Taste of Alpharetta is the free spring food festival downtown. The 2026 edition was May 14 with 75 restaurants; the 2027 date is not yet announced.

Last checked 2026-10-04. Facts come from the festival’s site, tasteofalpharettaga.com, and the City of Alpharetta’s event listing. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

Taste of Alpharetta is the city’s free spring food festival, held downtown on a Thursday evening. The most recent edition, the 34th, was Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 5 to 10 p.m., with 75 restaurants. The 2027 date has not been announced; the festival’s site still shows the 2026 date when we checked on Oct. 4. We will update this page when it is set.

Know before you go (2026 edition)

  • When: Thursday, May 14, 2026, 5 to 10 p.m. Next date not yet announced.
  • Where: downtown Alpharetta; the festival lists 50 Canton St.
  • Cost: free admission and free parking; food is bought with TasteBucks, $1 each
  • Kids: Kidz Zone wristband $15, or two for $25
  • Contact: City of Alpharetta special events, specialevents@alpharetta.ga.us

How it works

Admission is free. Food, drinks, activities and merchandise are paid for with TasteBucks, the festival’s digital currency, at $1 each. You buy them in the Taste of Alpharetta app or at tasteofalpharettaga.app and pay by scanning a QR code at each booth. You can also load a printed QR card at a ticket booth with a credit card. Samples cost $1 to $6, according to the city’s listing, and each restaurant sets its own price. The organizers suggest at least 40 TasteBucks per person, which they say covers about three to five samples and a few drinks. Unspent TasteBucks can be transferred to friends and family in the app.

2026 ticket prices, from the festival’s tickets page:

Item Price
TasteBucks $1 each
Kidz Zone wristband (unlimited rides, games, inflatables and challenge courses) $15
Two Kidz Zone wristbands $25
Early bird: 30 TasteBucks (until April 20) $25
Early bird: three Kidz Zone wristbands (until April 20) $30

Tickets for 2026 went on sale in mid-April, with the early bird bundles for about the first week. The 2027 prices have not been posted.

Rules worth knowing

From the festival’s FAQ:

  • Rain or shine. The festival goes ahead in wet weather.
  • Why Thursday: weekends are too busy for many restaurants, so a weeknight lets more of them take part.
  • No pets.
  • No outside alcohol. Beer and wine are sold at the beverage garden and drink stations; bring a photo ID.
  • Seating: some seating areas, and you may bring a chair for the Town Green lawn or the stage areas.
  • Lost and found: at the main info and ticket booth at Milton Avenue and Main Street.

Parking, shuttles and road closures

Parking and shuttles were free in 2026, according to the festival’s directions page.

Park and walk:

  • City Hall Parking Deck, 2 Park Plaza
  • Milton Avenue Parking Deck, 92 Milton Ave. (extra accessible parking on the first floor)
  • Alpharetta Community Center, 175 Roswell St.

Park and ride: shuttles ran every 10 to 15 minutes from 5 to 10 p.m. from Wacky World Playground, 1815 Old Milton Parkway, and the Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11915 Wills Road, to 88 Marietta St. Every shuttle lot had an accessible bus. No overnight parking.

Rideshare and transit: Uber and Lyft drop off at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. By MARTA, take the Red Line to North Springs Station and transfer to the 141 bus; the nearest stop is North Main and Academy streets.

2026 road closures ran from 4 a.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. Milton Avenue, Old Roswell Street, Commerce, Market, North Broad and South Broad streets closed completely. Canton Street closed from Old Milton Parkway to School Drive from 7:30 a.m., and Highway 9 closed from Academy Street to Old Milton Parkway from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. On-street parking closed at 4 a.m. on May 8, and cars left there were ticketed or towed.

The 2026 festival

  • 75 restaurants took part, from Andy’s Frozen Custard and Beto’s Tacos to Fogo de Chão, Ray’s at Killer Creek and Zuzu’s Kitchen. The festival limits entry to brick-and-mortar restaurants in Alpharetta or nearby. Full list: 2026 participating restaurants.
  • Live music on four stages: the Town Green, North Main, Beverage Garden and Roswell stages.
  • The Taste Lab: hands-on booths on local food, farming, water and composting, including the city’s Old Rucker Farm.
  • Culinary Competition winners, per the festival’s entertainment page: Best Appetizer, Beto’s Tacos; Best Entree, a tie between Amasa Mexican Kitchen and Jang Su Jang Korean B.B.Q.; Best Dessert, OneDayinParis.
  • People’s Choice: Beto’s Tacos, which also won Classic Comfort Food and Curb Appeal. Kids’ Choice went to Andy’s Frozen Custard and Boldest Bite to Ocean & Acre.

Frequently asked questions

When is Taste of Alpharetta 2027? The 2027 date has not been announced. The 2026 festival, the 34th, was Thursday, May 14, from 5 to 10 p.m. in downtown Alpharetta.

Is Taste of Alpharetta free? Admission and parking are free. Food samples are bought with TasteBucks, which cost $1 each; samples cost $1 to $6, the city says.

How many TasteBucks should I buy for Taste of Alpharetta? The organizers recommend at least 40 TasteBucks per person, which they say buys about three to five samples and a few drinks.

Where do I park for Taste of Alpharetta? Parking is free at the City Hall deck, 2 Park Plaza, the Milton Avenue deck, 92 Milton Ave., and the Alpharetta Community Center, 175 Roswell St. Free shuttles ran in 2026 from Wacky World Playground and the Wills Park Equestrian Center.

Can I bring my dog to Taste of Alpharetta? No. The organizers ask guests to leave pets at home.

What this means for you

  • The 2027 date is not out yet. We check the festival’s site and will add it here when it is posted.
  • Restaurants that want a booth apply through the festival’s restaurant application; the 2026 deadline was April 1.
  • If you live or work downtown, plan around the street closures and the on-street parking ban that starts days ahead.

Related: Alpharetta Restaurant Week, farmers markets and things to do this month.