If you have ever wanted to visit Atlanta, the fall season is the perfect time to do so! With temperatures averaging between the 60s and the 80s, you’ll be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt most days and layer up with a simple light jacket in the evenings. Unlike most other locations in the U.S., Atlanta gets the least amount of rain during the month of October. It really is a golden time in the Peach State, as you’ll find plenty of outdoor events going on in and around the city, including country fairs, rock concerts and Atlanta Falcons football.

• FALL EVENTS in Atlanta are all about enjoying the fresh air. So get off the couch and head outside to one of these spectacular affairs!

• Sugar Hill Fall Festival
  Located in the Atlanta metro area, Sugar Hill is a quaint community situated near Lake Lanier and the Georgia Mountains. Since 2000, this charming city has held an annual Fall Festival where you can enjoy tasty food, live music, fun games, a car show, a parade, a 5K race and a chili cook-off! You might even get to meet a celebrity or two. This year’s guest is former Harlem Globetrotter, Michael Douglas. The festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit this Web site.
• Trout Fishing
  The fall season is an ideal time to catch some trout. When you are directly in the city, the only place you can go to do your fishin’ is to the infamous Chattahoochee River. Beginning at Lake Sidney Lanier and running just below the Buford Dam, this river is an artificially created fishery that is better known as “The Hooch” to the locals. You can fish all year round; however, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources enforces a Fall through Spring fishery that is single hook (catch and release only), between the dates of November 1 and May 14. So if you’re looking to fry up your catch, it’s best to fish in the early months of the autumn season. For a map of wading areas and entry points, click here.
• FREE Events in Piedmont Park
  When you want to spend some time outside, there’s really no better place to do that than at a park! There are always FREE events going on inside Piedmont Park throughout the fall season. You could get a tour of the BeltLine, take a historic tour of the park, go for a bird walk, visit the conservatory, learn some new gardening tricks and more. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information about Piedmont Park, and to check out a complete list of events, visit PiedmontPark.org.

Breaking News!! The Georgia State Fair will no longer be held during the third week of October. Although this festival will still take place in Macon, Georgia, it is now being held in the spring from April 29-May 9, 2010.

• ATLANTA SPORTING EVENTS are starting up again in the fall. You’ve got hockey and basketball coming back in October and sticking around all the way until spring!

• With football season in full swing, the NFL Atlanta Falcons are looking to make a better playoff run this year. After overcoming a dismal 4-12 record in 2007, the team shocked everyone by going 11-5 last year and making it to the post-season as the number five seed. Despite first-year coach Mike Smith being named NFL Coach of the Year and new quarterback Matt Ryan earning Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Falcons fell to the Arizona Cardinals (the future 2008 Super Bowl Champs) in the Wild Card round. The Falcons have some tough games coming up against Chicago, Dallas and New Orleans to name a few. For more info, visit Falcons.com.
• Things are looking up for the NBA Atlanta Hawks this year. In 2008, the team clinched a spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row. Unlike their run in 2007, which ended in the first round, last season, the Hawks defeated the Miami Heat in the first round after playing all seven games. Although they ended up getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Hawks performed the best they had ever played since 1997. If the team keeps up this pace year after year, they’ll have a championship ring in no time! For more information on game times and opponents, visit NBA.com/hawks.
• The NHL Atlanta Thrashers have only been around for 10 years, so it’s no wonder they haven’t come out on top just yet. They achieved a Southeast Division Title for the 2006-07 season, but the Thrashers have yet to make a good run for the Stanley Cup. Starting their 11th season this year, the team hopes to chase those dreams of winning the cup. After all, several notable teammates have been a part of bigger, better teams. For example, Vyacheslav Kozlov played for the Detroit Red Wings when they won two consecutive cups in the mid-90s. With a combination of knowledgeable veterans and skilled newcomers, the Thrashers have a lot of potential. For a complete schedule, visit Thrashers.nhl.com.

• CONCERTS in Atlanta are going on every single day… no joke! When you need an escape, you are sure to find a great musical event on any given night. Here are some cool acts to check out:

• Colbie Caillat: Monday, October 19, Variety Playhouse
• Marc Broussard: Friday, October 23, Center Stage Theatre
• Zac Brown Band: Friday, October 30, Fox Theatre Atlanta
• All That Remains, Saturday, November 7, Masquerade
• Ensiferum, Monday, November 9, Masquerade

For other acts, as well as scheduling and ticket info, visit Ticketmaster.com.