Photo illustration by Gluekit. Dragon Con photographs courtesy of Dragon Con Photography. Cersei courtesy of HBO.
Dragon Con
September 1 to 4
Cardboard superheroes and cosplay creatures from across the sci-fi spectrum march down Peachtree Street for the 31st annual geek get-together. Catch panels with everyone from Doctor Who’s Matt Smith and Karen Gillian to Star Trek legend William Shatner. dragoncon.org
Illustration by Khoa Tran
AJC Decatur Book Festival
September 1 to 3
When organizers of the Decatur Book Festival started pitching the idea in the mid-2000s, publishers said that Atlanta wasn’t a reading city. Today authors ask festival staff to be included. The Labor Day weekend event—the largest book festival in the nation—attracts crowds of up to 80,000 people to hear 600 writers. This year’s guest list proves the prestige with Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Wesley Lowery, The Leftovers’ Tom Perrotta, and more. decaturbookfestival.com
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
September 7 to 17
Downtown’s Theatrical Outfit and Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre team up on Victor Hugo’s classic tale of Quasimodo and his love for Esmeralda. The Oscar-nominated score pairs Wicked’s lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, with Beauty and the Beast composer Alan Menken. theatricaloutfit.org
Photograph by Adam J. Kurtz/courtesy of MODA
Text Me: How We Live Language
September 16 to February 4, 2018
From signage to social media, MODA explores how contemporary typography influences society. Curated by Design Matters podcast host Debbie Millman, the exhibition includes works by more than 50 artists, designers and writers, including Shepard Fairey and Neil Gaiman. museumofdesign.org
Photograph by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Music Midtown
September 16 and 17
Bruno Mars brings some of that uptown funk to Piedmont Park as he headlines the sixth year since this festival’s return. Also hear Atlanta rapper Future, British folk rockers Mumford & Sons, and Blink-182, along with 30 other acts. musicmidtown.com
This article originally appeared in our September 2017 issue.
