The Roswell Farmers & Artisans Market sets up every Saturday morning from 8 AM to noon at Roswell City Hall, running April through November. It's a nonprofit, community-first market — and the vibe reflects that. Nearly everything sold is sourced from farms within 100 miles of Roswell. You'll find seasonal fruits and vegetables, handmade baked goods, local honey, jams, fresh pasta, and artisan crafts. Live music adds to the atmosphere, and the market sits right in the heart of historic downtown Roswell, so you can pair it with a Canton Street stroll afterward. The Canton Street Farmers Market at 1207 Canton Street is also worth a stop if you're in the area during the week — it's a small, year-round produce shop with locally sourced goods.
Johns Creek runs a packed calendar of free community events throughout the year, and spring is when things really pick up. The Daffodil Days Spring Carnival (March 28 at the Atlanta Athletic Club fields) brings carnival games, kids' rides, inflatables, a climbing wall, petting zoo, face painting, food trucks, and live entertainment — all free. The Easter Bunny Hop follows on April 3 at The Boardwalk at Town Center, and the Johns Creek International Festival (May 2) is one of the most celebrated events in the city, featuring food, music, and art from the community's diverse cultural roots. What makes Johns Creek's events special is the range — from Lunar New Year to Diwali to summer concerts on the green. The city's events page is the best place to stay up to date on what's coming next.
Living in North Atlanta means you're never more than a short drive from world-class kid entertainment. For outdoor adventure close to home, the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell sits on 127 acres of forests, wetlands, and river habitats — with canoe trips, wildlife exhibits, and hands-on programs for all ages. Treetop Quest at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody offers zip line courses at four difficulty levels. For indoor days, the Children's Museum of Atlanta and Fernbank Museum of Natural History are reliable favorites. The Center for Puppetry Arts is a hidden gem — live puppet shows, workshops, and a full museum. And LEGOLAND Discovery Center at Phipps Plaza is a guaranteed hit with the under-10 crowd. Spring specifically brings a wave of festivals, egg hunts, and carnivals across the metro area. Atlanta Parent keeps a running list of everything happening — it's the single best resource for keeping the kids busy.
North Atlanta is exceptionally dog-friendly, and the options range from city-run parks to full-on social clubs. Newtown Dog Park in Johns Creek is the headliner — ranked as one of the top dog parks in the country. It's a fenced one-acre area with artificial turf, sprinklers for dogs to run through, obstacles, and separate sections for large and small dogs. It's inside Newtown Park, so you can pair it with a walk on the trails. In Alpharetta, Waggy World Paw Park at Wills Park offers 1.5 acres of off-leash space with separate large and small dog areas, plus a wooded third enclosure. Webb Bridge Dog Park, which opened in 2024, is a shaded, more intimate option tucked into the trees with a memorial for dogs who've crossed the rainbow bridge. For something different, Off Leash at 142 South Main Street in downtown Alpharetta is a luxury dog park and restaurant combo — outdoor and indoor off-leash areas, a dog-friendly patio, and a full bar and kitchen for the humans. Fetch Park in Alpharetta offers a similar social concept with membership-based access.
Spring in North Atlanta is genuinely special — and also genuinely yellow. Let's get the pollen out of the way first: from mid-March through mid-April, everything outside will be coated in a fine layer of pine pollen. It's temporary, it's harmless, and your car wash will see you weekly. Now the good stuff. Temperatures sit in the 60s and 70s through April and May, the dogwoods and azaleas put on a show, and the event calendar explodes. The Taste of Alpharetta (May 14) is the signature food festival with cooking demos and tastings from local restaurants. The Alpharetta Arts StreetFest (May 23–24) fills Wills Park with artists, food trucks, and live music. Lemonade Days in Dunwoody (April 22–26) is the big family blowout — carnival rides, a beer garden, pony rides, petting zoo, and food for days. Farmers markets open in April, outdoor concerts return, and the greenways and trails are at their best before summer humidity sets in. Atlanta on the Cheap maintains the most comprehensive spring festival list in the metro area — worth bookmarking.
The Alpharetta Farmers Market runs every Saturday from April 4 through November 14, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on the Town Green at Alpharetta City Center. It's one of the most popular farmers markets in the metro Atlanta area — and for good reason. Expect local produce, artisan breads, honey, handmade soaps, fresh pasta, cheeses, and plenty of ready-to-eat options if you just want to grab breakfast and wander. Live music most Saturdays, and the whole thing is dog-friendly. SNAP benefits are accepted. Pro tip: Get there by 9 if you want first pick on the berries and specialty breads — the best stuff goes fast. Parking is free in the surrounding downtown lots.
Taste of Alpharetta is the annual food festival that brings together the city's restaurant community for an evening of cooking demos, culinary collaborations, and tasting tents. It's scheduled for May 14, 2026, and it's one of the most well-attended events in North Fulton. The festival takes over downtown Alpharetta and showcases everything from upscale dining to casual favorites — it's the best single-night snapshot of the local food scene. Past years have featured live music, chef competitions, and enough sampling opportunities to replace dinner entirely. If you're new to the area and want to get a feel for where to eat (and who your neighbors are), this is the event. Check Awesome Alpharetta's events page for ticket details and the full lineup as the date approaches.