Downtown Kennesaw will be hosting a celebration featuring a Parade, arts and crafts booths, entertainment, and tons of family-friendly fun this April. The 2025 Big Shanty Festival will be a 2-day event scheduled for April 12 and 13.
The Big Shanty Festival will happen at Main Street and Cherokee Street in Downtown Kennesaw, 2871 N Main St, Kennesaw, GA 30144. To mention a landmark, it will happen near the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.
Highlights
- The 2025 Big Shanty Festival will happen on April 12 and 13.
- The festival will feature booths with arts and crafts, food vendors, special exhibits, live entertainment, a beer garden, and various activities.
- The festival that will happen on Main Street and Cherokee Street in Downtown Kennesaw will be free for all to enter.
Join the Vibrant Celebration At Big Shanty
The Big Shanty Festival will begin with a vibrant Parade. Post-parade, over 250 booths showcasing art, crafts, food, and other exhibits will be welcoming guests. The visitors can also enjoy the live music entertainment, get some drinks at the beer garden, and engage in a whole array of activities to follow.
Festivities Inaugrated With A Parade
Few things capture the spirit of the festival season like a Parade. The Parade will mark the beginning of the Big Shanty Festival will start off at 9:30 AM on Saturday and travel from Adams Park down Main Street.
Onlookers will see more than 1,000 proud young athletes from local sports teams marching alongside high school bands from North Cobb, Kennesaw Mountain, Allatoona, & Kell. The vibrant floats in the air will add to the colors of the Parade.
Find One-Of-A-Kind Items
Once the Parade winds up, the visitors will move on to explore the 150+ arts and crafts booths lined up at the festival. The Georgia Grown Member Village returns this year, showcasing a range of goods from handmade items to delectable snacks. For those who are always on the lookout for unique items, this place will definitely be something that catches the eye.
Bites and Sips
Guests can have a party on their taste buds with their favorite fair food like turkey legs and funnel cakes offered by the 25 food vendors at the festival. For those who would like to have a bit of buzz at the festival, the beer garden will be welcoming them.
Live Music & Captivating Performances
Guests can enjoy live music that will be playing out from the amphitheater throughout the weekend. Also, catch Scott Thompson of Peachtree Station performing acoustic sets at the 1885 Grill food court in addition to the live music.
The festival will also have various performances happening, including a show by Peter Hart of Atlanta Puppetry. Local dance groups, school choirs, and acoustic performers will take the stage at the south end of Main Street, entertaining for all ages.
What’s new for 2025 will be the Ready Go Dog Show at the United Bankshares Amphitheater. Watch the world-champion frisbee-catching dogs performing high-flying tricks. Guests can stay after the show for a meet-and-greet with the talented pups.
Admission Free For All – Check Timings
Festival goers must note that the admission will be free for all. On Saturday, April 12, the booths will open at 10 AM, and the festival will be happening till 6 PM. As for Sunday, April 13, the festival will happen from 12 PM to 5 PM. More information regarding the festival is available on the official page.
The Kennesaw Business Association organizes the 49th Annual Superior Plumbing Kennesaw/Big Shanty Festival in partnership with the City of Kennesaw. It will be held with Superior Plumbing as the title sponsor. Presenting sponsors include A1 Shredding & Recycling, Emerson Home Services, Georgia Grown, LGE Community Credit Union, and Window World.
