ATLANTA, GA — The Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival returns for its 14th annual spring/summer edition on June 20-21, 2026, at Historic Fourth Ward Park, offering free admission and a celebration of a neighborhood whose history predates the BeltLine and the breweries that now define it.
To understand why an arts festival belongs here, one must look beyond the recent revitalization. The Old Fourth Ward was home to Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 as the only institution in Georgia created by and for African Americans. Dr. Kevin E. James, president of Morris Brown College, noted that the college's roots in the Old Fourth Ward remain central to its identity as it marks its 145th year. The neighborhood also gave Atlanta its iconic Ponce de León Avenue, named after natural springs discovered in the late 1860s, and once housed a casino, baseball diamond, and amusement park that drew crowds to the area now occupied by Ponce City Market.
The festival itself, curated with artist booths across painting, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and woodwork, is set against the backdrop of the BeltLine Eastside Trail. But the neighborhood's connection to public art predates the BeltLine's 2012 opening. Artists like HENSE, who later created works for Apple and the High Museum, began their public art careers on O4W's walls. The festival continues this tradition, with live DJs, food, drinks, and a children's area.
Admission is free, all ages are welcome, and dogs are allowed. The event runs Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Historic Fourth Ward Park, 592 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308. More information is available at www.oldfourthwardparkartsfestival.com.
The Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival is presented by Shawn Morgan, a luxury residential specialist with Compass Atlanta. Morgan, who spent 30 years at Unilever before entering real estate, focuses on intown neighborhoods including the Old Fourth Ward. Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume, supports the event.
