Experiencing all that Atlanta and surrounding areas have to offer this fall
There's a city, roughly an hour and a half from our sweet little town of Chattanooga, called Atlanta, Georgia. And in the fall, Atlanta and its surrounding cities erupt with an array of festivals, activities, haunts, and attractions. If it’s a haunted attraction you wish to experience, or something more unique than the average weekend activity, Atlanta and its counterparts will surely have something to offer you.
Unique Atlanta
Nothing could be more enticing than the Hot Air Balloon Festival taking place in Kennesaw, Georgia on October 21-22. Kick back and relax at Owl-O-Ween, where you can take part in kid’s activities with the little ones or enjoy the Oktoberfest stage which showcases Bavarian entertainment, something the kids will surely be mesmerized by too.
As if the Bavarian entertainment wasn’t enough, once dusk comes, you'll soak up the sight of dozens and dozens of colorful balloons lighting up the night sky as they take flight. A kaleidoscope of color—it’s something that’ll give you chills and is truly unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Remember that exhilarating feeling of letting a balloon go as a child, and watching it float up, up, up? Times that by a couple dozen, add a giant burner and some heat, and you’ve got Owl-O-Ween. Take the kid in you, they’ll appreciate it.
If you’re a crafter, antiquer, or lover of handcrafted arts, plan a visit to the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain Park. This southerner’s dream fair will include 200 booths of antiques, crafts, and gourmet foods. Did you read that correctly, you wonder? 200 booths? Yes, you sure did. They’ll range from things like handmade soaps at Cheeky Maiden Soap Co. and yummy baked goodies at Blue Rooster Bake Shop & Eatery to vintage farmhouse decor from Olde Tyme Marketplace and the oh so adorable “fanciful mice miniatures” created by Wee Forest Folk. The home decorating, shelf-filling wheels in my head are already turning.
Oh, and for those of you, like myself, who need a little help in the kitchen, cooking demonstrations will be provided as well as demonstrations in painting and pottery if you’re feeling a bit more artsy.
Maybe you’d like to experience something outside of your usual. We all know we’ll be celebrating Halloween this year, as always, with trick or treating and costumes of all kinds, but have you considered participating in the Day of the Dead at the Atlanta History Center? It’s taking place Sunday, October 30th and all guests are welcome to take part in this free outdoor festival as well as free admission into the history center that day.
The festival will include traditions honoring the dead, including a display of altars honoring loved ones who’ve passed on. It is believed that during Dia de Muertos, loved ones can return from the dead for two days to visit those they left behind. Their altars will be decorated with flowers and favorite foods and beverages of those honored.
Mexican food and entertainment will also be included. It’s an event that, if not part of the culture, you’d have to experience to understand fully so don’t be shy!
Georgian Halloween
The amount of haunts and fall activities are seemingly endless around Atlanta, but there are a few that have stood out and deserve that trip outside the city...to the woods, to thirteen stories of haunts, to the Netherworld.
At Hell’s Gates in Dawsonville, Georgia, you and your companions experience what it would be like to be amidst the end of days. You will be placed in a group that takes an outdoor trail through nine shocking scenes of reality you may encounter come the end of times. Make life and death decisions, be exposed to gunfire, explosions, fires, live actors, and incredible video effects. The most terrifying effect of the experience is that it’s inspired by the Book of Revelations as it depicts the end of times, including the Great Tribulation period.
Let’s be clear on this…you are not just a bystander at this haunt. You are part of a group of survivors and you have a job to do:stay alive and think smart, you’re not alone in this. (hellsgates.com)
For those of you (sane people) like me who think being terrified in realistic situations could potentially scar you for life, maybe you’d rather make your way through thirteen stories of different haunts at 13 Stories Haunted House in Newnan, Georgia. At least then you’d know you’re in a haunted house, with the only negative being that it’s thirteen fricking floors and you have to complete them all. Expect gruesome scenes of murder and torture as well as asylum aesthetics and the world’s current favorite: killer clowns!
There are few things that could be more terrifying than a clown, especially in a high intensity haunted house, but throw in complete darkness and bright black-lighting to guide your way around the insanity of red noses, squealing horns, and murderous giggles and it’ll be enough to make your heart stop…but hopefully not. (13storieshauntedhouse.com)
There’s one such place that, in reality, we never want to venture to: the Netherworld. But luckily, you don’t have to venture far outside of Atlanta to reach a probably equally terrifying version. The place is usually crawling with monsters, but their presence this year has intensified as horrors from the unknown have been released and only the resurrection of ancient monsters can stop them.
Sea witches, feasting vampires, rabid werewolves, they’ll all come out to play with you once you’re inside. Try to keep reality straight in your mind as Netherworld features movie quality special effects that would bring Hollywood to its knees. A mind-altering experience complete with movie special effects and actors with makeup so detailed, it truly does rival that of some Hollywood sci-fi makeup effects. (fearworld.com)
There’s a whole host of fall opportunities we can’t possibly fit in our word count. Do some Googling and find some activities for yourself, some friends, or with family. Whether it’s apple picking in Elijay, as a previous Day Tripping article highlighted, or exploring Stone Mountain Park as it hosts a multitude of festivals, Atlanta, Georgia and its counterparts will have something for you.