If you haven’t had it Sharpie’d into your schedule for four months like we have, Party in the Park is happening this weekend which means it’s time to start figuring out how you’re gonna spend your weekend. We’re planning on going all out in a celebratory fashion and we hope to see you all there.
To kick off the weekend, the Party in the Park Pre-Party is going down on Friday (5/16) at The Loft @ Center Stage with some sweet tunes from The Electric Sons, Cousin Dan, and NovaKord (find tickets). Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day of show. Doors will open at 7:30pm with the show getting started at about 8:30pm. It’s sure to be an excellent preview of the festival to follow and will certainly have us tapping our toes all the way through the weekend.
Personally, we’ll be starting Friday night by grabbing some grub nearby. We recommend chowin’ down at either DaVinci’s Pizza or one of the many excellent restaurants in Atlantic Station. From there, The Loft is just a short walk away and they have four full-service bars.
Finally, Saturday is the day we’ve all been waiting for! Gates will open at 3pm at Centennial Olympic Park (rain or shine!), so you’re obviously gonna want to get your brunch on before you get there. 10th & Piedmont in Midtown serves up a delectable menu of their signature chicken & waffles, blueberry pancakes and, should you need it, their Hair of the Dog sandwich. West Egg Cafe on the Westside also packs a serious brunch (just beware it might be really busy!).
During the concerts, we expect a diverse selection of local fare and festival food to fill the air, a great many local artists to showcase their most beautiful works, and of course the bangin’ beats and lovely melodies of Girl Talk, MGMT, The Joy Formidable, Minus the Bear, and Stokeswood. Be sure to bring a blanket or comfy chair so you can relax in the (expected) beautiful weather.
The festival will end around 11pm, but if all you night owls haven’t yet had your fill, Park Bar is right across the street from the park and they’re open ’til 2am and they serve food. Park Bar is home of the 3-2-1 special, a perfect post-festival libation that includes three shots for the price of two all in one drink. If Park Bar is packed or not quite your style, Sidebar is another awesome bar just a short walk away from the park; they’re also open ’til 2am and they also have food.
Some Protips
Protip #1: If you’re using MARTA to get around, please keep in mind that most of the trains stop running around 1:30 a.m. If you need a ride to your home/hotel, you can request a Lyft, Uber, or taxi.
Protip #2: Don’t drink and drive. Lyft and Uber are pretty much always running. Be sure to have both the Lyft and Uber apps downloaded on your smartphone before you start your day so you don’t end up stranded. You’ll need an email address and a valid credit card number to use them.
