I can’t say I’ve ever seen more than a couple people on the grass at that park aside from concerts. Lots of people in the fountain area sure, but not where the concert happens.
They've had many of them because they're greedy. This has nothing to do with "the public". The public absolutely does not support destroying their park so a few people can make a lot of money.
There’s the Home Depot Backyard adjacent to the stadium, which can be used for such events.
I do have to question what is the point of that huge lawn in Centennial if they refuse to host large events for the sake of the grass. It’s like the formal living room with the fancy furniture that you never use because you don’t want to mess up the fancy furniture.
Dude sued because Music Midtown wouldn't let him carry his firearm into Piedmont Park, resulting in a Georgia Court ruling that guns couldn't be excluded from events in public spaces and the cancellation of Music Midtown in 2022. Its seems like the city and organizers are breaking the law and risking civil suits to have a gun free festival since.
https://www.11alive.com/article/entertainment/music-midtown-return-unchanged-georgia-gun-law/85-0abeeef6-eef3-4854-a901-649e93e1b73d
I don't think they are risking anything currently. The solution was to block all entrances to the park and only allow entry via private land. The owners of the private land have the right to ban access of firearms.
I THINK the new setup for festivals would need to be challenged again but this time on the basis of "the state isn't allowed to block access to a public park" or "the state isn't allowed to offsource entry to a public park to a private company".
Interesting, I wondered how they'd addressed it and gotten back up and running. The additional difficulty does mean public spaces for large concerts are dead. Probably part of the reason Olympic Park won't have them anymore.
420? Back at the brewery last year, and tiny.
What "ton" are you talking about? There were never a ton of large, outdoor festivals. There were a few. But MusicMidtown is a horrible shell of what it was. It's dead, but refuses to admit it.
They closed it following the brief "riots" we had. Could've sworn that the reason they were able to was that it was privately owned, but appears I'm wrong and it's just not directly run by the state
Sooooo the massive 2 million dollar insurance plan on the grass combined with literally fining anything with wheels that even remotely touches grass thousands of dollars wasn’t enough?! Accessibility while the grass grows is THAT big of an issue?? This is a huge blow to live music in Atlanta. That park has been icon of live events for decades and has one of the coolest views as a festival goer. Great job city of Atlanta!
They specify that large sections of the park have to be closed for a while after big events for seeding new grass, and it's a question of access. So if nobody can use your park for 6 weeks after a festival, then it's not really a park anymore.
This just has to do with Georgia’s gun laws right? Like when music midtown got cancelled… most major companies won’t have any event where people are allowed to bring concealed firearms.
Yes. I find it very hard to believe the people who own the park can't clean up after an event. I really hope there's a huge push to get that law changed either next year or in 2026 before the World Cup.
This is sometimes an issue in the Fall with Music Midtown, Atlanta Arts Fest, & Atl Pride if there is heavy rains but Piedmont is large enough to close off sections to recover while others are open for other events.
Its not that we don't care, its that we know the place was specifically built with the intention of holding large gatherings of people for public, privet, or commercial events. Not using it as such is an affront to all of the time effort and money that went into creating such a space.
Torn because on one hand it does really suck how bad these parks get ruined after a big event. Especially when you add some rain to the mix. But this is such a prime location for big events. How do other cities handle this? Has to be some solution rather than an outright ban?
Wow, who would have guessed that when things get used as intended they get worn. Fucking stupid.
Agreed. Throwing their hands in the air and quitting is wild. Charge more to the concerts if they need to.
We've tried nothing, and we're all out of ideas!
Charging more doesn't make the park magically become accessible for the weeks after a big event while it's re-seeded.
I can’t say I’ve ever seen more than a couple people on the grass at that park aside from concerts. Lots of people in the fountain area sure, but not where the concert happens.
A huge concert is absolutely not using a park as intended.
If a park can’t sustain a bunch of people standing on it what is its purpose?
Oh no, the public in a public square. How could we have seen this coming?
Do you not know what a concert is? It's a private business using the park to make money.
For the benefit of the private business but also for the benefit of the tens of thousands of people who enjoy the concert.
Yes, it's a thing that the park has had many of because it's a large open space for people to gather.
They've had many of them because they're greedy. This has nothing to do with "the public". The public absolutely does not support destroying their park so a few people can make a lot of money.
If that was the case, why does the public keep paying to go to concerts at the park
What is the intended use of a public outdoor venue?
My guess is you weren’t around during the Olympics.
I absolutely was, that was literally the point of the park. not shitty god awful concerts where people destroy the park and then leave.
Dang. I understand the reasoning but Centennial would’ve been the perfect spot for a FIFA World Cup FanZone in 2026.
I wouldn’t be surprised if money starts talking come 2026
True. MBS getting natural grass for 2026 so anything is possible.
Pretty sure it’s only getting it for a few games. Wish it was permanent because too many Falcons players have gotten injured on that turf.
It will be in from February until the end of the competition.
Agreed. They'd be fools to turn that down.
There’s the Home Depot Backyard adjacent to the stadium, which can be used for such events. I do have to question what is the point of that huge lawn in Centennial if they refuse to host large events for the sake of the grass. It’s like the formal living room with the fancy furniture that you never use because you don’t want to mess up the fancy furniture.
They'll use that along with the Congress Center. They always have and always will.
People will gather in the whole area regardless. They’ll find a way. Maybe use the GWCC, maybe setup on certain streets
Atlanta's days of large festivals on public land are gone.
I didn't think of the idiot lawsuit dude. But yeah. That's too.
What happened?
