The Shaky Knees 2026 Local’s Guide

As Shaky Knees is fast approaching next month, I want to share some tips for folks traveling to Atlanta from out of town. As an Atlanta native and someone who has been going to festivals in Piedmont Park, the new home of Shaky Knees, for over a decade, I can elevate your time in the city outside of catching your favorite band. Below, each section discusses local walkable restaurants and other food options, places of note in the area, and tips on places to check out that weekend, including a mural painting festival near the iconic Krog Street Tunnel in Cabbagetown.

First off, let’s talk food. As southerners, we take our eats seriously. There will be some amazing options at the food vendors at Shaky Knees, but if you want to explore options outside the festival, there are some fantastic options within a 10-minute walk. At the southeast corner of the park, there is a shopping plaza with a Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Mellow Mushroom Pizza, and even a walkup ice cream shop. The plaza is adjacent and connected to the Atlanta Eastside Beltline walking path. If you go north on Monroe Drive (turning right towards the park on Monroe) you will see Woody’s Cheesesteaks, where it has stood since 1975. They do cheap cheesesteaks and milkshakes and stay open late.

For more walkable food options, head to the southwest corner of the park, specifically the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue NE. This is where the iconic rainbow crosswalk is in Midtown. This intersection has a variety of restaurants, including Zocalo, The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Caribou Coffee, and even a Jason’s Deli. Additionally, after the festival each night, this area will be turning up with late-night club vibes. All of the establishments around this intersection end up with overflow into the streets after every big festival that happens in Piedmont Park. It is a fun vibe if you aren’t already going to a late-night show. If you want to try out a Michelin restaurant, a little bit west down 10th Street from this intersection is Lazy Betty.

There are some places of note around the park that could be cool additions to your trip. Shaky Knees occurs in the south half of Piedmont Park. The north half of the park has the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the Active Oval athletic fields with a great view of Midtown, and many spots to sit by Lake Clara Meer. North of the park, there is a music venue called Smith’s Olde Bar, which always does late-night shows on weekends. Next door to Smith’s is Kong’s Kitchen, my favorite intown Chinese delivery based on portions and quality. If you go south of the park on the Eastside Beltline, you will eventually land near Ponce City Market, which is a cool building to explore with many restaurants and various shops. You can continue south on the Beltline all the way south through other neighborhoods, including Inman Park and Cabbagetown (both explored more below). It is a good two miles of constant restaurants, shops, neighborhoods, and lots of cool street art.

If you want some other cool spots to check out around the city, I highly recommend checking out East Atlanta Village, Little Five Points, Inman Park, and Cabbagetown. These are all neighborhoods south of Piedmont Park and east of downtown Atlanta. EAV is where the EARL is located, along with some awesome restaurants including Argosy, Flat Iron, and the Southern Feedstore foodhall, which has a Woody’s Cheesesteak location and does free shows on weekends late at night. Little Five Points has a few music venues, the iconic Vortex burger joint, and my favorite local record store, Criminal Records. Inman Park is along the Eastside Beltline south of Piedmont Park and has a lovely stretch of restaurants and bars. And we cannot forget Cabbagetown, where you can find one of the oldest burger joints around, Little’s Food Store, which was opened in 1929. Additionally, you should try Jen Chan’s sourdough pizza, grab a coffee from Carroll Street Cafe, and then swirl over to 97 Estoria for cheap drinks and a huge patio on the Beltline next to the Mural Wall and Krog Street Tunnel, where anyone is allowed to paint inside the tunnel. And on the Saturday of Shaky Knees, there is a free mural painting festival called Forward Warrior happening next to 97 Estoria where dozens of muralists will be repainting the Mural Wall in Cabbagetown.

Here is a link to a Google Map I made with some of the locations (and others) pinned for you to explore. I intentionally left out a lot of the more touristy things, as those are easy enough for you to search up yourself. I hope you enjoy exploring Atlanta while you are in the city. See y’all at Shaky Knees!