Sweet Auburn Springfest Draws Crowds Downtown

If anyone had a doubt that Sweet Auburn knows how to party, this weekend offered evidence to the contrary. The 32nd annual Sweet Auburn Springfest drew tens of thousands of people to the burgeoning, transit-connected district for three days of music, shopping, and food.

Under clear skies, the streets around the area were packed — even the streetcar had riders cruising between the festival and Peachtree Street — with people coming to and from the festival.

Irwin Street was the heart of the action, with a stage featuring live music and food vendors selling everything from piña colada-filled pineapples to deep-fried Oreos. The underpass below the Connector provided a shaded haven for thousands, who packed the area wall-to-wall.

With more than a half-mile of things to see and do along Bell, Hilliard, and Irwin streets, and even more going on in the neighborhoods surrounding, the Sweet Auburn Springfest provided evidence that a dynamic neighborhood exists on the east side of downtown.