This festival was very interesting! They had lots of booths of all types of activities, art and…read morefood. They had King of Pops, a popular local popsicle cart with new fall flavors. They had lots of free activities for kids like graffiti name plates, sand art, and bubbles. I bought a nice abstract painting here. Parking and the festival are completely free! Overall, I recommend this art festival.

One of the smaller festivals, but perhaps the most MARTA accessible, I really enjoy getting to walk…read moreover to this one. The vendors aren't the same ones you see at Inman, Va-Hi, and Dogwood, which is a very welcome change for me! There's so much to look at here along with music and food, and I loved that the area was easily transformed to include plenty of seating for people to stop and have a bite. You don't see that at many of the other festivals. If you have kids, there's even an area set up by Binders (you know, quality art supplies) for kids to play in and get creative. There's a wide variety of things for kids to work with and participate in, so don't hesitate to let your little ones dabble in some paint. So while it's not as huge as the other festivals, it's got a real community vibe to it that I absolutely love. A real gem in a sea of festivals this city hosts... oh yeah, this one also picks October as it's home (usually over my birthday). If you've ever been drenched in sweat wandering the other festivals, come out and enjoy the cool, crisp air and smells of autumn while checking out all the art!

Unfortunately not much cherry blossoms at this park. The festival was okay. Food wasn't great and…read morethe vendors seemed pretty basic. We hoped to spend more time there

Visit the official site for parking recommendations. Expect A LOT of traffic around the park during…read morethe festival. The festival isn't as big as those held at Piedmont Park. Dogs are welcomed and they even have dog costume contests and stunt shows. There's live music and the usual festival food along with arts and crafts booths. This is a good excuse to hang out at park with a festival as a good excuse to gather different people (and animals).

Events held here can only accomodate so many people so the crowd wasn't pleasant…read more The event which includes entertainment is free, but food is sold separately (I think). The bf and I were full when we arrived so we didn't care for the food. We were here more for the hangout with his crew. For the few acts we saw, there were traditional dancing, a game contest for the kids on stage, and singing. I'm assuming there were more modern acts like hip hop dancing or something for fun. Well, usually there's something like that to spin things up. The location of this event was in China Town, but it was towards the back of China Town at this separate building. Parking was super packed so be patient.

Small cultural experience with various food vendors serving authentic ethnic food. It's not too…read morecrowded where you cannot find seats. Several presentations and shows take place on stage. Overall, it's a nice experience to try once. I like that different foods are available in one place and there is entertainment. Come support the Taiwanese community!

The Chinese Culture Center of Atlanta is located behind Atlanta's, technically Chamblee's,…read moreChinatown mall. I'm not sure what the official name of the building is, but it's owned by the Taipei Economic and Culture Office (TECO) of Atlanta and the organization's name is what's sprawled atop the building's entrance. Therefore, this center and its activities are geared more towards Taiwanese-Chinese people as opposed to mainland Chinese people. Making this evident is the flag of Taiwan, which is prominently displayed inside the center. However, the flag of China is nowhere to be seen. So perhaps this place should be called the Taiwanese Culture Center instead. My personal experience with the Chinese Culture Center is somewhat limited, but having several friends of Chinese/Taiwanese descent who grew up in Atlanta, I've heard a lot about it. For example, one of my friend's moms has been the traditional Chinese dance instructor at the center for many years. Some other friends of mine grew up taking Mandarin lessons at the school here, at the behest of their parents. I believe Chinese calligraphy lessons are also taught here. The inside of the building looks like a school gymnasium/auditorium. It's a big open space that can be utilized for a variety of purposes. The building has been around for decades and looks a bit dated now. Still completely functional. The building has multiple stories with restrooms located on the second floor. There's also a stage. I have been to a couple different events here. They include the Chinese New Year celebration and the "Tasting the Flavors of Taiwan" festival. The center is probably best known for its Chinese New Year festivities, which comes complete with food tastings, arts and crafts, traditional stage performances (dance, singing), and New Year lion dance and dragon dance. The Chinese New Year celebration takes place each year over two days. Thousands of people flock to the center over New Years weekend. Parking used to be a nightmare, but beginning in 2014, people can park for free in the nearby Interactive College of Technology parking lot. The parking lot is close enough to the event so you can walk over. There is also a free shuttle service which runs between the parking lot and the Culture Center. This was a great improvement. In 2014, the price to attend the Chinese New Year celebration was $5 per adult. I believe children under 3 feet tall got in free. A large portion of the center's parking lot is reserved for a makeshift tent which is used for extra space for vendors and other exhibitors. The vendors are mostly independent artists selling arts and crafts such as paper lanterns, intricate origami, traditional Chinese/Taiwanese paintings, apparel, and accessories (e.g. bags). Another part of the parking lot is roped off for the popular lion and dragon dances. In years past, the lion and dragon dances began at noon. To get a good "seat," it's best to start surrounding the dance area around 11:30am. Another good spot to view the dance, though further away, is from a ramp on the backside of a building which faces the parking lot. You'll know what I'm talking about when you're in the parking lot. The lion dance and dragon dance are fun to watch. In the lion dance, it's two lions who are dancing/playing with each other. In the dragon dance, it is a long dragon which chases the sun. At the end of each dance, cash donations in traditional Chinese red envelopes are handed to the performers. I've recorded a few short clips of these dances and you can view them at the following links: Lion dance (Instagram): http://instagram.com/p/j4Z6riQBgJ/ Lion eating money donations (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnipLKWY7Dw Dragon dance (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dbu8j5U0VU Warning: The center gets absolutely packed during New Years. I suggest going in the mornings (~10am) to avoid the rush. You will be packed in like sardines and inching by hundreds of people at times. The spread of foods is fantastic (see my photos) and well worth it. Bring cash! I went to the "Tasting the Flavors of Taiwan" event in 2013. Admission was $5 per person and free for students with valid ID. This event was like Chinese New Years "light." Like Chinese New Year, live musical and dance performances took place throughout the duration of the event. Most foods were only $3 each and included authentic Taiwanese cuisine such as ba-wan (literal translation: "meat sphere") meat dumplings. Various hearty rice and noodle dishes were offered and beverages such as bubble tea (from Boba Mocha) were for sale. Two guest chefs from Taiwan attended and performing a cooking demonstration. They also made an impressive fruit and taro carving (see my photos). All in all, it was a fun and well-attended event for the Taiwanese community of Atlanta.

