Downtown Atlanta's central green is adding a soundtrack to the end of the work week. Live from Woodruff Park is a free series of outdoor concerts that puts local performers in front of anyone who wanders into Woodruff Park on a Thursday evening, with sets running from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
The fall 2024 run covers six Thursdays, starting October 10 and wrapping up November 14. There is no ticket and no cover charge, so the only real decision is how long to stay.
The series is pitched as family-friendly and open to every age. Organizers encourage people to bring a picnic basket, a blanket or a folding chair and settle onto the lawn for the evening's music.
The park sits at 91 Peachtree Street NW in the Fairlie-Poplar district, framed by Peachtree Street, Edgewood Avenue, Auburn Avenue and Park Place. Its six acres are ringed by government offices, businesses and Georgia State University buildings, and the space serves as a natural meeting point for a wide cross-section of Atlantans as well as a launching spot for exploring downtown and the neighborhoods around it.
It was once called Central City Park. Its renovation was made possible by a donation from Robert W. Woodruff, the former Coca-Cola Company president whose name it now carries. Today the grounds include playgrounds and fountains, among them the Woodruff Park Fountain, and the Downtown Clean Team helps keep the space in shape.
Thursday concerts join a calendar of signature gatherings in the park, from the WoodRUFF Bark Dog Parade to an annual German Bierfest. Public art has been part of that mix too, as covered in our look back at two years of ART in the PARK at Woodruff Park.
Few downtown venues are easier to reach without a car. MARTA buses serve the area, and the park sits between two rail stations: Five Points and Peachtree Center. Five Points is the slightly shorter walk. From there, head up to street level using the Peachtree Street exit, turn left and walk roughly one block.
Riders on the Red or Gold lines can also use Peachtree Center. Follow signs for the Ellis Street exit at the south end of the platform, then follow signs toward Peachtree Street. Choosing the East exit puts you on the same side of the street as the park; turn left on Peachtree to arrive.
The Atlanta Streetcar has two stops inside the park itself, Park Place and Woodruff Park, and a Relay Bike Share hub is on site for anyone pedaling in.
For a free hour and a half of local music under the downtown skyline, a Thursday on the lawn is an easy way to close out the day.
Original reporting by Hilda for Atlanta on the Cheap.