond The Incredibles and R2D2 (yes, it was an actual robot, which helped me identify, er, "him"). Second, I love creativity and this is one majorly Katie-bar-the-door event, creatively-speaking!! Beautiful costumes, crazy body paint, oh . . . and serious Spartans (I don't have lesbian proclivities, but the one Spartan chick was super-fine!!! Wish I had those abs!!) . . . it was an ogle-fest of crazy cool eyeballing. Third, I realized how easy MARTA really can be! I must try this local source of public transportation again soon. Note: don't buy your ticket with a $20 bill unless you're cool with change in dollar coins - or just have a big purse like me!! All in all, what a fun night for this little non-SciFi girl!! Putting it on the calendar for next year.

Emerald Rose
Mandie M.

Hosted every Labor Day weekend, DragonCon is a geek's dream. It is a convention that has everything for everyone. There's comics, sci fi, actors and actresses, musicians, cosplay, tabletop gaming, panels, and tracks for every subject possible. There are awesome events surrounding D*C as well from the con's own Film Festival to the DragonCon parade that occurs on Saturday. The party doesn't stop from Thursday (when most everyone arrives) all the way through until Monday evening. There really is something for everyone at DragonCon. Just this year alone, tracks were added for video games as well as puppetry (think Muppets). I, even met, one of the puppeteers from The Muppets in the lobby of the Westin. There are events and tracks for those who love anime, science fiction, podcasting, reading. The list could go on forever. There is even a science track where scientists from NASA come to the con to speak. A number of bands join in on the festivities as well. The CruxShadows are always a major part, but my favorite is the Celtic band, Emerald Rose. If you are in a giving mood, the annual DragonCon Blood Drive is open all weekend as well. Most people that go to the con for panels usually go for the big panels with stars, but there is a lot to be said for the fan run panels. I was on two fan panels this year. One for Eureka and the other for Game of Thrones for the American Sci-Fi Media track. The one for GoT was packed and we had a great discussion going. I popped into a few other fan run panels by the Star Wars track among others. The wealth of information that your fellow geeks withhold is amazing. If you do attend popular panels, be prepared to wait in line. Get there early and keep some water with you. Most of the lines end up snaking outside into the humid Atlanta air. You'll thank me for reminding you to grab that bottle. Badges are important, get them early. Do not wait until the day of and go stand in line. I did this my first year and it is the biggest waste of time when you can just do it all online months before you go. There is so much to see that you should just get one for the entire weekend if you can. Food wise, I suggest that if you want to eat that you head just up the street to the Peachtree Center's food court. Lots of options and much cheaper than trying to buy food inside the hotels. Try to keep water on you, if you can't and want a drink, there's a little store inside the Hyatt that sells fountain drinks. This is much cheaper on the pocket than buying bottled. This year was cool for the fact that there were people handing out free samples of Sun Chips and hummus to con-goers. It was nice to have while waiting in line for my next panel. If you have yet to go to DragonCon, you need to go. DragonCon weekend is quickly becoming my most favorite weekend of the year.

Teri D.

It's been on our radar for years and this year we FINALLY went. Nuts is not the word for it! It was great. The event takes place over the span of 5 days and unless you booked a hotel room right after the last one or have friends that will let you crash... it is expensive!!! And that is why we saw tons of folks with coolers raiding the CVS for supplies to help with budgets. It goes on for 24 hours at a time. Not only will you see tons of cosplayers but there are also celebrities, workshops to learn how to make a cosplay or make a film, movies, dances, Battlebots (that was cool to see!) and vendors selling everything from tees and art work on up. Oh and the annual parade is something not to miss but it's best to get there as early as possible for a spot on the sidewalk, garage, whatever else you will see a lot of backs of heads. And it is spread out over 5 hotels so you will be doing lots of walking, in shoulder to shoulder crowds a lot of the time. Get ready to stand in long as heck lines for long times in order to get into one of the ballrooms for panels. Tip: If you don't want to or can't afford to pay for a celebrity picture then go to the Walk of Fame where some of the celebrities will be and you can pay far less for an autograph or selfie! WINNING! As big as this thing is they keep a pretty good grip on things as far as safety and security goes but there's always an idiot or two somewhere but don't let that deter you. Go, see, enjoy!

Dragon*Con 2011.
Daniel B.

