The Decatur Arts Festival returns to downtown Decatur just in time for Memorial Weekend, May 24 to 27th, 2019.
The festival kicks off with the Artwalk on Friday night, and continues with live performances, arts activities for kids, and an artists market.
The content below includes details for all activities, all weekend, so be sure to keep scrolling to find what you want!
Friday Night Artwalk
This is a self-guided event that takes place on from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 24th, all across downtown Decatur. You can stroll around town at your own pace to see exhibits at participating shops and galleries. Many of the venues will have special activities or complimentary snacks and drinks. In addition, the Arts Festival beer sponsors will be selling beer on the East Court Square during the event.
Participating galleries and shops include:
Agnes Scott College
141 E. College Ave.
multi-media exhibition runs through June 16th
Aimee Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery
335-B W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Special exhibits, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, and textile arts
Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern
335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Pop-up scenes and songs from “Midsummer, Jr.!” — a family-friendly presentation by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company
Butter and Cream
416 Church St.
A handcrafted, small-batch ice cream purveyor and bakery, featuring all natural ingredients
Core Dance
133 Sycamore St.
A professional contemporary dance organization creates
Different Trains Gallery 1
432 E. Howard Ave., No. 24
Presenting “Only When I Laugh,” a one-woman show of drawings and paintings by Ruth Franklin, an England-born/Georgia-based artist who has kept a studio in Decatur for 25 years.
Different Trains Gallery 2 at Cornerstone Bank
125 Clairemont Ave., No. 100
The satellite space of Different Trains Gallery, focusing on local artists, Georgia-based artist groups and community schools from Kindergarten through college.
Georgia Center for the Book (Decatur Library)
215 Sycamore St.
Annual gallery show focusing on children’s book illustration and the power of visual art and the written word in storytelling.
HomeGrown Decatur
412 Church St.
An exhibit, “Southern Ladies of Letterpress”, showcases the work of Blackbird Letterpress, Lilco Letterpress, and the world famous Hatch Show Print as they create art through the use of this centuries old printing process.
Olive Branch Wellness Boutique
123 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
405-519-0023
shoptheolive.com
An all-natural beauty boutique with a focus on vegan skincare, hair care, and cosmetics
Sq/Ft
149 Sycamore St.
Clothing, home, and gift boutique with something for everyone
Squash Blossom
113 E. Court Square
An eclectic boutique featuring whimsical clothing, accessories, shoes, and jewelry
Sycamore Place Gallery
120 Sycamore Pl.
Art classes for all ages, from toddlers to adults
Trinity Mercantile & Design
116 E Trinity Pl.
Offering upholstery, home furnishings, lighting, custom window treatments, rugs, beds, linens, and one-of-a-kind accessories from local artists.
Vivid Boutique
308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite F
Wild Oats & Billy Goats
Whimsical art gallery and artisan boutique, offering art and handcrafted goods from local and regional artists.
Worthmore Jewelers
117 E. Court Square
Fine art and imaginative jewelry/watches in a shop and gallery with an avant-garde vibe. Worthmore will feature local artist Jordan Yarbrough, as well as artists Walter Arnold and Johnathan Callicut. Gray Matters Acoustic provides the soundtrack for the evening.
Little Shop of Stories
133 E. Court Square.
Visit with local artist and book illustrator Mike Lowery and his fellow artists from Paper Ghost studio. Art prints and books available for purchase. Little Shop of Stories is a big independent children’s bookstore featuring multiple reading areas and regular kids’ story hours.
Kids Art Festival
It’s all about the kiddos at this event! Come to the Decatur Recreation Center on Saturday, May 25th for the children’s art festival. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Enjoy arts and crafts, music, balloons, juggling, clowns, inflatables, and new this year, Four Minutes of Fame! Kids will have four minutes on stage with lights and a mic to do whatever inspires them – tell jokes, dance, sing, whatever brings them joy. There will be hot dogs, popsicles, and snow cones for sale as well. Most activities are free or for a small donation.
The Decatur Recreation Center is located at 231 Sycamore Street in Decatur.
Artists Market
The Artists Market will take place in downtown Decatur. It features more than 150 artists selected through a competitive jury process. The annual market is known for its high quality of artwork and attracts artists from all over the Southeast and beyond.
Hours:
- Saturday, May 25th — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, May 26th — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Live Music on the Performing Arts Stage
All performances are FREE on the Courthouse Square. For 2019, the Performing Arts Stage will be located under a large tent next to the community bandstand. The following events take place over Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Weekend.
SATURDAY, MAY 25th
11:15 a.m. — ConunDrums (local women’s percussion group; high-energy act, great for kids)
noon — Kitty Rose & The Rattlers (Southern-styled original rockabilly and jump blues)
1 p.m. — Hunter Callahan (blues guitar and original songwriting)
2 p.m. — No Solution (Blues)
3 p.m. — Chelsea Shag (mixture of soul, pop, R&B, jazz, blues, and rock)
4 p.m. — JohnBoy & Surround Sound (Funk and rap — a high energy act)
SUNDAY, MAY 26th
noon — Sehwe Village Percussion (high-energy African drum band, great act for kids)
1 p.m. — Mike Killeen (Decatur hometown hero with five albums to his credit)
2 p.m. — Red Sugar Blues (electric blues with thunderous vocals and showmanship)
3 p.m. — Hannah Thomas (flavors of folk, country, rock; has been compared to a young Bonnie Rait)
4 p.m. — Delta Moon (blues favorite featuring slide guitars)
The Play’s the Thing
Enjoy two days of theatrical presentations by some of metro Atlanta’s best theater companies! These events all take place in the Old Courthouse, on Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th.
Saturday, May 25th
noon to 1 p.m. — Mr Damon’s Shadow Puppet Theater
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Atlanta Shakespeare Company
Sunday, May 26th
12:30 o 1:30 p.m. — Working Title Playwrights (readings of scripts in progress)
2 to 3 p.m. — OnStage Atlanta (scenes from current shows)
4 to 5 p.m. — New African Grove Theatre