Their annual Chinese New Year celebration was good. Lots of food, lion dance and other performing…read morearts, etc. Parking was extremely difficult. Probably one has to park in the Marta parking lot which is about 2-3 minutes walking distance.

A trip around the world and a walk down memory lane…read more It's been decades since I stepped foot inside the Buford Highway Farmers Market, and being back felt like a beautiful reunion. The last time I walked these aisles, I was with my mama, Donna Theresa. So much has changed since then, yet the soul of this place remains as vibrant as ever. It feels more expansive than I remember. A true global treasure tucked right here in the city. I'm still obsessed with how they organize the aisles by country. In just one afternoon, I traveled from Korea to Eastern Europe to Central America, no passport required! I was officially "team sample" the moment they offered! Unlike the heavy, sugary profile of traditional American cakes, these were a masterclass in balance. I tried the Neapolitan, a stunning phyllo-layered creation that was light, buttery, and perfectly textured. But the Lemon Cream Cake? It stole the entire show. It looked picture-perfect on the shelf, and the taste was even better. It was so bright, airy, and just the right amount of decadence. Coming back here wasn't just a grocery trip; it was a win for my palate and my heart. Now that I'm back in the area, you can bet this is becoming a regular stop on my rotation. Have you been to Buford Highway lately? #AshSaidIt #BufordHighway #AtlantaFoodie #BHFM #ExploreATL #GlobalEats #AtlantaEats #InternationalFood #DonnaTheresa #FoodNostalgia #ATLFoodScene #DiscoverAtlanta #TravelByFood #LemonCreamCake

Do yourself a favor and make sure you check the exp dates on EVERYTHING. This market routinely…read moresells old/expiring goods because there's too much sh*t in the store to keep up with inventory (see others' reviews). This is by far this market's biggest drawback. I purchased a pack of tofu along with some other items on March 11. I open the fridge a few days later on March 15, finally ready to prepare the tofu, just to see that the exp date on the pack was March 10. This picture was taken March 15 upon this discovery. I meant to update this review a while ago. I just can't spend money here anymore knowing that I'm liable to accidentally purchase old products. As customers, we should not have to be this vigilant at a grocery store... it's ridiculous.

It was a beautiful, perfectly sunny warm October day for the festival, so that scores high just…read morefrom an experience standpoint, but there are a few positives and negatives to this festival worth noting for future attendees. Parking in the daily area at the Brookhaven Marta Station is permissible and free and easy, but expect a 15 min walk to the festival entrance. Seriously, it is a HIKE up Apple Valley just to get there. Tickets are reasonably priced: $5 if you paid in advance, $10 at the door and this entitles you to a wristband to prove that you are a paying attendee and you get a spoon for all of the little sample cups of chili you would like to try. You can enter the festival without paying and if you are not really a chili person, but are attending with others who will be more likely to get their money's worth, I say, don't pay and just walk in and explore. The festival has very LONG hours - from 11 am to 7 pm, so one would expect that you could go most anytime in the afternoon and be able to try a variety of the chili cookoff entries, but nope, almost everything was completely gone by 1:30 or 2 pm, so go early! Beer lines were very long early in the day, perhaps as many as 40 people in line, so that was a slow process. These did clear up later and the price for a 16 oz beer was fair at $5. There were 3 live bands who performed and the caliber of music was good, so an enjoyable backdrop to the festival. Overall, a fun fall event for a short while if you are in the area, or really like chili!

This is a new endeavor in the budding Brookhaven community and while it needs some work, there was…read moreplenty of chili, lots of great music, fun activities for kids, and a really awesome lemonade stand making fresh lemonade on the spot. For just $5 you got unlimited tastings of restaurant and home-prepared chilis, and after three trips through the various lines I definitely feel I got my money's worth. They plan on having more eating areas set up in the shade for next year and trying to expand to offer more things to do before and after the chili tasting hours, but there was a good turnout for a first time event, especially considering it was competing against Music Midtown. I do plan on coming back next year!