This weekend, Sandy Springs turns its downtown core into a two-day celebration of live music, handmade art, and family-friendly spectacle. The fourth annual Bluestone Arts & Music Festival returns to City Springs on Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, with free admission, nationally known headliners, an artist market, and the Georgia premiere of an interactive outdoor show. This is one of the best festivals in the Atlanta area.
The festival takes over City Green, Blue Stone Road, and surrounding blocks at 1 Galambos Way. Hours run 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Artist market, emerging-artist gallery, and Kids Zone close at 8 p.m. both nights; food trucks stay open until 10.
Bluestone Arts & Music Festival: Headliner & Schedule
Friday night belongs to Nicotine Dolls, an alternative-pop/rock act making a special stop in Sandy Springs before heading overseas. They take the City Green Stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday’s closer is Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Allen Stone, whose mix of soul, R&B, funk, and pop arrives just as he finishes a new album and continues dates with Chris Stapleton and Teddy Swims. He headlines at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
Supporting acts fill the rest of the weekend. Friday’s City Green lineup includes Carl Wockner + Cat Ridgeway (singer-songwriter and live looping) at 4:30 p.m. and Brother Maven (rock and soul) at 7 p.m. Saturday features Something In The Orange (Zach Bryan tribute) at 1 p.m., Carl Wockner at 2:30 p.m., Bad Medicine (Bon Jovi tribute) at 4 p.m., SOUP (’90s alt-rock) at 5:30 p.m., and Kyndle Wylde (soul and rock) at 7 p.m.
New this year on the Hilderbrand Stage is Squonk’s Joy Machine, an interactive multimedia performance making its Georgia debut. Audiences help power giant inventions, animate puppets, and play a massive drum wall. Showtimes are 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday and noon, 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. Saturday. Every set is unique.
Art, kids, food, and a race for people and pups
More than 60 artists and makers from across the Southeast line Blue Stone Road with pottery, jewelry, paintings, woodwork, clothing, and specialty foods. Hours are 4–8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday. Nearby, the Emerging Artist Gallery displays student work from kindergarten through high school. A limited run of 40 official 2026 festival posters, designed by Atlanta illustrator Jordan Longenecker, will be available.
The Kids Zone offers carnival rides and giant inflatables. A $15 wristband covers unlimited access all day. Squonk’s performances double as family entertainment on the Hilderbrand Stage.
Food trucks and a Sports Zone turn Galambos Road into an outdoor tailgate with big-screen football, yard games, and patio seating. Drink tickets (credit card only) are required at outdoor bars.
Saturday morning starts early with the Blue Stone 5K-9, an 8 a.m. fun run/walk open to all ages—with or without a dog. The flat out-and-back course is an official Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Registration is $35 plus fees at runsignup.com; adaptive handcycles are available through Catalyst Sports. Pets are welcome only on the race course, not inside the festival grounds. Service animals are allowed.
Final Word
Admission is free. Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed (low-back chairs preferred); umbrellas for shade are fine if lowered during sets. No tents, outside tables, or drones. Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen—the festival spans several blocks. Restrooms, including ADA facilities, are located throughout the grounds and parking areas.
Expect road closures around City Springs; Springs Landing shops remain accessible. Check sandyspringsga.gov/bluestone for the latest parking, shuttle, and MARTA information closer to the weekend. Weather updates will be posted on the city’s Facebook page.
The Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival is produced by the City of Sandy Springs with support from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and local sponsors. It has grown from earlier Heritage Sandy Springs Festival roots into a signature fall event that mixes national acts with neighborhood energy. For maps, full schedules, and last-minute changes, visit sandyspringsga.gov/bluestone or bluestonefest.com.
