ATLANTA, GA — The Old Fourth Ward, a neighborhood synonymous with Atlanta's civil rights legacy, holds stories that extend far beyond its most famous resident, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This June, the 14th Annual Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival, set for June 20–21, 2026, at Historic Fourth Ward Park, will celebrate the neighborhood's layered past and its vibrant present. The free event, which welcomes all ages and dogs, features curated artist booths, live DJs, food, and a children's area, all against the backdrop of the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.
To understand why an arts festival belongs here, one must delve into the neighborhood's history. The Old Fourth Ward was home to Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 as the only institution of higher learning in Georgia founded by, completely funded by, and created exclusively for African Americans. Dr. Kevin E. James, president of Morris Brown College, noted the institution's deep roots: "Morris Brown College was established on January 5, 1881, by the Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Atlanta, Georgia—born in the heart of the Old Fourth Ward." The college's legacy continues as it marks its 145th year with projected enrollment growth of 20 percent for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The neighborhood also gave Atlanta its iconic Ponce de Leon 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 anchoring the same water table that drew Victorian-era Atlantans. After the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, the area reimagined itself around the Ponce de Leon Ballpark and an amusement complex, which later attracted Sears, Roebuck & Company to build its Southern Regional Distribution Center—now Ponce City Market.
The phrase "Old Fourth Ward" technically emerged in 1937 when Georgia legislators restructured Atlanta's ward system, and residents informally adopted the name. The ward system was abolished in 1954, but the neighborhood retained its identity, making it one of the few Atlanta communities to outlast the governmental structure that created it.
Public art has long been a part of O4W's fabric, predating the BeltLine's 2012 opening. From Living Walls murals to Sol LeWitt's permanent installation 54 Columns, the neighborhood has been a canvas for artists like HENSE, whose large-scale abstract works have attracted clients from Apple to the High Museum. The festival continues this tradition, offering a space where creativity and community intertwine.
The festival is organized by Shawn Morgan, a luxury residential specialist with Compass Atlanta, who brings a depth of market intelligence from his 30 years at Unilever and an MBA thesis on Atlanta's 242 neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.oldfourthwardparkartsfestival.com.