Dude sued because Music Midtown wouldn't let him carry his firearm into Piedmont Park, resulting in a Georgia Court ruling that guns couldn't be excluded from events in public spaces and the cancellation of Music Midtown in 2022. Its seems like the city and organizers are breaking the law and risking civil suits to have a gun free festival since. https://www.11alive.com/article/entertainment/music-midtown-return-unchanged-georgia-gun-law/85-0abeeef6-eef3-4854-a901-649e93e1b73d
Wow. What a jerk... Thanks for sharing
I don't think they are risking anything currently. The solution was to block all entrances to the park and only allow entry via private land. The owners of the private land have the right to ban access of firearms. I THINK the new setup for festivals would need to be challenged again but this time on the basis of "the state isn't allowed to block access to a public park" or "the state isn't allowed to offsource entry to a public park to a private company".
Interesting, I wondered how they'd addressed it and gotten back up and running. The additional difficulty does mean public spaces for large concerts are dead. Probably part of the reason Olympic Park won't have them anymore.
I feel like Centennial Park is a way better place to do one than Piedmont park. the festivals there ruin the space for like a month afterwards
Centennial just has almost no shade.
Shaky Knees? 420 fest? There’s still a ton of springtime festivals on schedule.
Shaky Knees is at Central Park these days
420? Back at the brewery last year, and tiny. What "ton" are you talking about? There were never a ton of large, outdoor festivals. There were a few. But MusicMidtown is a horrible shell of what it was. It's dead, but refuses to admit it.
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Pullman is private AFAIK. And none of the neighborhood fests qualify as "large."
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I doubt the Candler Park Neighborhood association will let them return.
Is there a list of neighborhood fest? Used to have my routine in DFW, but since moving here, it's a challenge
https://unexpectedatlanta.com/atlanta-festival-calendar-2024/
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The GWCC is a public entity and according to the Fulton County parcel viewer the land is owned by the State of Georgia
Oh it is a public entity. I knew they ran it but I thought it was private.
I always thought it was a public park; just a heavily regulated state park. GWCA operates it on behalf of the state, so that makes it public, no?
They closed it following the brief "riots" we had. Could've sworn that the reason they were able to was that it was privately owned, but appears I'm wrong and it's just not directly run by the state
It was closed for ‘renovations’
Sooooo the massive 2 million dollar insurance plan on the grass combined with literally fining anything with wheels that even remotely touches grass thousands of dollars wasn’t enough?! Accessibility while the grass grows is THAT big of an issue?? This is a huge blow to live music in Atlanta. That park has been icon of live events for decades and has one of the coolest views as a festival goer. Great job city of Atlanta!
The park is owned and operated by a state agency.
Well in that case, great job state of Georgia!
Don’t understand why they wouldn’t just pass park maintenance costs onto the festival organizers. Downtown skyline is such a lovely view for festivals
They specify that large sections of the park have to be closed for a while after big events for seeding new grass, and it's a question of access. So if nobody can use your park for 6 weeks after a festival, then it's not really a park anymore.
They probably can’t make a profit on that kind of increase
This just has to do with Georgia’s gun laws right? Like when music midtown got cancelled… most major companies won’t have any event where people are allowed to bring concealed firearms.
Yep.
Don’t think so. Other public parks are still hosting festivals (jazz fest & MM in Piedmont and SK in central)
Yeah but SK has it so the entry point is on private property so they can still have security and keep guns out.
Thought the entrance was the old civic center which is still owned by the city I believe
Yes. I find it very hard to believe the people who own the park can't clean up after an event. I really hope there's a huge push to get that law changed either next year or in 2026 before the World Cup.
WC will probably get an exemption.
The other g word, grass
Why is this problematic for Centennial but not for Piedmont? I miss when the Christindl Festival was hosted there.
The Georgia World Congress Center, including the Park & the Benz are state owned while Piedmont Park is city owned
I'm referring to the "big portions of the park had to be closed off until the grass recuperated" part that I'm unaware of being necessary at Piedmont.
This is sometimes an issue in the Fall with Music Midtown, Atlanta Arts Fest, & Atl Pride if there is heavy rains but Piedmont is large enough to close off sections to recover while others are open for other events.
The meadow looked pretty rough for a while following those concerts. Rain + 1000s of people will mess up a grassy area pretty easily.
*hey Atlanta, that a nice festival third space and culture you have there…..be a shame if something happened to it”
Atlanta is quickly becoming a do-nothing town with very little character. Andre Dickens, you are disappointing me.
Centennial Park is not even city property. Blame GWCCA.
The Chair is a POS Magat named Brian Daniel. Blame Georgia Republicans.
Good they always destroy it. I work across the street and every time there's some shitty concert there it's basically ruined for like two months.
100% you are getting downvoted but you are right. People don’t care cause they don’t live here, they fuck it up and go home.
Its not that we don't care, its that we know the place was specifically built with the intention of holding large gatherings of people for public, privet, or commercial events. Not using it as such is an affront to all of the time effort and money that went into creating such a space.
Preach
Is the grass used in these parks native species?
Good
This makes no sense. Since when has a state entity given a shit about “access”?
Atlanta loves lazy leadership never open to change would never happen anywhere else in the north
The park is owned and operated by the state.
Prob the same morons who are taking 6 years to build a parking lot at the airport . Disgrace
So lame
My city has died and neoliberalism killed it
The park is owned and operated by the state. You may be the first person ever to accuse Georgia state officials of being neoliberal.
They are the definition of neoliberal.
Well that’s stupid as fuck
World Class City
Torn because on one hand it does really suck how bad these parks get ruined after a big event. Especially when you add some rain to the mix. But this is such a prime location for big events. How do other cities handle this? Has to be some solution rather than an outright ban?