Sandy Springs’ Food That Rocks Returns June 4 With 25+ Restaurants, Craft Cocktails and Live Music

The suburban food festival season returns to North Atlanta next month as the annual Food That Rocks event transforms the City Green at City Springs into a large open-air tasting experience focused on local restaurants, cocktails, desserts and live entertainment.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 4, the event brings together more than 25 restaurants, bakeries and beverage brands for a single-night culinary showcase in the center of Sandy Springs. Organizers say the 2026 edition will once again feature unlimited tasting portions, cocktails, beer and wine included with admission.

The festival, produced by Taste of Atlanta, has increasingly become one of the larger suburban food events in metro Atlanta, blending restaurant marketing, civic branding and live entertainment into an experience aimed largely at North Atlanta professionals and suburban residents.

This year’s event runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for general admission ticket holders, while VIP guests receive access beginning at 6 p.m. with entry to a private Publix-sponsored lounge area.

The setting itself is part of the appeal. The event takes place on the lawn at City Springs, the mixed-use civic center development that has become a focal point for restaurants, entertainment and public events in Sandy Springs over the past several years. Organizers are also encouraging rideshare usage, with a designated pickup and drop-off location away from the main entrance due to the event’s alcohol service.

Restaurants participating this year include a broad mix of upscale dining, Mediterranean cuisine, barbecue, pizza, Southern comfort food and desserts. Featured names include il Giallo Osteria & Bar, The Select, C&S Seafood and Oyster Bar, Yalda, Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café and Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Several recognizable beverage brands are also attached to the event, including Don Julio, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Aperol and Deep Eddy Vodka. Organizers say mixologists will create specialty cocktails throughout the evening rather than serving only standard pours.

Live entertainment will be provided by Band X, an Atlanta-based cover and party band known for high-energy sets spanning classic rock, dance and pop music.

The festival also includes interactive voting for attendees, who can vote on categories including Best Taste, Best Dessert and Best Beverage.

Unlike many traditional food festivals, Food That Rocks operates on an all-inclusive model. Tickets cover all food and beverage tastings, eliminating individual purchases during the event itself. General admission tickets are priced at $85 before fees, while VIP admission starts at $135 before fees.

Organizers say the event is strictly 21 and older, with no children, strollers or re-entry permitted.

Beyond the dining experience, the festival also supports nonprofit organizations including Second Helpings Atlanta and Community Assistance Center, which provide food assistance and community support services across the metro area.

Best Food Festivals Around North Atlanta

Food That Rocks has increasingly become part of a growing suburban food festival circuit across North Atlanta and the metro area.

Some of the better-known food and drink festivals around North Atlanta this year include:

• Taste of Alpharetta — Typically held each spring in downtown Alpharetta along Milton Avenue and Old Roswell Street
• Taste of Atlanta — Fall 2026 at Historic Fourth Ward Park in Atlanta
• Suwanee Wine Fest — Usually held in the spring at Town Center Park in Suwanee
• Roswell Wine Festival — Annual wine-focused event in Roswell benefiting local nonprofits
• Atlanta Summer Wine Festival — Summer 2026 at Historic Fourth Ward Park
• Johns Creek International Festival — Fall 2026 in Johns Creek with international food vendors, performances and cultural showcases
• Gwinnett Beer Week — Multi-event beer and brewery celebration across Duluth, Suwanee and surrounding Gwinnett communities
• Atlanta Food & Wine Festival — One of the Southeast’s largest chef and beverage festivals, typically held in Midtown Atlanta each summer

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