Downtown streets close from 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, for the free Wire & Wood festival. The closures, where to park, the seven stages and when headliners play.
Main Street, Milton Avenue and most of the streets around City Center close next weekend for the 13th Wire & Wood Songwriters Festival. The free festival runs Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10, with more than 40 performances on seven stages, the city said in its Sept. 14 announcement.
The closures start before the music and end in the early hours of Sunday. Here is what closes and when, from the festival’s plan your visit page.
Road closures
| When | What closes |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | North Broad Street, the curb lane next to the Town Green |
| 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, to 4 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 | Milton Avenue from Roswell Street/Canton Street to Main Street |
| Same hours | Old Roswell Street from the parking lot entrance to Milton Avenue |
| Same hours | Commerce Street, North and South Broad streets and Market Street |
| Same hours | Park Plaza from Academy Street to the parking deck entrance |
| 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, to 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 | Main Street (state Route 9) from Milton Avenue to Old Milton Parkway |
Main Street reopens overnight. It opens at midnight Friday and closes again at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to the festival.
Main Street is a state route and a main north-south road through downtown. Drivers heading through on Friday afternoon or Saturday should plan another way around. Our road construction and closures page covers the other work on Main Street and Georgia 400.
Getting there and parking
The festival lists three places to park:
- the City Hall parking deck, 2 Park Plaza
- the Roswell Street lot, 45 Roswell St.
- the parking deck at 90 Milton Ave., reached through the Roswell Street lot
By car from Georgia 400 north, the festival says to take Exit 9, Haynes Bridge Road. Uber and Lyft drop-offs and pickups go to Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave.
By transit, take the MARTA Red Line to North Springs Station, then the 141 or 185 bus. The festival says MARTA runs until 1 a.m. on weekdays and 12:30 a.m. on weekends.
When the music plays
The city lists festival hours as 6 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The first Saturday set on the festival’s published schedule starts at noon.
The headline sets are on the Main on Milton stage:
- Friday, 9:15 p.m.: Corey Smith
- Saturday, 9:15 p.m.: Sister Hazel
Other acts named by the city include Crystal Bowersox, Blair Crimmins and the Hookers, J.R. Moore of Ingram Hill, Liz Longley, Michael Tolcher and Friends, Kristina Murray, Spencer Thomas, Cat Ridgeway, Caleb Caudle and Lily Grace.
The seven stages on the schedule are:
- Main on Milton
- Town Green
- City Hall
- Market Street
- North Main Street Park
- Formal Garden
- Truck & Tap, new this year
Truck & Tap also hosts the official after-party at 10:30 p.m. both nights.
The one ticketed show
The Listening Room is Saturday at Roaring Social. It features David Lowery, Angie Aparo and David Ryan Harris. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the music starts at 3 p.m., the schedule says.
Tickets are $30. The city says net proceeds go to its Music Match program. Everything else at the festival is free.
Beyond the stages
- The Music Makers Market sells work by local artists and makers.
- The Live Art Lounge fills Commerce Street, next to the Town Green stage, with artists working during the festival.
- Food booths from local restaurants are spread through the festival area, the city said.
The festival is produced by the City of Alpharetta with the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
What it means for you
- Avoid downtown by car from Friday morning until early Sunday if you are not going. Main Street closes between Milton Avenue and Old Milton Parkway.
- Park early. The festival names three city lots and decks; it does not say how many spaces they hold.
- Use rideshare drop-off at Innovation Academy, not on a closed street.
- Buy Listening Room tickets ahead if you want to go. It is the only limited-capacity show.
- See the rest of October in our things to do this month guide.