Welcome to 2025! Now that the holidays are passed, you may be looking for things to do in January in Atlanta. This is your monthly guide to free and cheap fun in the chilly month of January.

Below, you’ll find an overview of January events, plus activities that are free, cheap, or discounted. Sometimes we throw in a splurge alert item that we think is especially notable.

REMINDER:
Before making plans for a restaurant, special exhibit, concert, trampoline, or spa treatment, make sure to check Groupon for a deal! You can often save 50% or more.

January in Atlanta: top things to do this month

Below the spotlighted events, you’ll find a day-by-day listing of January events.

Even if you’re not going to the Peach Bowl game, you can head to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl FanFest at the Georgia World Congress Center.

FanFest takes place from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
It is FREE to attend.

If you’ve never been to FanFest, it’s a giant indoor fan experience featuring 200,000 sq. feet of interactive attractions, like punting/passing/kicking games, obstacle courses, and zip lining.

Enjoy these free museum days in January

• The Georgia Aquarium offers you FREE admission on your birthday — so all of you January babies are in luck!
Details on the Aquarium offer
Can’t go for free on your b-day? Check out this Groupon deal!

•  The High Museum of Art hosts its Second Sundays FREE day on January 12, 2025.
Details on Second Sundays at the High

• The High Museum also hosts its FREE Access For All program on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 — you need to register in advance for this one.

•  The Museums On Us program offers FREE admission to Bank of America cardholders at two metro-area museums on January 4th and 5th. This includes the High Museum and Atlanta History Center.
Details on Museums On Us

• The Jimmy Carter Museum and Library offers FREE admission on January 9th, which is the National Day of Mourning for President Carter. More info

• The Marietta History Center hosts its FREE monthly Family Fun Day on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

• The Carlos Museum hosts its Sunday FUNday event on January 5, 2025. This is a is a FREE drop-in program for all families and includes admission to the galleries. First come, first served, while supplies last. No registration is required.

• These museums are offering free admission, some with special programming, over the MLK Day holiday weekend:

• Atlanta History Center (free day is Jan. 18 – reserve here)

Stone Mountain Christmas + North Pole Experience

Running thru Jan. 5, 2025
Stone Mountain Park

If you missed this joyful, bright attraction in December, you have a few chances to visit in January. This year, the Skyride is recreated as North Pole Experience — and you can add a ticket to your Attractions Pass at a steep discount, thanks to a Groupon deal.

Celebrate Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes)

The 12 days of Christmas end on January 6th each year. The day is known as Three Kings Day, Dia de Los Reyes, Epiphany, and Twelfth Night. It marks the event of the three wise men arriving at the stable in Bethlehem.
View our list of Three Kings Day celebrations

If you’re looking for traditional Rosca de Reye, we suggest visiting one of the many Panaderias (Hispanic bakeries) along Buford Hwy — or google for one near you.

Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year

Celebrate the Year of the Snake in 2025!
The Lunar New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

In connection with  the Chinese Lunar New Year, there will be festivals, cultural events, and traditional music and food all around Atlanta.
Find a Lunar New Year event

Last call for holiday lights!

Act quickly and take advantage of the Value Days discount for Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The lights are on through January 12, 2024, and prices drop after the holiday rush.
Find discounts for holiday light shows that run thru January.

Play in the snow… or on the ice

The Snow Island winter fun park is open at Lanier Islands on weekends through February 25, 2025. You can play in the snow, tube down a huge snow hill, ice skate, and more.

You can also visit a seasonal ice rink — most stay open through the MLK Day holiday, which is January 20 in 2025.
These include:

• Park Tavern
• Avalon on Ice
• Ice Days in Olde Town Conyers
• Atlantic Station

See a temporary attraction before it’s gone

Check out one of these special exhibitions in 2025.

• Repticon — Jan. 4 and 5 at the Gwinnett Count Fairgrounds
• Boat show — Jan. 9 to 12 at the World Congress Center
• Model Train show — Jan. 25 & 26 at the Southern Museum (Kennesaw)
• Enchanted Woodland Trail — thru Feb. 28th at Chattahoochee Nature Center
• Illuminights Chinese Lantern Festival — thru Jan. 15th at Zoo Atlanta

Make a plan for MLK Day

Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrate the spirit of peace.
Martin Luther King Day is on Monday, January 20, 2025.
Every year, we put together a huge list of special MLK Day events and observances.

Hang out with alpacas

Every Saturday & Sunday in January
Creekwater Alpaca Farm
2812 Centerville Rosebud Rd SW
Snellville, GA 30039

This Gwinnett County farm is open to the public on weekends. The admission fee for the barn tours includes one bag of feed, so you can give the friendly alpacas a healthy snack when you visit them in their pens. According to the farm’s website, tour groups are limited to around 10 people and happen at an easy pace.
Get more details

Experience the magic of a Candlelight Concert

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations around metro Atlanta.

These are live performances in intimate venues, lit by flickering candles. The concerts range from iconic classical music to tributes to pop artists like Adele and Queen.
More info and tickets

Horizon of Kufu: Take a virtual reality trip thru ancient Egypt

Horizon of Khufu has landed in Atlanta, completely reshaping the immersive experience. Step back into the golden age of ancient Egypt, where you can relive the reign of King Khufu and explore the iconic pyramids from 4500 years ago.
The 45-minute virtual reality experience costs $27 for adults, and $24 for kids, seniors, military, and students.
It’s located in the same building as the Illuminarium, at 550 Somerset Terrace NE, Atlanta 30306.
More info and get tickets

Take a scenic drive

Get away from the bustle of the city without going far from home. The South Fulton Scenic Byway has been called the loneliest road in metro Atlanta — and it is so gorgeous, you won’t believe you’re still in Fulton County. Enjoy the winter landscape from the comfort of your car.
Get the route details

Buy local at winter farmers markets

There is a farmers market happening somewhere on nearly every day of the week. Check out our full schedule of markets, organized by day of the week and location. We also let you know which markets double EBT dollars.
Find a farmers market near you

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

This immersive exhibit lets you step into a Van Gogh painting as you explore his life and work through 360-degree digital projections and a virtual reality excursion through the French countryside. It’s running all month long — so you can treat your mom for Mother’s Day!
More info and tickets

Get outside for some woodland walks and easy hikes

• Cobb County Trail of the Month program will meet at Mabry Farm Park (Marietta), on January 25, 2025. Register in advance.

• Wednesday morning group walks at Mason Mill Park are lead by a guide, starting at 10 a.m. on third Wednesdays — that’s January 15th, 2025.

• Here’s a short list of some of our favorite shaded walks to do on your own:

• Stroll around the lake and thru the woods at Murphey-Candler Park
• Visit old homestead ruins on the nature trail at Mary Scott Nature Park
• Walk the paved trail at the Peachtree Creek Greenway