The Old Fourth Ward is not merely a neighborhood; it is the engine of Atlanta's self-determination, with a history that predates the BeltLine and the breweries. This June, the community once again invites artists, dreamers, and curious souls to the 14th Annual Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival, held at Historic Fourth Ward Park along the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail. The free, all-ages event runs June 20–21, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with dogs welcome.
To understand why an arts festival belongs here—specifically here—requires looking back. The Old Fourth Ward was home to Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 as the only institution in Georgia created by, funded by, and exclusively for African Americans. Dr. Kevin E. James, president of Morris Brown College, noted that the college's original location was at the intersection of Boulevard and Houston Streets. As the college marks its 145th year and projects 20 percent enrollment growth for 2026–2027, its roots in the Old Fourth Ward remain a testament to enduring purpose. The neighborhood also gave Atlanta its iconic Ponce de León Avenue, named after natural springs discovered by a local physician in the late 1860s. Historic Fourth Ward Park sits near those springs today, its two-acre lake tapping the same water table that drew Victorian-era Atlantans.
After the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, the neighborhood reimagined itself around the Ponce de León Ballpark and an amusement complex, attracting Sears, Roebuck & Company to build its Southern Regional Distribution Center on Ponce de León Avenue—now Ponce City Market. The phrase "Old Fourth Ward" didn't technically exist until 1937, when Georgia legislators restructured Atlanta's ward system and residents informally adopted the name, which stuck even after the ward system was abolished in 1954. This makes O4W one of the few Atlanta communities to outlast the governmental structure that created it.
Public art has been woven into the fabric of the Old Fourth Ward long before the BeltLine's 2012 opening. From Living Walls murals to Sol LeWitt's permanent installation 54 Columns, artists like HENSE—whose large-scale abstract works have since attracted clients from Apple to the High Museum—cut their teeth on O4W's walls. The neighborhood didn't just host art; it became art.
Set against this layered history, the Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival is a celebration of what this neighborhood has always been: a place where creativity and community are inseparable. The festival features curated artist booths spanning paintings, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and woodwork, alongside live DJs, food, drinks, and a children's area. Admission is free, all ages are welcome, and dogs are invited. For more information, visit www.oldfourthwardparkartsfestival.com.
