Community Events

Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival returns, transforming downtown Augusta into one of the Southeast's largest multicultural celebrations.

The award-winning, three-day festival welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year to experience a vibrant showcase of global art, culture, and cuisine. Stroll through the festival's signature Global Village, where authentic food from around the world is prepared by local cultural organizations, browse handcrafted works from more than 150 juried artists, and enjoy live music, dance and cultural performances across multiple stages throughout the weekend.

Family-friendly activities, interactive arts experiences and nonstop entertainment make the festival a favorite for visitors of all ages. More than just an arts festival, Arts in the Heart celebrates the diverse cultures that shape Augusta, offering an immersive experience where food, creativity and community come together.

The 5th Annual Cumming City Center Fall Market is right around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be our best one yet!

Location: Cumming City Center, 423 Canton Road
Date: Sept. 19
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public!
​
Join us for a fun-filled day featuring:

• 100+ amazing local vendors
• Live music and entertainment all day
• A dedicated Kids Zone with family-friendly activities
• Delicious food, drinks and sweet treats

​Whether you're shopping for unique finds, enjoying great food or spending time with family and friends, this event has something for everyone. Come support local businesses and enjoy the Fall weather with your community!

Learn more about this fun, festive event HERE.

Lace Up for the Tutus for Cancer Awareness 5K! 

Slip into your brightest pink and get ready to dash with purpose at the Tutus for Cancer Awareness 5K! This event isn’t just about movement—it’s about making meaningful strides toward cancer awareness, one step at a time.

Whether you’re running the 5K or strolling the 1-mile route with a little one in tow, everyone’s invited to twirl, trot, and take part. Expect cheers at the finish line and a gleaming finisher medal to celebrate your impact.

Let’s run, walk, and whirl together—for hope, for awareness, for a cause that matters.

To register, visit the website below.

Questions? Call (706) 791-1142

For weather updates, text 'fgrunseries' to 84483

Need a gate pass? Call to register at least 24 hours in advance.

The Hot Air Balloon Festival takes flight Sept. 18 and 19 along the scenic shores of Lake Lanier. Open from 5-10 p.m. each evening, the Balloon Shows USA-produced event will feature an inspiring display of hot air balloons, tethered balloon rides, live music and DJ entertainment, family-friendly activities for little ones in the Kids’ Zone, opportunities to shop unique craft and retail vendors, a wide variety of festival food and a nightly grand finale that begins around 9 p.m. with a laser light show set to music with coordinated balloon burns.

For guests looking to turn the festival into a full lakeside getaway, Lanier Islands Resort is offering a Balloon Festival Getaway package featuring overnight accommodations and a $50 food & beverage credit per night (note: package does not include festival tickets). Festival guests are encouraged to extend their stay and enjoy everything the resort has to offer, including its multiple dining options, boating, golf courses, pickleball courts, spa and indoor entertainment at Game Changer.

Single-day tickets for the Hot Air Balloon Festival are $20 for adults (18+) and $10 for children (6-17). Kids 5 and under will be admitted for free.

VIP tickets – which include free unlimited snacks and access to VIP portable bathrooms – are $45 for adults and $30 for children. Military members and first responders receive discounted admission with valid ID.

Tethered balloon rides are $35/person.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit local special needs initiatives and the Georgia Mountain Food Bank.

"Play On!" by Rick Abbot is the hilarious story of a theatre group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script.

Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal and the final act is the actual performance, in which anything that can go wrong, does. When the author decides to give a speech on the state of the modern theatre during the curtain calls, the audience is treated to a madcap climax and a thoroughly hilarious romp.

Show Times: Friday & Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows start at 2:30 p.m.

Creativity has no boundaries! For The 1823 Artisan Guild's Artist’s Choice Art Show, artists of all ages and experience levels are invited to create and submit artwork using the medium of their choice. Oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, photography, fiber, pottery, sculpture, mixed media, woodworking—and more are welcome. Artists are encouraged to choose the medium and subject that they feel most drawn to. Make sure to head down to the 1823 Artisan Guild starting on Saturday, Sept.12 at 12 p.m. to check it out! The show runs Thursday - Saturday until October 10, 2026.

Thursdays the art show runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Fridays the art show runs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturdays the art show runs from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join the team at the Zambezi Elephant Center and immerse yourself in what it takes to care for the largest land animals on the planet! Spend the morning working alongside the Elephant Care Team to prepare the habitat for the day and ensure the elephants’ needs are met.

