AUGUST FESTIVAL GUIDE

End of summer festivals plentiful around Intown

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

School may be back in session, but there’s still more festival fun to be had before summer ends. From arts and crafts to music and sci-fi fantasy, there’s something in August for everyone.

Piedmont Park Summer Arts & Crafts Festival

This year’s festival is Aug. 16-18 and will feature more than 150 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metalwork, glass blowers, jewelers and crafters. The festival will also offer artist demonstrations, live acoustic music, a street market, children’s play area and food and beverages. Admission to the festival is free. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Parking will be available in the Piedmont Park deck, but organizers encourage visitors to take MARTA, walk or bike to the festival. A VIP preview party benefitting the Piedmont Park Conservancy will be held Aug. 15 from 8 to 10 p.m. at the historic Greystone Bath House. Early admission at 7 p.m. allows visitors to attend a quick sale fundraiser of small, limited editions that will also benefit the conservancy. Tickets are $50 for early admission, $35 for general admission. For more details, visit piedmontparkartsfestival.com.

The Gant Park Summer Shade Festival

This year’s event is Aug. 23 and 24 and kicks off on Saturday morning with the Adams Realtors 5K Run for the Park. An artist market, live music and a kids’ zone featuring games, activities and performances is also on tap. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Also part of this year’s event will be Taquerias & Tequila. Visit summershadfestival.org for more details and full schedule of events.

Festival Peachtree Latino

The multicultural festival will be held in Piedmont Park on Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. featuring exhibitions, children’s activities, arts and crafts, food and live music. Performing live on stage will be Nickie Jon, Fernanda Tapia, Henry Santos, J. King Maximan, Pedro Capo, Oro Solido, Melina Leon and more. For more details, visit festivalpeachtreelatino. com.

AJC Decatur Book Festival

Award-winning writer Joyce Carol Oates will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Decatur Book Festival during Labor Day weekend. Oates will launch her new short story collection with a talk on Aug. 29, 8 p.m., at the Schwartz Center at Emory University. On Aug. 30-31, more than 300 authors will descend on downtown Decatur for the festival, which will feature readings, workshops, a children’s parade and much more. Other notable authors scheduled to appear include Ron Rash, Emily Giffin, Karin Slaughter, Wiley Cash, Ann Hood, Karen Abbott, Natasha Trethewey, Alan Gurganus and Pat Conroy. For a full line-up of events and authors, visit decaturbookfestival.com.

Dragon Con

Sci-fi, fantasy and gaming fans will descend on Downtown Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 for this annual convention that draws thousands of attendees and the chance to meet favorite actors, artists and authors. This year’s guests include Patrick Stewart, Mary McDonnell and Peter Weller among a galaxy of others. The annual parade of costumed characters down Peachtree Street will be held on Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. For a detailed schedule and to register, visit dragoncon.org.

be at Dragon

Battlestar

Captain Jean-Luc Picard himself (that’s Patrick Stewart) will beam down to Dragon Con; literary icon Joyce Carol Oates will give give the keynote address at the 2014 AJC Decatur Book Festival; crowds will be flocking to the Piedmont Park Summer Arts & Crafts Festival.