This is the week the fall season officially kicks off across NW Metro Atlanta. The North Georgia State Fair opens in Marietta tonight, the Cherokee County Fair is running in Canton, Riverfest lands this weekend, and a wave of new restaurants, trail work, and school news is shaping how these communities feel right now. We track these stories because they tell you what a community is really like to live in, not just what the listings say.
Whether you are thinking about buying, selling, or relocating, a city's food scene signals its economic energy. Its parks and trails reveal its priorities. And its schools and public projects shape daily life and home values for years. Here is what is happening across Marietta, Acworth, Kennesaw, Woodstock, Canton, Cartersville, and Dallas as we close out September.
Marietta: The State Fair Opens Tonight and the Dining Scene Keeps Growing
North Georgia State Fair: Opening Night Is Tonight
The North Georgia State Fair runs September 24 through October 4 at Jim R. Miller Park, and this year's theme is "Fair Nights under Stars and Stripes." Opening night tonight features free admission and a $25 pay-one-price unlimited-rides deal, with gates opening at 4 p.m. Expect new midway rides, live shows, fair food, and sensory-friendly hours throughout the run. It has been a Marietta tradition for generations, and it is the surest sign that fall has arrived.
Three New Restaurants to Know Near the Square
Fin & Feathers is opening at 16 Atlanta Street, the former Carmen's Kitchen & Cocktails spot, serving Southern comfort food, seafood, steaks, and brunch just steps from the Square. Solar Slice is bringing a second location to Sandy Plains Marketplace in the former MOD Pizza space, pairing its thin-crust pizza with arcade games. And at 2100 Roswell Road, Mezza Luna Pasta and Seafood is being converted into Trattoria Bella this month. The Square and its surrounding corridors keep adding reasons to linger over dinner.
School News: Marietta City Schools Launches an AI Pilot
Marietta City Schools announced a new AI pilot program partnership on September 21, focused on data security and responsible technology use in classrooms. Families considering Marietta have long pointed to the district's attention to innovation, and this pilot continues that pattern. Separately, drivers should know the Marble Mill Road railroad crossing is closed this week (September 21-25) while CSX replaces the crossing surface, so plan a detour if the Square is in your route.
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Acworth: Tap Town Is Open and the Farmers Market Adds Saturdays
Tap Town Is Open Daily on Cherokee Street
Tap Town, the lakehouse-inspired gathering place at 4443 Cherokee Street from the owners behind 1885, is now open daily and taking reservations. It operates Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a Sunday brunch served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where we once reported it as nearing its debut, it is now firmly part of Acworth's downtown dining rotation alongside 1885 and Red Top Brewhouse.
A Busy Week Downtown
The Open-Air Artisan Showcase takes over Town Square Drive on Friday, September 25, a chance to shop local makers in the heart of downtown. The Historic Downtown Acworth Farmers Market continues at Logan Farm Park with both Friday and Saturday hours (8 a.m. to noon), a change the city celebrated this year after adding Saturdays. And Cauble Park Phase I, the roughly three-acre modern redesign of the lakefront park, is complete, giving residents one more reason to spend a weekend afternoon by the water.
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Kennesaw: New Sandwiches, New Ramen, and a Fresh Fall Calendar
Three Dining Additions to Watch
Nicky's Undefeated soft-opened September 3 in the former Burger 21 space, serving Philadelphia and South Jersey style sandwiches, from cheesesteaks and hoagies to chicken cutlets and Italian roast pork. Momoyama Ramen & Hawaiian BBQ is taking over the former Sushi Yu space at 2615 George Busbee Parkway. And Poké House, a California-based poke chain, has committed to Barrett Corners Phase III, the retail center replacing the former LA Fitness on Barrett Parkway, though the franchisee expects a 2027 or early 2028 opening. Meanwhile Wayback Burgers continues to target a fall opening at 2774 Cobb Parkway.
The Fall Calendar Fills In
The free First Friday Concert Series returns October 3 with Groove Daddies, and the 7th annual Scarecrows on Main display will soon line downtown streets. The Southern Museum hosts its Haunted Spirits Halloween evening on October 23. And residents recently made the case to the city for a new playground and pollinator garden at Depot Park, a nice reminder that the community helps shape what downtown becomes. In a quieter piece of news, Town Center at Cobb changed hands again in August when Ardent took control after foreclosure, so expect the mall's management and leasing to evolve.
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Woodstock: Apple Day, Jazz Nights, and a Park That Will Change the Map
Two Evenings and a Saturday Morning
Downtown Woodstock is in its element this week. Jazz Night is set for Friday, September 25 at The Reeves House, and Farm Fresh Fun: Apple Day takes over the Farm Fresh Market at 105 Elm Street on Saturday, September 26 starting at 8:30 a.m. Then Kickoff to Oktoberfest lands at Adair Park on October 2, opening the city's longest-running fall celebration.
