Photograph from the 2023 ELEVATE Atlanta Competition. (Photograph courtesy of ELEVATE / OCA)
Each fall since 2011, artists and cultural leaders come collectively to rejoice Atlanta’s wealthy cultural heritage by way of public artwork, block events, music and dance. The three-day 2025 ELEVATE Atlanta Competition is themed “Rooted & Rising” — a nod to the cultural rise of town from the late ’80s by way of the early 2000s, a time of immense progress and growth that helped to cement Atlanta’s standing as a cultural capital of the world.
This 12 months’s Competition, which kicks off tonight and runs by way of Sunday night, unites the ideas of cultural preservation and wellness. As written in an announcement from the organizers, ELEVATE “acknowledges the rituals, areas and tales of Black Atlanta as important to collective therapeutic and neighborhood well-being.” This 12 months’s Competition enlisted curators Courtney Brooks, Melissa Alexander and SLW & Regular Productions to spotlight the methods through which Atlanta continues to develop with out dropping contact with its roots.
Right here’s this weekend’s lineup:
Friday, on the Steele Bridge:
“Steele Recent,” curated by Courtney Brooks
Soul Recent Sound Bowl Expertise led by Ebony Black. 5 p.m.-6 p.m.
DJ Rasyrious spinning tunes, 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
Artistic and Cultivated Stay Artwork & Distributors Market that includes ComfiArt, The Narrative, EveryThang Dope, Journey of a Black Lady, Umi Say Candles and Nourish Botanica, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Style runway present that includes Wild Seed Butik, 8011, Abeille Creations and Selara Regalia, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Spoken Phrase efficiency with Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. and Adán Bean, 8:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m.
Stay music efficiency by Tiffany Goode and the Goode Stuff Expertise, 9 p.m.-10 p.m.
Funky Recent After Get together at Smokey Stallion Bistro, 10 p.m.-midnight.
Friday, in Castleberry Hill:
ZuCot Gallery is a highlighted cease on the Castleberry Hill Artwork Stroll, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday, at Woodruff Park:
A brand new artwork set up and wellness occasion caused by Atlanta Downtown and Dashboard will remodel the grounds of Woodruff Park with installations by artists Lisa Li, Dana Haugaard and Ellex Swavoni, in addition to a wind cellphone put in by The Grief Home.
Free HIIT health class by Group RGB Expertise, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Free yoga class by Camrei and soundbath by Oyah, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Stay harp music by Sonia and meals from Easy N Groove, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Saturday, at Atlanta Underground:
“The Tradition Comb-Out,” curated by Melissa Alexander
The Nook Retailer Market will host DJ Rock Most spinning tunes whereas guests store from Metropolis within the Woods, Chilly-O Co, Plant Woman Juice Co, R-Ki-Tekt, Legends Barber Store and extra, Midday-5 p.m.
The Crown Basic Hair Showdown, which is a ’90s-inspired hair competitors hosted by Madam CJ and judged by a panel of esteemed hairstylists that features Ricci de Forrest, Marlie Mahogony and Shara McHale, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
Inside Underground — guests can roam by way of open studios of resident artists and store from Mother Mentioned It’s Superb’s inventive property sale, beginning at 5 p.m.
Sunday, on the West Aspect:
“Welcome to the Westside,” curated by SLW & Regular Productions
The Future Is Ours — Westview Artist + Makers Market at Westview Nook Grocery options a lot of distributors promoting classic clothes, collectibles and artwork themed round ’80s to 2000s Atlanta tradition, together with DJs spinning tunes, open mic and stay music, Midday-5 p.m.
The Westview Makers House — Exploratory periods embody courses in cobbling, pottery, capoeira and a historical past of rhythm and drum circle, Midday-5 p.m.
Beneath Influenced, a pop-up exhibition at Pop-Up Gallery, curated by Eugene Byrd of the Future Useless Artists and SLW & Regular Productions, will embody an artist Q&A, Midday-5 p.m.
The Pearl Cleage & Zaron Burnett Heart for Tradition & Creativity will host a panel on balancing legacy and cultural preservation with a futuristic mind-set, 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. Additionally, don’t miss Stay at Membership Zebra, a movie screening and dialogue moderated by Dr. N’Kosi Oates that can interact Pearl Cleage and Zaron Burnett together with the filmmakers of The Palette Group, David and Matthew Adeboye, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.