For many, winter is a time to hibernate. The excitement of the holidays and a New Year have passed. We've all headed back to work and are marking the calendar until Spring Break and the outdoor activities which come with warm weather.
That line of thinking might work for folks further north, but this is Atlanta. Sure, the time between January and March can produce a rollercoaster of weather swings and the occasional wintertime precipitation, but it's just as likely to be unseasonably warm with bright sunny days and clear, comfortable nights.
Atlanta has more than a favorable climate. This is a world-class city with major media outlets and many Fortune 500 companies plowing full steam ahead. The city's major attractions, bars, restaurants, shopping destinations, and annual events never slow down, and the winter months are no exception. Let’s explore the wide variety of excitement and adventure to enjoy this season in Atlanta.
Shop at a local farmers market
With fresh produce, baked goods, and stunning arts and crafts created by local artists, you can't go wrong with a great farmers' market. Even in winter, the Atlanta metro is filled with bustling markets filled with local vendors selling organic produce, beautiful handmade art, and more.
Several of the city's best year-round Farmers Markets include:
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Atlanta State Farmers Market, 16 Forest Pkwy, | Forest Park, GA | 404-675-1782, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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Grant Park Farmers Market, 1040 Grant St SE, Atlanta, GA 30315, open every Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., year-round.
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Freedom Farmers Market at the Carter Center, Carter Center Library, 453 Freedom Parkway Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30307, open year-round on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
While these are the city's best year-round markets, many others open their produce stands starting in late March and early April. Keep tabs on local events in your area to find the ones closest to you.
Venture out for a concert
Summer is typically the time for live music and festivals but many major artists get year-long tours up and running between February and April before the concert season truly kicks off. Atlanta has the distinction of being a major stop for practically every notable tour and the calendar for 2022 is already filling up fast with lively shows featuring everything from pop, jazz, hip hop, classical music, and more.
Notable shows making a stop in Atlanta between February 1 and April 30, 2022, include:
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February 5 - Billie Eilish, State Farm Arena
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February 9 - Kacey Musgraves, State Farm Arena
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February 10 - Andrea Bocelli, State Farm Arena
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February 12 - Dua Lipa, State Farm Arena
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February 18, 19, 20 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert, Atlanta Symphony Hall
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March 4 - The Eagles, State Farm Arena
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March 15 - Celtic Women, Fabulous Fox Theater
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March 21 - Justin Bieber, State Farm Arena
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April 8 - John Mayer, Start Farm Arena
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April 13 - Charli XCX, The Eastern
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April 16 - Atlanta Blues Festival, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
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April 20 - Diana Krall, Atlanta Symphony Hall
Keep in mind some venues and artists may have specific health protocols to attend a show, so be sure to review the requirements ahead of time before purchasing tickets.
Take a spin on the ice
Realizing outdoor ice skating in Atlanta is very much a holiday affair, the best time to lace up your skates is from mid-November to early January. However, the city keeps both the winter spirit and their beautifully maintained skating rinks up and running well into the new year.
A few outdoor rinks you can head to in February include:
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Holidays at Sweetland at Sweetland Amphitheatre, through February 14
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The Rink at Park Tavern, Midtown, through February 15
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The Ice Rink at Sugar Hill, through February 20
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Olde Town on Ice at Olde Town Conyers Pavilion, through February 21
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Ice Days Ice Skating Rink at Legion Field FairGrounds, through February 21
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License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville, through February 27
Of course, there are plenty of other year-round indoor venues for those who want to keep spinning beyond Valentine's Day. These include:
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The Cooler in Alpharetta, GA
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Center Ice Arena in Sandy Springs, GA
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Atlanta IceForum in Duluth, GA
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The ICE in Cumming, GA
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Atlanta Ice House in Marietta, GA
Experience Atlanta's natural and historical wonders
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Credit: National Park PlannerWith temperate seasonal patterns sweeping through central Georgia, the dark, cold winter days often yield comfortable early Spring or Fall temperatures. With hot Atlanta summers looming on the horizon, winter is typically a wonderful time to escape your cabin fever and experience the great outdoors.
Residents of Atlanta are fortunate to be less than a two-hour drive from nine of the fourteen national parks and heritage sites in Georgia, including:
Residents of Atlanta are fortunate to be less than a two-hour drive from nine of the fourteen national parks and heritage sites in Georgia, including:
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Martin Luther King National Historical Park, Atlanta, two miles from the Georgia Capitol Museum
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Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Stonecrest, GA
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Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Sandy Springs, GA
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Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Kennesaw, GA
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Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Macon, GA
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Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Fort Oglethorpe, GA
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Andersonville National Historic Site, Andersonville, GA
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Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, Plains, GA
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Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, Agusta, GA
If your outdoor passion is hiking, Atlanta has you covered with a bevy of gorgeous trails situated in state parks and nature preserves within a 45-minute drive of the city. Two of the best experiences include trails at Sawnee Mountain Preserve in Forsyth County and Sweetwater Creek State Park in Douglas County.
Visit a world-class museum
Atlanta History Center, Credit: Atlanta’s CW69As great as the outdoors are, it still gets cold in Atlanta during the winter. When the time comes to head indoors, there are few better ways to enjoy Atlanta’s impressive cultural heritage than exploring its world-class museums. The city has more than forty different museums and even more scattered throughout the outlying suburbs. Here are ten of the best to visit on a cold winter's day:
Celebrate black history month
As the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., the city has a long and storied history with Black liberation. You can educate yourself on Black History by visiting the impressive museum dedicated to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and go on the King Historic District Tour. This exploration of the civil rights movement will take you through a number of Atlanta landmarks which shaped Dr. King's life, including historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King's birthplace, and the Dr. and Mrs. King memorial.
King Historic District Tour, Credit: Explore GeorgiaAdd to the self-curated tour by discovering the cultural treasures of the Sweet Auburn Historic District, including eleven historic buildings and numerous historical markers detailing the neighborhood's history and importance to Black Culture. Be sure to drop by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the High Museum of Art, where the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama are on display until March 13, 2022.
Attend world series champions Atlanta Braves Opening Day
We know spring ends on March 20, but by then, we're more than a month into Major League Baseball's spring training with only a week and a half left until Opening Day where the Atlanta Braves begin their World Series title defense.
While the Braves start their season in Miami, they return to Atlanta on April 7 for their home opener again - the Cincinnati Reds at Trust Park. The team has thirteen home games in April, so there will be plenty of opportunities to see them play before the temperature rises.
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