New Dining Lands Near Adair Park
Oishii Sushi Noodle Bar is opening soon on North Main near Adair Park, joining a pipeline that includes Paloma Tequila and Tacos and Isabella's Mediterranean. Chef William Sigley of Prime 120 is also launching Roberto's Deluxe, a new venture that adds another chef-driven option to the walkable core. The city's dining districts keep compounding, and that is a strong signal for anyone weighing where to buy.
Little River Park Takes Shape
The Little River Park project, a 110-acre park that will be the largest in the city and roughly double Woodstock's greenspace, is under active construction. Work on the park's multiuse trail, the Linear Corridor, is underway with soil excavation and trail installation in progress. Few things move the needle on quality of life like a big new park, and this one will be worth watching for families planning to live here over the next few years.
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Canton: The Fair Is Back, Riverfest Lands This Weekend, and the Schools Keep Moving
A Big Weekend at Etowah River Park
The Cherokee County Fair has returned to Canton for the week, and the 42nd annual Riverfest Arts & Crafts Festival takes over Etowah River Park on September 26-27, drawing well over 25,000 visitors with hundreds of vendors. It is one of the biggest community weekends of the year in Cherokee County, and an ideal way to experience Canton's riverfront energy.
Downtown Keeps Widening Its Appeal
Canton expanded its entertainment district in late August, so open-container walking downtown now extends to The Mill on Etowah, the future West Main Street pedestrian corridor, and the future North Street redevelopment site, in addition to Main Street. A new Cajun restaurant downtown has been one of the most-talked-about openings in the area, and First Fridays continue on October 2 with an "On the Border" tribute concert.
School and Job News Worth Knowing
Cherokee County School District launched its new community-built five-year strategic plan, "Elevate 2032," on September 17, and nine CCSD seniors were named 2027 National Merit Semifinalists earlier in the month. The new Cherokee High School campus opened August 3 and students are now fully settled in. On the employment side, Commercial Bank & Business Equipment is building a 130,000-square-foot corporate headquarters at Canton Corporate Park near I-575, a project expected to create about 70 jobs, and the county is exploring a downtown purchase for 220 new parking spaces to support the growing core.
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Cartersville: A New Chick-fil-A Is Open and October Events Are Set
Chick-fil-A North Cartersville
The new Chick-fil-A at 2000 Highway 20, across from the Savoy Automobile Museum, is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is run by local owner-operator Alex Gomez, a 28-year Chick-fil-A veteran. It is the third Cartersville location, and it gives the growing Highway 20 corridor one more family-friendly anchor. New drive-thru capacity matters to residents who remember watching lines stack up on football Fridays.
October's Calendar Is Nearly Full
The Great Locomotive Chase festival runs October 3-4 in nearby Adairsville, the Georgia Tasting Festival takes over Founders Park downtown on October 11, and the Cartersville Fall Festival follows on October 24 on Pine Grove Road. Bartow families also started the school year with a change worth noting: elementary schools moved to a 7:50 a.m. start time for 2026-27 to improve bus transportation and instructional time.
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Dallas: Downtown Dining and the Hospital Expansion Keep Moving
Main Street Adds Another Reason to Visit
Farm Dogs Grill & Tap is open at 214 Main Street in downtown Dallas, serving handcrafted burgers, gourmet hot dogs, tacos, cold beer, and ice cream in the former Dallas Grill space. It joins the pipeline that includes Dallas Melt Yard, the restaurant, bar, and retro arcade concept slated for a former car dealership at 300 West Memorial Drive. Small-town downtowns live or die by exactly these kinds of additions, and Dallas keeps making them.
Healthcare and Housing Keep Scaling Up
WellStar Paulding Medical Center's roughly $300 million expansion, including a new eight-story tower, remains on track with Phase 1 beds expected in November 2027, and the District at Dallas mixed-use project is moving forward as the anchor of downtown revitalization. For buyers, the combination of new dining, hospital growth, and new rooftops is the clearest possible sign of a community investing in itself.
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Why This Matters for Buyers and Sellers
The restaurants, parks, schools, and projects coming to a community tell you where it is headed. A fair that fills a county fairground says a city knows how to gather. A new park doubling a town's greenspace says quality of life is a priority. A district's AI pilot says its schools are thinking forward. Those signals matter for your resale value and for your day-to-day happiness.
That is why we track these stories every week and verify every detail before we publish. Our clients rely on us to know the numbers and the nuance, what is under contract and what is under construction. If you are thinking about a change, we would love to sit down and share what we are seeing in the community that fits your life.
Have a great day.