Spend the morning working alongside the Elephant Care Team to prepare the habitat for the day and ensure the elephants’ needs are met.

This unique experience is sure to educate and inspire you about these special individuals, help you learn more about the rigorous requirements of professional elephant care, and gain an understanding of the ways Zoo Atlanta is working to protect wild populations. Participants can expect to meet members of the Animal Care Team, meet an animal, learn about our positive reinforcement training and enrichment programs, and walk away with knowledge of how to save species. All participation in Keeper for a Day programs is voluntary for the animals.

Before registering, please understand that during this program: 

• Participants will perform similar tasks as members of the Elephant Care Team, which may include raking, sweeping, hosing, scrubbing, and shoveling, and should expect to do some hard work and be comfortable getting dirty. 
• Participants will be expected to participate in all weather conditions, lift up to 30 pounds, and be on their feet for up to four hours. 
• Participants must have the physical ability to bend, lift, stoop, kneel, and stand for extended periods of time. 
• Participants may be exposed to potential allergens such as insects, hay, animal waste, and other potential allergens. Please reach out in advance if you have any questions or concerns. 

Upcoming 2026 Dates:

Saturday, August 22
Thursday, September 3
Sunday, September 20
Sunday, October 4
Thursday, October 15
Thursday, November 5
Sunday, November 15
Thursday, December 3
Sunday, December 20
 

Times: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Member cost: $325
Non-member cost: $360

Age range: 16 and up

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS ONCE YOU GET LOST! 

Wind your way through this twisting, climbing, head-scratching interactive exhibit that’ll challenge the whole family from the very first step. 

Can your eyes actually lie to you? Find out in the Maze of Illusions where nothing is what it seems. Think you’re coordinated? Climb, duck, and try not to get completely tangled in the Web Maze. Feeling ambitious? Build your own maze from scratch, then dare others to solve it.  

From giant finger mazes to brain-busting puzzle tables, art you can touch, and a labyrinth library, there are surprises to be found round every single corner.

Washington Farms is a family-friendly agritourism farm with lots of fun activities for people of all ages! You can pick your own pumpkins and flowers, get lost in the corn maze, stroll through the petting zoo, zoom down the Mega Slide, jump on the jumping pillows, cheer on at the pig races, enjoy a wagon ride around the farm, and so much more!!! Visit our website for hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities! 

For hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities, visit http://www.washingtonfarms.net   

See y'all at the farm!

Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival returns, transforming downtown Augusta into one of the Southeast's largest multicultural celebrations.

The award-winning, three-day festival welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year to experience a vibrant showcase of global art, culture, and cuisine. Stroll through the festival's signature Global Village, where authentic food from around the world is prepared by local cultural organizations, browse handcrafted works from more than 150 juried artists, and enjoy live music, dance and cultural performances across multiple stages throughout the weekend.

Family-friendly activities, interactive arts experiences and nonstop entertainment make the festival a favorite for visitors of all ages. More than just an arts festival, Arts in the Heart celebrates the diverse cultures that shape Augusta, offering an immersive experience where food, creativity and community come together.

"Play On!" by Rick Abbot is the hilarious story of a theatre group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script.

Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress rehearsal and the final act is the actual performance, in which anything that can go wrong, does. When the author decides to give a speech on the state of the modern theatre during the curtain calls, the audience is treated to a madcap climax and a thoroughly hilarious romp.

Show Times: Friday & Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows start at 2:30 p.m.

Seven Ladies is a new exhibition focused on Katharine Judkins Clark, Elinor Adler Dillard, Anna Colquitt Hunter, Lucy Barrow McIntire, Dorothy Ripley Roebling, Nola McEvoy Roos and Jane Adair Wright. Together, these seven women joined forces to purchase and protect the Isaiah Davenport House, an 1820 Federal-style home on Columbia Square, from being razed and founded Historic Savannah Foundation, a permanent organization dedicated to saving and preserving historic buildings throughout the city.

Through historic photographs, archival materials and interpretative storytelling, this inspiring exhibition explores each of these influential women, including their personal histories, lived experiences and the convictions that compelled them to serve their community at a pivotal moment in Savannah’s history.

Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., this exclusive exhibition will remain on display at the Murray C. Perlaman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center inside the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy throughout 2026.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS ONCE YOU GET LOST! 

Wind your way through this twisting, climbing, head-scratching interactive exhibit that’ll challenge the whole family from the very first step. 

