Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences. 

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Thursday

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 

The orchestra welcomes Canadian piano virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin for a performance of Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Guest conductor Marzena Diakun opens the concert with Weinberg’s Rhapsody on Moldovan Themes and finishes the evening with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 (“Winter Daydreams”). Performances are at 8 p.m. on May 15 and May 17.

Friday

The Marietta Greek Festival celebrates Greek food and culture at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church with traditional Greek dishes, dance and other cultural performances. They’ll also offer tours of the church. It’s all happening May 16 through May 18.

Emily Vargas: Welcome Home

Emily Varga’ first solo show will open at The End Project Space, with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 16. The work was inspired by the artist’s most recent move. In a post on Instagram, Vargas writes that the move gave her “a heightened appreciation for everything that is embodied within places where a home is created.” The show continues through June 29.

Shapeshift

Spalding Nix Fine Art features works by Atlanta artists Peter Essick, John Dean, Jennifer McKinnon and Mary Stuart Walker. Essick’s Work in Progress is an ongoing series that captures Atlanta’s ever-changing landscape. Dean’s Cool Clear Hydrosphere is a photo series that depicts, in still life form, the mystery of the most precious and powerful life force on the planet: water. McKinnon’s Organic Landscapes is a tribute to the establishment of our national parks system through digitally and physically collaged photographs and materials that draw attention to our human impact on the environment. Walker’s A Momentary Territory documents our dynamic sky while standing on the Eastern Continental Divide. The show opens this weekend with receptions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 16 and noon to 4 p.m. on May 17.

Saturday

Kirkwood Spring Fling

Head to Bessie Branham Park for this yearly fundraiser for the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization. Many activities are free, including the artist market and the musical entertainment, but you’ll need to secure tickets for the Wing Fling and the tour of homes.

Virginia Highland Porchfest

Local musicians take to the porches of the Virginia-Highland district throughout the day, starting at 11 a.m. on May 17. You’ll also find an art market, food vendors and a children’s activities area. After 6 p.m., there will be performances at some of the local businesses in the district. Check the website for a map and schedule.

Sunday

Frühlingsfest

Frühlingsfest, which translates to “spring festival,” is happening May 18 at the Westside Provisions District. Sponsored by the Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta German Cultural Center, the fest will showcase 40 local artists and celebrate German culture, language and local artists. You can also sample authentic German cuisine and, of course, beer.

Kaki King

Atlanta native and innovative guitar virtuoso Kaki King plays the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth at 8 p.m. on May 18. In this solo performance, she’ll be performing music from all stages of her career and she promises a kid-friendly night for all ages. 

Sturgill Simpson

Simpson is back on the road, following a hiatus precipitated by a vocal cord injury in late 2021. At the time, he was touring following what he described as the last album under his own name. True to his word, his latest, Passage du Desir, was released under the name Johnny Blue Skies. But he’s still playing the music he released earlier in his career, mining a catalog that stretches back more than a decade. He’ll be at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre at 8 p.m. on May 17.

More things to do this weekend

Athens trio The Whigs will play at Terminal West at 8 p.m. on May 16 … Yola will bring her Sovereign Soul Tour to Variety Playhouse at 8 p.m. on May 16 … Inspired by I Love Lucy and The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Bridge Club focuses on an afternoon game of cards involving four post-WWII women as they seek the truth about a nasty rumor involving their friend. See it at 8 p.m. May 16 and May 17 and 3 p.m. May 18 at the Atlanta Theater on Arizona Avenue … Catch An Evening of Jazz with Brian Culbertson and Marcus Anderson at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton at 7 p.m. May 17. It’s one of many jazz, R&B and funk shows on the schedule there this summer and into fall. Upcoming performers include Lalah Hathaway, Boney James, Will Downing, Jonathan Butler and Robert Glasper … Northeast Atlanta Ballet presents Emperor and the Nightingale, based on a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, at 7:30 p.m. on May 17 and 2 p.m. May 18 at the Gas South Theater in Duluth … Bluegrass fusion outfit Tire Fire is up next in the Weekend Wind Down Concert Series at the Town Green Amphitheater in Avondale Estates (64 N. Avondale Road). The show happens from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 18, with more to come on June 15, September 14, October 12 and November 9.