Atlanta Arab Festival

The Atlanta Arab Festival returns to the Alif Institute on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, from 10 AM to 5 PM both days. It's a two-day celebration of Arab and Arab-American heritage, and admission is free.

If you've never been, here's the general layout: there's a food court with flavors from across the Arab world, a bustling souq for artisan goods, live performances, exhibits, workshops, games, and activities. The focus is on supporting Arab American artists, artisans, and businesses, so most of what you'll see and eat comes from the community here in Atlanta and beyond.

The festival is put on by the Alif Institute, a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational and cultural organization. Their mission is to foster the understanding, appreciation, and preservation of Arab cultures, and the festival is the biggest public expression of that work. It's grown steadily over the years, starting as the Arab American Family Day in 2006. That became a two-day event in 2010 and was renamed the Atlanta Arab Festival shortly after. Attendance has climbed from around 300 in the early years to more than 8,000 in 2024 and 2025, with 2025 cited as the biggest year yet.

It's an annual gathering that draws on the diversity of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and it's free to attend. You'll find it at the Alif Institute, 3288 Marjan Drive, Atlanta, GA 30340, running from 10 AM to 5 PM on both Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8.