Dragon*Con keeps getting bigger and better. The con is such a blast and I look forward to it every year. When I discovered it, I sadly had to tell all of my friends and family, "Sorry, my Labor Day weekends are booked from now until infinity." I went all four days this year, Friday through Monday, and was completely wiped out by the end. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the days to go. Monday is the wrap-up and move-out day. The parties and activities go late into the night the first three nights. This makes it difficult to wake up and attend the annual parade at 10am on Saturday morning on Peachtree St, but DO IT because it's well worth it. The advantages to attending the con on Monday are: (1) discounts at the Dealers Room and Exhibit Halls (Marriott) and (2) maybe catching a celebrity with little to no line at the Walk of Fame (Hilton). Just like every year, there were lots of great highlights and memories at Dragon*Con for me this year. The costumes and props were amazing, as always. I noticed a lot more Captain Americas this year, which is natural since the movie just came out in theaters a couple months ago. I saw one set of Batman and Catwoman that looked like they had just walked off of Christopher Nolan's set. The attention to detail was impeccable. Some of my favorite costumes from this year (in no particular order) include: 1. Zombie Wendy, Ronald McDonald, and Colonel Sanders, who ate the Burger King and were carrying around his body parts. 2. William Shatner Action Figures (still in the box!). 3. Kick-Ass girl. 4. Rodney Dangerfield's character from Caddyshack, complete with golf bag and gadgets (telephone, etc.). 5. Three generations of Indy: Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, and Shia LaBeouf. 6. Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy. 7. Head-to-toe bodypaint woman with head feathers. 8. Biff's futuristic punk gang complete with hoverboards from Back to the Future Part II. 9. Goldie Hawn's character from Death Becomes Her. 10. Fran from Final Fantasy XII. 11. Lumbergh (the boss) from Office Space. He leaned against walls with coffee mug. 12. Sweet Pea from Sucker Punch (there were cute ones all over the place). 13. Statler and Waldorf (two grouchy old guys) from The Muppet Show, complete with theater chairs. 14. Pee-wee Herman and characters from Pee-wee's Playhouse, including Jambi and Chairry. 15. Cookie Monster from Sesame Street sitting in Chairry. 16. GizmoDuck from Duck Tales. 17. Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. 18. 1980s WWF Superstars! I ran into and spoke with Hip-Hop Stormtrooper, now even more "famous" after the Buckhead IHOP incident this past April (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9shJZCnPr9s). Also, shout-outs to Yelpers Tom C. (Bruce Lee) and Ivan S. (Mountie Stormtrooper). At the Walk of Fame, I unexpectedly met former NBA player and Dancing with the Stars contestant Rick Fox. Long story short, I asked him what the heck he was doing at Dragon*Con and he pointed to the girl sitting two chairs away from him signing autographs -- it was Eliza Dushku, his girlfriend whom he travels with to conventions around the world. Since I'm a huge basketball fan and Rick was getting no love from any of the con-goers, we chatted for quite a while about college basketball and the NBA. Last year, Dragon*Con started to enforce badge-only access to the Marriott and Hyatt during the nighttime. This year, they started to officially enforce this rule between 7pm and 1am. If you want to enjoy Dragon*Con without purchasing a badge, go during the daytime. If you want to enjoy the nighttime festivities, enter the Marriott before 7pm. If you buy a badge, the best deal is to pre-register. You save the most money this way. Pre-registration gives you a full 4-day membership to the next convention for only $60. In comparison, single day badges for Saturday are $50 during the convention. Friday and Sunday are $40. The badges give you access to everything at the convention including the already-mentioned Walk of Fame, the dealers room and exhibit halls, artist gallery and art bazaar, and all panels, events, and other activities. MARTA is a great way to get to the convention since there is a stop at Peachtree Center. It's best to take MARTA to the parade. The big drawback to MARTA is it stops running at 1am, so if you party late, you'll have to find another way home. Other than the parade, this year I found myself parking the rest of the time. It's more convenient and despite what you'd think, traffic isn't bad. Some of the turning lanes on Peachtree might get a little backed up due to pedestrian traffic during peak times, but other major streets such as Courtland and Peachtree Center are free-flowing. Parking in the various lots and decks around the hotels runs anywhere from $9 to $20. I recommend parking in the Georgia-Pacific ($9) deck on Courtland and the Peachtree Center ($10) deck on Peachtree.

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Review Highlights - Dragon Con

“Since all of Atlanta comes out to see this, you won't have place to see the parade unless you come 2 hours early.”

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Inman Park Festival

Inman Park Festival

4.4(34 reviews)
1.7 mi•Inman Park

This is probably the largest and best festival in the state of Georgia and well worth visiting. The…read morefestival spans multiple closed streets around the park. It's also conveniently right off the crosswalk from the Inman Park MARTA station - don't bother looking for parking as there is very little. You can also walk to the festival using the Beltline. The vendors are mostly craft and include original art, pottery, handmade bags, the list is huge. There's also plenty of food vendors for even the picky eater. Make sure to bring plenty of filtered water or stick with beer. This is a must-attend show.

