It's springtime in Atlanta and the dogwoods and festivals are in full bloom. This is my favorite time of the year in the city when the pubs and restaurants open their patios for outdoor dining and there's a party around every street corner.
If you're traveling to Atlanta or looking for something new to do with Mom on Mother's Day, head to the 28th annual Sweet Auburn SpringFest May 11-13, 2012. During the 1950s and '60s, Sweet Auburn bustled with successful African-American owned businesses and some of the best live entertainment in the city. It was also the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This year, the Auburn Avenue viaduct transforms into an outdoor music café along with arts and craft for sale. If that's not your thing, keep an eye out for these lively expos:
- Atrium's Artist Market
- Business and Technology Expo
- South's largest Health and Fitness Fair
- Active Senior's Pavilion
- Sports Zone
- Literary Marketplace
- Kids Fantastic Fun Zone
- Just For Women's EXPO
And don't miss the Sweet Auburn Curb Market for tasty treats, travel souvenirs, fresh bread and local produce. Besides fun at the expos and shopping, SpringFest offers a history lesson through Atlanta and the civil rights movement.
Sweet Auburn is the home to historical attractions including The King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Apex Museum and more.
Though Dr. King and wife Corretta Scott King are encrypted at the King Center, you can pay your respects to our civil rights leaders at the Oakland Cemetery and Westview Cemetery. Westview once held a policy for white only burials and visitors and later a reputation for segregating its graves by racial divides.
What are you looking forward to at SpringFest this year?