Atlanta Science Festival: Your Guide to Atlanta’s Spring Celebration of Curiosity

The Atlanta Science Festival is one of the city’s most popular spring events, turning Atlanta into a giant playground for curiosity, innovation, and hands-on learning. If you live in Atlanta—or are visiting in March—it’s one of the most unique ways to experience the city.

Below is a practical, locally focused guide to what the festival is, how it works, where events happen, and how Atlanta families, students, and adults can make the most of it.

What Is the Atlanta Science Festival?

The Atlanta Science Festival (ASF) is a citywide celebration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math that usually takes place over two weeks in March.

Instead of being in just one venue, the festival spreads across museums, parks, universities, libraries, and businesses throughout metro Atlanta. Events are designed for:

• Families with kids of all ages
• Teens and school groups
• College students and young professionals
• Adults who just like to learn, explore, and try something new

You’ll find:

• Hands-on experiments and demos
• Talks and panels with scientists and engineers
• Walking tours and outdoor exploration events
• Maker activities, robotics, and coding
• A large outdoor festival “Exploration Expo” to wrap things up

The festival is organized by Science ATL, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that works to make science more accessible and visible in everyday life around the city.

When Does the Atlanta Science Festival Happen?

The Atlanta Science Festival typically happens:

• Every year in March
• Over roughly two weeks, ending with a large Saturday expo

Exact dates change each year, so residents usually:

• Check the festival schedule in January or February
• Start reserving free or ticketed events early, since popular ones fill fast

Because it’s a spring festival, it often overlaps with:

• Early spring blooms in Atlanta’s parks
• School schedules (some events are built for school groups or spring break timing)

Where Does the Festival Take Place in Atlanta?

One of the unique parts of the Atlanta Science Festival is that it’s spread across the city. You’ll see events in neighborhoods and institutions you may already know well.

Common types of locations include:

• Universities and Colleges

  • Georgia Tech – Midtown Atlanta
  • Georgia State University – Downtown
  • Emory University – Druid Hills area
  • Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta – Atlanta University Center

• Museums & Attractions

  • Fernbank Museum of Natural History – 767 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
  • Fernbank Science Center – 156 Heaton Park Dr, Atlanta, GA 30307
  • Atlanta Botanical Garden – 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
  • Zoo Atlanta – 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

• Libraries & Community Spaces

  • Fulton County Library System branches (e.g., Central Library downtown)
  • DeKalb County Public Library branches
  • City parks and recreation centers

• Tech & Innovation Hubs

  • Midtown innovation corridor
  • Co-working and maker spaces in areas like Poncey-Highland, West Midtown, and Downtown

Not every location participates every year, but this gives you a sense of the geographic spread: ITP, OTP, east side, west side, and everything in between.

The Exploration Expo: The Big Festival Finale

Most years, the festival wraps up with the Exploration Expo, a large outdoor science fair-style event.

What to Expect at the Expo

The Expo typically offers:

• Booths and tents from universities, labs, museums, companies, and clubs
• Hands-on activities for kids and teens
• Live demonstrations — chemistry shows, physics stunts, robotics demos
• Talks or mini-presentations on small stages
• Food options from nearby vendors or food trucks (varies year to year)

Many Atlanta parents treat this as a full-day family outing, especially if the weather is good.

Common Expo Location

The Expo is often held in or near central, transit-friendly locations such as:

• Piedmont Park – 1320 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
• Or another major in-town park or plaza chosen by the organizers

Because locations can change, it’s important to check the current year’s details, but you can expect something:

• Outdoors, weather-permitting
• Family-friendly, with activities that appeal to a wide range of ages

Typical Types of Events You’ll Find

The Atlanta Science Festival mixes fun, education, and exploration. Some common event types include:

1. Family & Kids’ Activities

• Make-your-own slime or putty
• Simple robotics demos
• Animal encounters and biology activities
• Planetarium shows or stargazing nights

These often happen at museums, science centers, libraries, and parks.

2. Talks, Panels, and Tours

• Public lectures by local scientists and engineers
• Behind-the-scenes tours of labs or research spaces
• Walking tours that combine Atlanta history with science (such as ecology, geology, or urban planning themes)

These are good for teens, college students, and adults who enjoy learning in a deeper way.

3. Outdoor & Nature Events

Because it’s a spring festival, you’ll often find:

• Bird walks in Atlanta’s parks and nature preserves
• Tree, flower, and pollinator-focused walks in places like Piedmont Park or Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Creek or stream explorations in urban nature areas

These events tend to connect science with local Atlanta ecosystems and are a nice bridge between science and the city’s other spring events and flower-focused activities.

4. Maker, Tech, and Coding Experiences

• 3D printing and maker workshops
• Intro-to-coding sessions for kids
• Robotics competitions or demonstrations
• VR, AR, and game design show-and-tells

These often take place at universities, STEM-focused schools, or tech hubs around Midtown and Westside.

