Lemonade Days Festival is held at
Brook Run Park in Dunwoody (4770 North Peachtree Road) starting Wednesday and here is the current weather forecast as I see it Monday evening.
Dunwoody's Annual Spring Festival, Lemonade Day's presented by the Dunwoody Preservation Trust remembering the tornado of 1998 that flattened sections of our community, snapped trees like twigs and took a mans life
has returned to the typical April timeframe this year and it looks like
the weather will be great all weekend! We are once again
making Lemonade from Lemons and am hopeful for a sweet event. A personal thank you to Hope Follmer and all the volunteers & sponsors who assist in making this a fabulous event.
Based
on past experience, I can tell you that Wednesday & Thursday are
the best days to purchase a wristband for unlimited rides as the crowds
are light and the lines extremely short. The cost of wristbands on Wednesday & Thursday is $20.00 but the cost jumps to $30 starting Friday. If your children don't have
after school commitments on these days you may want to visit these days to maximize your ride per dollar ratio as the numbers will typically drop significantly come the weekend.
A large number Middle
School Students will make a bee line to Brook Run after school on
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday as there is a secure book bag check in
area at the festival to ensure those Chromebooks do not get lost. Middle Schooler's running in packs at Lemonade Day's without direct
parental oversight is a right of passage for many as the park is safe
because the crowd is all local until about 7 pm on Friday when the
carnival area is taken over by teenagers & college kids with cars.
Friday night usually gets busy and then on Saturday and Sunday the park
is over run with visitors from near & far.
Parents, please
note that there is now a dedicated drop off / pick up point in the new
parking lot as you enter Brook Run on Peeler Rd and take a left
immediately after crossing the walking / bike trail as this location has
easy access into the park, a well lit parking lot with a pavilion and a
restroom.
Besides the carnival rides, the food choices for festival goers
will include everything from hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and BBQ to
foods with a tropical, Italian, Greek and/or Hispanic flair. For those
just wanting a snack, there will be popcorn, funnel cakes and pretzels
and for a cool treat yogurt, Italian ice and ice cream. Cold craft and
domestic beer and delicious wine are also available.
Food venders include: Chick-fil-A Dunwoody Coco Bongo Tropical Delights Country Cabin Sweets & Treats Greek Tavern Mexican Fiesta King of Pops The Mad Italian Midway Munchies Bid Daddy Dane’s BBQ PTR Concessions Repicci’s Italian Ice Roy’s Royal Dogs Shock Top, Lemon Shandy & Bud Light Soul Truckin Good Top Job Wine
The 2024 Dunwoody Authors Bookstore at Lemonade Days
(open Saturday & Sunday) is delighted to bring you local authors
and friends! Each of the featured authors will have their fabulous
works for purchase at the booth and will be available to sign your
copy. Check the schedule here.
Another
highlight of the festival is the Children's Petting Zoo & Pony
Rides which is only available on Saturday & Sunday; the weekend also
brings various vendors at the County Store selling arts & crafts,
there is music everyday starting Thursday
and then there is the Dunwoody Idol music competition happening on Saturday. Finally, on Sunday there will be a number of Dance performances available for entertainment.
Parking for Lemonade Days is available at:
- St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church (directly across from entrance)
- Kingswood United Methodist Church
- St. Barnabas Church
- Peachtree Middle School (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only)
- Back of Brook Run Park - new back entrance available on Barclay next to Fire Station.
Some Parking Areas Are Paid Parking
Please be conscious of NO Parking signs during Sunday Church schedules and nearby neighborhoods.
Uber/Lyft/Parent Drop-off & Pick-up will be located in the 90 spot parking area in front of the small pavilion across from the Great Lawn. Look for the sign.
Brook Run Dog Park: If you’re planning on using the
Dog Park at Brook Run, we won’t get in your way at all. Just please use
the Peeler Road entrance to the Park, and a friendly volunteer will
point you in the right direction from there. SORRY, NO PETS ALLOWED in the Festival Area.
I will be at the festival the first couple of days so if
you see me at the event, please pull me aside to introduce yourself as I
would love to chat to hear what is on your mind. Thanks John
Heneghan