Did you know Inman Park was Atlanta's first suburb? That's why there's a Trolley Barn. The two-mile…read morecommute (in the 1800's) was more easily handled by trolley. (#publictransportation, ahem!) Since the 1970's, The Inman Park Festival is something of an Atlanta tradition. There's a tour of homes, a 5k run, a parade, and (of course) a big street market featuring all sorts of colorful, local arts and crafts, beauty & skin care, foods and spices, home accessories, woodworking and ceramics... This year, I picked up a few items to gift to my friends. There are hosts of things to try and do, including activities for kids, and a really cool Dance Festival where you'll see stellar dance expositions from Atlanta's best dance companies. The food scene is pretty much what you'd expect. All the standard offerings from frozen lemonade to corn dogs, funnel cakes to pretzels, all the "regulars" are there. Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be a way to make the street-fair food scene innovative and not just regular. Still, this is among Atlanta's best run, and well-organized Festivals. See you there next year.

Photos
Inman Park Festival - Inman park festival 2014

Inman park festival 2014

Inman Park Festival - Vegan food

Vegan food

Inman Park Festival - They were actually closing up an hour early. Not cool.

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They were actually closing up an hour early. Not cool.

Atlanta International Night Market - Chicken Skewers over real charcoal.

Atlanta International Night Market

3.8(17 reviews)
16.6 mi

Very packed, lots of food, vendors and good music and shuttles at the Suwanee location.read more

I had heard about this event from the earlier event locations - this is a "pop-up" style market…read morethat moves around Atlanta, typically over a holiday weekend. On this occasion, it was the Memorial Day weekend on 2018.10.5 - 2018.10.07 and the market took place at the North Point Mall at 1000 North Point Cir, Alpharetta, GA 30022, along the side facing the JC Penny's anchor store. This is an outdoor vendor-oriented market featuring imported goods and a huge assortment of food. In Asia markets like these are done at night to escape the heat of the day - typically they go on pretty much all night but of course this US market is a bit more pragmatic. I met a friend after work on the first night (Friday) right when it opened, about 5:00 PM. The market was just getting started so some of the food vendors weren't quite ready and some tents were unoccupied, but this was remedied by the time we left. Admission was $10 but could have been less if we'd bought online prior to the event day - we decided to just pay at the gate. Oh and most of these vendors were cash only so keep that in mind - there are several ATMs but you get to pay those fees. I'd say that the "International" aspect was very well represented by a super diverse assortment of vendors and a crowd to to match. There were the typical saree and handbag sellers plus one booth that had leather jackets. I saw many, many different ethnic groups from all over the world - lots of fun to be had. There's also a stage with music that continued for most of the night with some live local acts and a DJ spinning a broad-time-spanning assortment of well-mixed dance music. But of course the real reason I attended was to sample the food. The food ranged from near-local to far reaching Asian - there were at least two different Lao vendors, Snackboxe Bistro and a Thai/Viet/Lao vendor that served Pad Thai, Papaya Salad and skewers of meat. There were also several Indian vendors including the nearby Dekkan Spice (very good) so a good mix of local restaurants, caterers and food trucks. I saw a couple of Halal places including a whole BBQ goat. We settled on a mix of Thai and Island cuisines, the latter being a veggie and noodle stirfry with teriyaki chicken. I thought both were quite good and less than $10. The Hawaiian rotisserie looked amazing but wasn't quite ready or I def would have gotten the pork ribs or turkey leg. There was also a vegan section with many restaurants within if what I described above scared you. I think there was plenty to sample something unusual and come away full. There were many drink vendors selling lassies and other cold drinks including many fruity drinks. I only saw one beer vendor but it was large and well placed sith several local craft brews - I ended up with a Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA but also say a Three Taverns sour and a Steady Hand Farmhouse Ale (Saisson) as options. Overall I liked the event but coudn't stay much more than the hour or so (commitments elsewhere) but did have fun while there. The people serving were really nice and accommodating and good about answering questions. It was starting to get crowded so that was my queue to get out anyway - I don't deal with the jostle of the crowds - when my beer gets bumped it's time to leave!

Photos
Atlanta International Night Market - The real view was in the dusk sky

The real view was in the dusk sky

Atlanta International Night Market - The setting sun was worth it

The setting sun was worth it

Atlanta International Night Market - Mills's Macarons - Ube macaron ice cream sandwich

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Mills's Macarons - Ube macaron ice cream sandwich

Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade

Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade

4.7(11 reviews)
1.2 mi•Old Fourth Ward

The Beltline Lantern Parade made its westside debut this year, and it was awesome. The parade went…read moredown the westside beltline, and ended at Lee and White. It was very well attended, and and I can tell that the participation will grow even larger next year. If you're a spectator, I recommend arriving early in order to score a good viewing spot.

The Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade was such a cute experience! One thing I absolutely love about…read morethis parade is that you don't have to just be a spectator. If you create your own lantern, you can actually join in on the parade, which I think is such a fun way to bring the community together! The lanterns were so unique and creative, and I loved seeing all the different designs people came up with. They even hosted a workshop the day before where you could make your own lantern to participate in the parade. I love when Atlanta has events that allow people to be part of the experience instead of just watching! The atmosphere was fun, and I really enjoyed myself! My only disappointment was how short the parade was. It lasted about eight minutes, which definitely caught me off guard. However, the parade had been rescheduled from the previous week due to rain, so I'm thinking some of the original participants may not have been able to make the new date. Other than that, I had a great time! I love events like this that bring a little extra creativity and magic to the city. I would definitely go again, and next time I might even make my own lantern and join the parade!

Photos
Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade
Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade
Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade - Awwww!!! Couple perched on concrete support between Eastside Beltline and street above.

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Awwww!!! Couple perched on concrete support between Eastside Beltline and street above.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Atlanta Dogwood Festival, one entrance

Atlanta Dogwood Festival

4.0(74 reviews)
2.0 mi

Continuing for three days in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, this is a gigantic art festival and music…read morestage. I went through on Friday for about three hours. It's amazing how many different artists are here. At least 200 tents set up along the concrete pathways of the park. Jewelry, paintings, sculptures, each one completely unique. I saw some neat wrist straps made from machine badges, sculptures made with lunch boxes, glass works that looked so beautifully delicate, amber necklaces and bracelets, coffee cups and mugs mde from clay, landscapes and portraits. One artist's format uses insects (not actual insects, reproductions) and the beautiful purple butterflies fill a 3-foot by 5-foot picture frame. That one was for sale for $5000! Food vendors included barbecue, pineapple drinks, noodles, turkey legs, Ben & Jerry's, chicken strips and "meat on a stick." Credit card payments accepted. The festival is free to enter and there was some security. An Atlanta police officer idled by on his motorcycle a couple of times. It started off crowded and then the rain seemed to chase a few people away but by early afternoon, the crowds were back. We parked on a side street in a completely legal space. Free. There is paid parking nearby. Note that pets are NOT allowed in the park during the festival and Atlanta regulations prohibit smoking in the park, too. [Review 19535 overall - 591 in Georgia - 505 of 2023.]

SHADE on a hot day..It's dangerous to have to sit in the direct sun..how is that having concern for…read morepeople..

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Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Atlanta Dogwood Festival

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - Atlanta Dogwood Festival, rides and music venue

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Atlanta Dogwood Festival, rides and music venue

Atlanta Caribbean Carnival

Atlanta Caribbean Carnival

4.5(4 reviews)
0.3 mi•Downtown

Technically, this is more of an event than a place you go to, but hey, you'll forgive me, right?…read moreThe parade itself goes from West Peachtree to Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. It normally takes place during Memorial Day Weekend. When I went to my first one in Atlanta is 2008, I was extremely disappointed. Why? I've been spoiled, I'm accustomed to going to the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. In comparison, this one was pathetic. However, this year the parade took a step in the right direction. There was more spectators and participants in the Parade. If you've never been to a West Indian Parade, expect to hear loud music, people dressed in elaborate costumes, dancing, great food, and an all around good time. While many of the participants are of West Indian, African, and Latino descendant, all are welcome. After the parade you can go to Festival Village for a small fee. It's basically a section of the city that's blocked off. There's food vendors, live music from Caribbean artists, and plenty of knick knacks being sold. For a full out experience, go to one of the many parties that will be occurring during the weekend.

Way more conservative than some of the other cities that are known for Carnival, but that makes…read moreAtlanta Carnival a bit more fun and I enjoy it just the same. Always a decent crowd but never so overwhelming that you need to camp out the night before, the parade route was perfect this year. It danced down a tree lined street in downtown Atlanta that offered plenty of shade and areas to sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of Caribbean culture. Families and those who are easily offended be warned, the parade revelers are scantily clad and gyrating against each other; there are semi-trucks carrying generators and large arrays of speakers so that you can feel the rhythms. But it's all in fun and everyone has a wonderful time.

Photos
Atlanta Caribbean Carnival
Atlanta Caribbean Carnival
Atlanta Caribbean Carnival

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Dragon Con - festivals - Updated November 2026

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