What is AthFest?
AthFest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit annual music and arts festival in downtown Athens, Georgia that largely showcases the Athens area musical and artistic community. Much of AthFest is free while wristbands or cover charges are required for certain events. AthFest's mission is to educate citizens and visitors about music and arts in general, and about Athens music and arts in particular.

  • Wristband Information - Wristbands allow unlimited acccess to participating venues, subject to age and capacity restrictions. Outdoor stages are free and do not require wristbands. Wristbands also provide discounts or free entry to Special Events put on in conjunction with AthFest. Wristbands will be available soon online.They will also be available during the festival at the Main Stage area and at venues.
  • Location - This year's Main Stage Area of AthFest is again on Washington Street in the two blocks in front of the 40 Watt Club (285 W. Washington Street) and the Morton Theatre. This area will house the outdoor stages, Artist Market, KidsFest, vendors and more. Club crawl venues are located throughout downtown.
  • Lodging - AthFest package deals are now available at three locations near the festival! For other suggestions and online reservations, check out the Athens-Clarke County Convention and Visitors Bureau Where to Stay section with information about area hotels.
  • Parking - Municipal parking is available in the three downtown parking decks (located on College Avenue, Hancock Street and Foundry Street behind the Classic Center) and at streetside metered parking. Times for fee collections and the fees themselves may vary. Parking meter times are not enforced on Sundays. Prestige Parking, Inc. also operates private lots very close to the stages, artists, and vendors with daily parking for $5.
  • Dogs / Pets - At this time, AthFest does not ban dogs from the event. However, they are discouraged due to there being little to no grass around - only concrete/pavement, a lot of people, and the whole waste issue which people in the past have left in the middle of a busy walkway. If you do still decide that bringing your pet would be a good idea, you must still comply with all Athens-Clarke County Animal Control regulations, such as that dogs must be leashed.
  • Directions to AthFest - Since we have people come to AthFest from all over the Southeast (and further), no two directions will be alike. So, we suggest visiting www.mapquest.com and checking out their driving directions section. It will give you door-to-door directions with maps on how to get to AthFest from anywhere. Here's the physical location of the 40 Watt Club outside of which the AthFest Main Stage area will be located: 285 West Washington Street, Athens, GA  30601
  • AthFest Event Map - Our map shows locations of all participating venues and all AthFest related areas, as well as parking locations. It will be available closer to the festival.
  • AthFest Guide - AthFest produces a Guide every year with descriptions of all bands and musicians performing, performance times, information on all AthFest events and associated events and much more. The guide will be inserted into copies of the Flagpole the week of the festival and plenty of extra guides will be available before and during AthFest throughout downtown.
  • AthFest 2006, 2005 & 2002 Named Top 20 Events - The Southeast Tourism Society has named AthFest 2006, 2005 and 2002 one of the Top 20 Events for June among 10 southeastern states.
  • Awards - AthFest '98 was named the "Festival or Event of the Year" for the state by the Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Georgia Main Street Program, coordinated by the Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism (DITT), named AthFest 2000 the best Economic Restructuring Public Private Partnership for the year 2000. The Athens Music History exhibit at AthFest 2001 was presented a 'Best Ideas' Award by the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau.
  • Volunteers - We're always on the lookout for volunteers to help with all aspects of the festival, both before and during. Check out the Volunteers area for more information.
  • CD - In conjunction with Ghostmeat Records, AthFest has released annual compilation CDs starting in 1998 to celebrate Athens bands. All feature tons of local bands and lots of exclusive music that you can't find anywhere else.
  • Media - If you work with print, television, radio or online media and are interested in receiving a promotional CD for review or passes to this year's festival, contact Michelle Roche Media Relations (706-353-3244 / michelle@michelleroche.com) or call AthFest at 706-548-1973 or e-mail media@athfest.com.
  • 1998's KidsFest, a part of AthFest, was mentioned on the Wall Street Journal on March 22nd in the 'Features and Options' section of Hot Summer Festivals. Only 20 festivals from around the world were featured, including festivals in London, Edinburgh, Washington, D.C., Hollywood, and Aspen.
  • Contact us - Here's how:
    • E-mail: info@athfest.com
    • Phone: (706) 548-1973
    • Address: P.O. Box 327, Athens, GA  30603