Is the Atlanta Science Festival Free?

Many parts of the festival are free, but not everything. Pricing can vary by year and by event.

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

Because the festival partners with many Atlanta institutions, some events are:

• Free but require advance registration
• Low-cost with potential discounts for students or children

If you live in metro Atlanta, it’s wise to:

• Browse the festival schedule early
• Filter by “free events” or price range
• Reserve spots quickly for any limited-seat programs

How to Get Around: Transportation Tips for Atlantans

Since events take place across the city, planning how to move between them is important.

Using MARTA

Many festival venues are convenient to MARTA rail or bus:

• Midtown & Downtown events:
  • Accessible via Midtown, North Avenue, Civic Center, Peachtree Center, and Five Points MARTA stations
• Decatur and Emory area events:
  • Often reachable via Decatur Station and bus routes toward Emory

MARTA main information line: (404) 848-5000

Driving & Parking

If you drive:

• Expect paid parking near major venues like Piedmont Park, Midtown museums, and Downtown campuses
• Some neighborhood events may have limited free street parking
• For the Expo, organizers typically share specific parking, ride-share, and shuttle guidance for that year

Walking, Scooters, and Bikes

In areas like Midtown, Downtown, Old Fourth Ward, and around the BeltLine, it can be easier to:

• Walk between nearby events
• Use scooters or bikes for short hops (following local safety and traffic rules)

How to Plan Your Festival Experience

To make the most of the Atlanta Science Festival, Atlantans often:

1. Check the full program early
   • Look for events by age group, location, and topic.
2. Pick a theme or focus
   • For example, one day for nature & outdoor events, another for technology, another for kids’ activities.
3. Build a realistic schedule
   • Consider Atlanta traffic, parking, and travel time.
4. Register in advance
   • Popular hands-on events and small-group tours can book up quickly.
5. Plan for weather
   • March in Atlanta can be cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon, with occasional rain. Layered clothing and umbrellas can help.

Tips for Atlanta Families

For families living in or visiting Atlanta, the festival can feel like a spring break camp spread across the city, especially if your child is curious or STEM-oriented.

Some practical pointers:

• ✅ Choose age-appropriate events
  • The program usually labels events for age ranges (for example, early elementary, middle school, high school, adults).
• ✅ Mix indoor and outdoor
  • If you’re doing a big outdoor Expo day, pair it with a quieter indoor event on another day.
• ✅ Use the festival to explore new neighborhoods
  • You might discover a new park, museum, or campus you’ve never visited, even as a long-time Atlantan.
• ✅ Tie in with schoolwork
  • Many local teachers and homeschool families use ASF events as enrichment or project inspiration.

How the Festival Fits into Atlanta’s Spring Events Calendar

Atlanta’s spring is packed with festivals, flower shows, and outdoor events, and the Atlanta Science Festival fits right into that rhythm.

• While other spring events might focus on art, food, or flowers, ASF highlights:
  • Nature and ecology in local parks and gardens
  • Technology and innovation in city spaces and campuses
  • Space, physics, biology, and engineering through hands-on demos

For residents who already attend spring events like:

• Atlanta Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park
• Atlanta Blooms! at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

…the Atlanta Science Festival offers a different angle on spring: curiosity-driven, educational, and family-focused, still making use of the city’s outdoor spaces and blooming season.

Who Runs the Atlanta Science Festival and How to Contact Them

The festival is produced by Science ATL, a local nonprofit focused on connecting Atlanta communities with science year-round.

While specific festival contact points can change, you can generally reach or learn more through Science ATL’s main office or mailing address (which is typically listed on their public materials). To stay current, Atlantans commonly:

• Visit the festival’s official website (search “Atlanta Science Festival”)
• Follow Science ATL and Atlanta Science Festival on major social media platforms
• Look for updates through local outlets, schools, and libraries

If you have questions about accessibility, group visits, or school involvement, there is typically a general contact email or form provided by Science ATL for festival inquiries.

Using the Festival Beyond Two Weeks: Year-Round Science in Atlanta

Even though the Atlanta Science Festival itself runs for a limited time in March, it often sparks interest in year-round activities. If you live in metro Atlanta and want to keep that curiosity going, you might look into:

• Programs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
• Ongoing activities at Fernbank Science Center
• Public talks at Georgia Tech, Emory, Georgia State, and the Atlanta University Center
• STEM-focused offerings at Atlanta-area public libraries
• Youth STEM programs and camps hosted by local organizations

For many Atlantans, the festival becomes a gateway to exploring more of what the city offers in science, technology, and nature the rest of the year.

If you’re in Atlanta in March, the Atlanta Science Festival is one of the most engaging ways to experience the city—whether you’re packing a stroller, a backpack, or a notebook. It turns classrooms inside out, brings labs into parks, and helps residents and visitors see Atlanta through a new, science-colored lens.