Can your eyes actually lie to you? Find out in the Maze of Illusions where nothing is what it seems. Think you’re coordinated? Climb, duck, and try not to get completely tangled in the Web Maze. Feeling ambitious? Build your own maze from scratch, then dare others to solve it.  

From giant finger mazes to brain-busting puzzle tables, art you can touch, and a labyrinth library, there are surprises to be found round every single corner.

Washington Farms is a family-friendly agritourism farm with lots of fun activities for people of all ages! You can pick your own pumpkins and flowers, get lost in the corn maze, stroll through the petting zoo, zoom down the Mega Slide, jump on the jumping pillows, cheer on at the pig races, enjoy a wagon ride around the farm, and so much more!!! Visit our website for hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities! 

For hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities, visit http://www.washingtonfarms.net   

See y'all at the farm!

Georgia Mountains to Shore features the work of the Upcountry Fiber Artists, which consists of six Carolina artists, including Evelyn Beck, Lynne Harrill, Sara Quattlebaum, Cynthia Steward, Denny Webster and Kathryn Weston. They work with textiles to create artworks that range from pictorial to abstract, small to large, and colorful to subdued. Their adventurous use of fabric, surface design and quilting create exciting and innovative works that share their unique and individual southern experience.

This show will feature historic quilts from Carroll County and more recent works created by current residents. It will also feature bedspreads designed by Bruce Bobick for the Disney All Star Hotels in 1994.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS ONCE YOU GET LOST! 

Wind your way through this twisting, climbing, head-scratching interactive exhibit that’ll challenge the whole family from the very first step. 

Can your eyes actually lie to you? Find out in the Maze of Illusions where nothing is what it seems. Think you’re coordinated? Climb, duck, and try not to get completely tangled in the Web Maze. Feeling ambitious? Build your own maze from scratch, then dare others to solve it.  

From giant finger mazes to brain-busting puzzle tables, art you can touch, and a labyrinth library, there are surprises to be found round every single corner.

Washington Farms is a family-friendly agritourism farm with lots of fun activities for people of all ages! You can pick your own pumpkins and flowers, get lost in the corn maze, stroll through the petting zoo, zoom down the Mega Slide, jump on the jumping pillows, cheer on at the pig races, enjoy a wagon ride around the farm, and so much more!!! Visit our website for hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities! 

For hours, pricing, and a complete list of activities, visit http://www.washingtonfarms.net   

See y'all at the farm!

Step into luxury in motion at DISCOVER ADAC, Sept. 22–24. Experience a dynamic market where inspiration flows across showrooms, disciplines, and perspectives, offering unparalleled access to new ideas, emerging collections, and the future of luxury design. Engage with leading brands and visionary designers that bring the design world to life.

Free to attend; registration required. General registration opens Aug. 18.

Join the conversation: #DISCOVERADAC

Zoo Atlanta is home to a diversity of species of reptiles and amphibians from around the globe. From some of the smallest frogs to the most endangered lizards, join the Herpetology Care Team and immerse yourself in the science behind caring for reptiles and amphibians behind-the-scenes at Scaly Slimy Spectacular!

From some of the smallest frogs to the most endangered lizards, join the Herpetology Care Team and immerse yourself in the science behind caring for reptiles and amphibians behind-the-scenes at Scaly Slimy Spectacular!

Learn firsthand the level of care that is required to care for these unique and important species. Participants can expect to meet members of the Animal Care Team, meet an animal, learn about our positive reinforcement training and enrichment programs, and walk away with knowledge of how to save species. All participation in Keeper for a Day programs is voluntary for the animals. If you love these scaly and slimy creatures, this program is just for you! 

Before registering, please understand that during this program: 

• Participants will perform similar tasks as members of the Herpetology Care Team, which may include raking, sweeping, hosing, scrubbing, and shoveling, and should expect to do some hard work and be comfortable getting dirty. 
• Participants will be expected to participate in all weather conditions, lift up to 30 pounds, and be on their feet for up to four hours. 
• Participants must have the physical ability to bend, lift, stoop, kneel, and stand for extended periods of time. 
• Participants may be exposed to potential allergens such as insects, hay, animal waste, and other potential allergens. Please reach out in advance if you have any questions or concerns. 

Upcoming 2026 Dates:

Saturday, August 15
Wednesday, August 26
Saturday, September 5
Wednesday, September 23
Saturday, October 3
Wednesday, October 21
Wednesday, November 4
Saturday, November 21
Wednesday, December 9
Saturday, December 19

Times: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Age range: 16 and up