Hi friends,
One of my favorite Mother's Day memories started with brunch at Barcelona and ended at TecaVino in Inman Park, sipping through a wine tasting with live music in the background. Nothing flashy, great family moments, good food, good pours, and the kind of unhurried afternoon that's harder to come by than it should be.
That's the energy I'm hoping you find this Sunday. Mother's Day lands on May 10, and the BeltLine corridor is showing up for mom in a big way, free festivals just steps off the trail, complimentary bubbly at neighborhood favorites, live music spilling onto patios. Whether you're treating your own mom or being treated, I rounded up the spots worth knowing about.
A heads up: this issue is hitting your inbox four days out. If something below catches your eye and it requires a reservation, don't wait.
xoxo, Holly 💛
🌿 Free festivals worth the walk
Sweet Auburn Springfest - 40th Annual Saturday, May 9 (11 a.m.–9 p.m.) & Sunday, May 10 (1 p.m.–8 p.m.)
The largest free street festival in Atlanta is back for its 40th year, and it lands right on Mother's Day weekend. Multi-stage live music, a "Taste of Springfest" food court spanning Southern classics to global cuisines, a kids' zone, parade, and history tours through the Sweet Auburn district. Easy walk from the Eastside Trail.
📍 230 John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE
Mother's Day in the Garden - Atlanta Botanical Garden Sunday, May 10
A bloom-filled day with live music, cocktails, and the Garden in full spring expression. Included with regular admission or membership — pair it with a stroll down the Eastside Trail and you've got the whole day mapped out.
📍 1345 Piedmont Ave NE
🥂 Glenwood Park's Mother's Day double feature
The little stretch of Glenwood Park is quietly stealing the weekend. Two of the neighborhood's best are rolling out the welcome mat for moms:
Lucia (Trattoria Lucia) - Sunday, May 10 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Every mom dining gets a complimentary strawberry mimosa, and they're raffling off a curated gift basket filled with local treats. Relaxed, charming, and exactly the BeltLine brunch energy you're hoping for. 📍 925 Garrett St | @eatluciaatl
Vesper - Sunday, May 10 Around the corner, Vesper is pouring complimentary glasses of bubbly for moms all day. The American tapas menu, zero-proof options, and intimate cocktail-bar vibe make it the kind of spot where the afternoon just keeps going. 📍924 Garrett St | @vesperatl
🎶 BeltLine brunch with a soundtrack
TWO Urban Licks - Sunday, May 10 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. brunch
A BeltLine staple for a reason. Live music, a high-energy dining room, and one of the best dog-friendly patios on the Eastside Trail. Dinner service follows brunch, so you can stretch the celebration if mom's not ready to call it.
twourbanlicks.com | @twourbanlicks
💐 Sweet Auburn BBQ rolls out the flowers
Sweet Auburn Barbecue - Sunday, May 10 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Smoky, flavor-packed brunch with a sweet touch, every mom gets a complimentary sangria and fresh flowers to take home. Low-key, thoughtful, and walkable from the BeltLine.
sweetauburnbbq.com | @sweetauburnbbq
🌷 For the hands-on mom
Kitty Dare - Mother's Day Flower Workshop Saturday, May 9 | 2:30–4:30 p.m.
A hands-on floral workshop with a local florist, bubbly, cocktails, and light bites. Stay for dinner and let the afternoon roll into evening. Just outside the BeltLine corridor in Grant Park, but worth the short hop.
kittydare.com | @kittydareatl
🌎 A Peruvian Mother's Day
Tio Lucho's - Sunday, May 10
If mom's the type who'd rather try something new than do another buffet, Tio Lucho's is plating up a Peruvian-inspired brunch rooted in seasonality and tradition. Intimate, layered, and a nice change of pace from the usual Mother's Day spread.
tioluchos.com | @tioluchos
🎨 One free, easy bonus
Free admission to the High Museum of Art Sunday, May 10 | UPS Second Sunday
Free entry for everyone… not just moms. Pair it with a BeltLine walk and lunch and you've got a full afternoon for $0.
Reply and tell me: where are you taking mom this weekend? (Or where are you hoping to be taken?) I'm always collecting intel on the spots worth covering and the readers who write back are how the best hidden gems end up in this newsletter.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, aunties, chosen family, and women holding it all together out there. 💐
Happy Mother’s Day,
Holly
