The Old Fourth Ward (O4W) is more than a trendy Atlanta neighborhood with craft breweries and BeltLine access. It is a historic community that shaped the city, and this June, its story takes center stage at the 14th Annual Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival. The free, two-day event, held June 20-21, 2026, at Historic Fourth Ward Park along the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, aims to showcase art and culture while honoring the area's deep roots.
Few know that O4W was home to Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 as the only institution in Georgia established by, funded by, and exclusively for African Americans. Dr. Kevin E. James, president of Morris Brown College, noted in the festival's announcement that the college's original location at Boulevard and Houston Streets in the Old Fourth Ward marks where its legacy began. Today, Morris Brown continues to thrive with projected enrollment growth of 20 percent in the 2026-2027 academic year, carrying forward its mission of empowerment.
The neighborhood also boasts iconic landmarks like Ponce de Leon Avenue, named after a local physician's natural springs in the late 1860s. Historic Fourth Ward Park's two-acre lake sits near those very springs, linking the present to Atlanta's Victorian-era past. After the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, O4W reinvented itself with a ballpark and amusement complex, attracting Sears to build its Southern Regional Distribution Center on Ponce de Leon Avenue — now known as Ponce City Market.
Public art has long been part of O4W's identity. From Living Walls murals to Sol LeWitt's permanent installation 54 Columns, the neighborhood served as a canvas for artists like HENSE, whose large-scale works later attracted clients from Apple to the High Museum. The arts festival continues this tradition, featuring curated artist booths with paintings, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and woodwork, alongside live DJs, food, and a children's area.
The phrase "Old Fourth Ward" emerged informally after Georgia's 1937 ward restructuring, and the name stuck even after the ward system was abolished in 1954. This resilience makes O4W one of the few Atlanta communities to outlast the governmental structure that created it. The festival, now in its 14th year, celebrates that enduring spirit.
For more details, visit the festival's website. The event is free, all ages, and dogs are welcome.
