Kennesaw's Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival used to be a mid-August event. This year it lands on Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, at the United Bankshares Amphitheater at Depot Park. The move is permanent. Kennesaw.com reports the festival is "moving to October for 2026 and beyond." One change to one date puts the city's largest annual event alongside the rest of downtown's fall season. This year, Main Street has something scheduled on three Saturdays in a row, and the scarecrows will be up for all of them.
How the Festival Got to October
The calendar has changed in two steps. Here are the festival's recent dates, taken from the City of Kennesaw's own announcements:
- 2023: Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19, at Adams Park
- 2024: Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17
- 2025: Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, now at the United Bankshares Amphitheater at Depot Park
- 2026: Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, at the same amphitheater
The city explained the 2025 change of venue. It said Depot Park would create "more space and an upgraded live music experience for attendees." The city's announcements don't give a reason for the 2026 change of month. Last year's event was the festival's 25th, and it went ahead as planned. The Chant, North Cobb High School's student newspaper, described the crowd spending the weekend in "nearly 90-degree weather." It also noted that a lemonade stand's fruit-and-syrup drinks were welcome "due to the high heat of the day."
The city's own wording hasn't caught up yet. The July 27 announcement for the 26th edition calls Pigs & Peaches "a signature fall tradition." A later city calendar listing for the same October dates still calls it a "signature summer tradition."
What October Puts Next to It
In August, Pigs & Peaches had the downtown calendar to itself. In October it joins a season that was already running. The City of Kennesaw's seventh annual Scarecrows on Main display had installation set for September 24–28 and removal for November 2–4. That means every October event this year happens with the scarecrows lining the street. The festival takes over Main Street as well as the amphitheater, so this is the first year Pigs & Peaches and the scarecrows share the same blocks. Last year the festival used both the amphitheater and Main Street.
The scarecrows themselves are local entries. The city invited residents, families, neighborhoods, nonprofits, civic and faith-based organizations, local businesses, schools, sports teams, and athletic clubs to build them. Each entry paid a $25 fee that supports the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority's beautification projects and events.
Here is how the rest of the month lines up:
| Date | Event | Timing and location | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 16 | Pigs & Peaches, opening night | 6–10 p.m., Depot Park | First Kennesaw's Got Country showcase |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Pigs & Peaches, full day | 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Depot Park | Tasting Experience, Kids Zone, headliners |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Candy Crawl | 12–5 p.m., downtown | Trick-or-treating at participating businesses, games, bounce houses |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Nightmare on Main 5K | 5K starts at 8:05 a.m., downtown | Part of the Kennesaw Grand Prix race series |
Candy Crawl is run with the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the Kennesaw Downtown Merchants Association, and it includes pumpkin photo spots. Nightmare on Main has an early morning schedule. Packet pickup opens at 6:30 a.m., a 1-mile fun run starts at 7:30, the wheelchair start is at 8:00, a Tot Trot follows at 8:55, and awards are at 9:15.
What's New at the Festival Itself
The festival's added features suit a season already full of family events. On Saturday night, American Idol winner Chayce Beckham headlines at 8 p.m., and Tigirlily Gold, the duo that won the 2024 ACM Award for New Duo of the Year, plays at 6 p.m.
Friday night is new. It opens with Kennesaw's Got Country, a community talent showcase for local and regional country musicians. The city took applications from solo artists, duos, and full bands. Opening night now features local performers, a lot like Scarecrows on Main does with local entries.
The BBQ Competition Tasting Experience is back for its second year, on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Ticket holders get tasting portions from each competing team. Each team offers a barbecue sample, an "Anything Peach" creation, and a Sweet Baby Ray's wing entry. Cash awards go to the top three cook teams and a People's Choice winner. According to Kennesaw.com, the tastings happen in the Smoke Ring Zone in the Depot Park parking lot. Tickets are sold through pigsandpeaches.com.
The expanded Kids Zone is open Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It has a petting zoo and a Kids Market, where young entrepreneurs sell things they've made. For families, that fits between the scarecrows and Candy Crawl a week later. Williams Elleby Howard & Easter and Ford of Kennesaw are presenting the festival.
The Downtown Tables That Weren't Here Last August
Since last year's festival, downtown has added several places to eat within walking distance of Depot Park. October is the first time the festival crowd will have them.
Prohibition Co. opened Friday, July 3, 2026, at 2718 Summers St., in the former SuBourbon Bar & Social Club space. It comes from H Restaurant Group, which also runs Pisano's Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen next door. The space has been reworked as a smoke-free, family-friendly restaurant with a 1920s Chicago speakeasy theme and live music. The menu has deep dish pizzas such as The Godfather and The Moonshiner, plus Moonshine Vodka Rigatoni and a Chicago Dog. It opens daily at 11 a.m., with brunch on weekends.
Joupe Jeht is a Cambodian restaurant at 3055 N Main St. The Kennesaw Development Authority welcomed it in June. Its name means "unforgettable" in Khmer, and the cooking uses lemongrass, fresh pepper, and fish paste.
Smash Hit Burgers was open at 2921 Cherokee Street NW by late April. It makes smash burgers from Certified Black Angus beef and serves milkshakes, with vegan and gluten-free options.
The Building in the Middle of It All
Anyone walking Main Street during the festival will pass 2881 N Main St. That's the three-story J.G. Lewis Building, also called the Collier Building, which dates to 1903 and has been empty for about 30 years. The founders of Chamblee Tap and Market plan to restore it as Kennesaw Tap and Market. Rehabbing the roughly 10,300-square-foot building is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
The incentive package took two votes. It includes a 20-year property tax abatement and forgiveness of the $100,000 the authority put toward the purchase. On August 19 it got three votes in favor and one against, which fell short because four yes votes were required. At a special called meeting on September 1, the Kennesaw Development Authority approved it 5-0. The minutes also confirmed the sale had closed. The Chamblee location pairs a taproom with a market that includes South End Smokehouse BBQ, Sidecar Coffee, and Smash Kitchen. The concept for Kennesaw hasn't been announced, and neither has an opening date.
After October
The calendar keeps going once the scarecrows come down. The Holiday Market runs November 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. and November 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The downtown tree lighting is December 2 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A Day with Santa on December 5 runs from breakfast with Santa to the first nighttime Illuminate Holly Days Parade. The City of Kennesaw and Chabad of Kennesaw hold the Menorah Lighting at Main Street Plaza on Wednesday, December 9, at 6 p.m.
With Pigs & Peaches now in October, the downtown calendar runs from late September to the second week of December with only short gaps. The August date that used to stand alone is now open.
If you'd like to talk about downtown Kennesaw's new calendar and the Main Street projects underway, Connie Morelle would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
