Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
June 18, 2026
Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival Celebrates History and Creativity
TLDR
- Attend the free Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival June 20-21 to network in Atlanta's creative scene and gain cultural capital.
- The festival features curated artist booths, live DJs, and children's area over two days in Historic Fourth Ward Park.
- This festival celebrates O4W's African American heritage and community resilience, making art accessible to all ages free of charge.
- O4W once had a casino and amusement park; now its park hosts an arts festival where dogs are welcome.
Impact - Why it Matters
This festival matters because it not only showcases local artists and provides free, family-friendly entertainment, but also honors the deep historical roots of the Old Fourth Ward—a neighborhood that was a crucible of African American education, culture, and self-determination. By attending, you support the preservation of this legacy and the ongoing vitality of a community that has shaped Atlanta's identity. The event also highlights the importance of public art and community spaces like Historic Fourth Ward Park, which serve as gathering places for connection and inspiration.
Summary
The Old Fourth Ward (O4W) is not just a neighborhood; it's a living museum of Atlanta's history, and this June it will host the 14th Annual Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival. Set against the green expanse of Historic Fourth Ward Park along the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, the festival runs June 20–21, 2026, and is free, all ages, and dogs welcome. The event features curated artist booths spanning paintings, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and woodwork, along with live DJs, food, drinks, and a children's area. Learn more at www.oldfourthwardparkartsfestival.com.
To understand why an arts festival belongs here, you have to understand the neighborhood's rich history. O4W was home to Morris Brown College, the only institution in Georgia founded by, completely funded by, and created exclusively for African Americans. Dr. Kevin E. James, President of Morris Brown College, emphasizes that the college's roots in O4W run deep, and its graduates have shaped the city and world. The neighborhood also gave Atlanta its iconic Ponce de León Avenue, once had a casino and amusement park that attracted Sears to build its Southern Regional Distribution Center (now Ponce City Market), and the phrase "Old Fourth Ward" technically didn't exist until 1937. O4W has been a canvas for public art long before the BeltLine, with artists like HENSE cutting their teeth on its walls.
The festival is organized by Shawn Morgan, a luxury residential specialist with Compass Atlanta, who brings over 30 years of executive experience from Unilever and an MBA thesis on Atlanta's neighborhoods. Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the U.S., partners with Christie's International Real Estate. The festival celebrates O4W's legacy as a place where creativity and community are inseparable, offering two days of endless discovery for all ages.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival Celebrates History and Creativity
