In the heart of Atlanta lies Pullman Yards, a unique venue that has quickly become a focal point for large-scale events and exhibits in the city. Owned by Adam Rosenfelt, Pullman Yards will host its first SweetWater 420 Fest this weekend, April 20 and 21, 2024. The venue has been buzzing with excitement as it prepares to host the homegrown Atlanta event by SweetWater Brewery.
Headlining acts include Gov’t Mule, Big Gigantic, Grace Potter, Trombone Shorty, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, as well as one of my favorites: Andy Frasco & The U.N. (If you haven’t seen them yet, they are beyond original and contagiously fun.)
Recently, the festival organizers decided to make the event free and guests can make a $10 donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance to get in the gates. The Waterkeeper Alliance protects drinkable, fishable, swimmable water in your community. You can make your donation to get concert tickets here. General Admission tickets are already sold out. However, I know my Two-Sided Southerners will love the bougie VIP ticket set up. Details on that further down.
If you haven’t been to an event at Pullman Yards, it has been open for almost three years now and has hosted tons of incredible concerts and events in a short amount of time. “Our primary focus is on large scale events and exhibits like the Balloon Museum, festivals and many corporate events,” says Rosenfelt. “The more we’ve opened up the 27 acres, we’ve expanded to incorporating all of the property into our events. On the Southern portion of the site, we hosted our first music festival in October called Highball with Future Birds and Band of Horses that was a big success.” This should be no different.
In fact, Pullman Yards is the largest indoor capacity and indoor concert venue outside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. It’s a unique option for events on a private property. Mainly because it’s both an indoor and outdoor experience, which is unusual in Atlanta.
“Pullman Yards gives a unique perspective to a festival on private grounds,” says Rosenfelt. “It’s free flowing between experiences. Not just [your typical] big open field.”
“There was a sort of evolution on how [SweetWater 420 Fest] came to be with us. SweetWater had a couple of years during the pandemic that were down years and they relaunched [the event] at the brewery on a smaller scale last year.” They wanted to come back in a bigger way this year.
For starters, a Friday night pre-party is April 20, 2024, at the SweetWater Taproom. Bands start at 4:20pm and it’s free with an RSVP here. Expect to see Late Night Radio, Eddie 9V, Sicard Hollow and Jive Talk. The party will go for almost seven hours and end right at 11pm.
On Saturday and Sunday at Pullman Yards, the bands start at 2pm and also end precisely at 11pm.
VIP ticket holders will find areas with elevated viewing platforms, air conditioned private bathrooms, private bars and other bougie accoutrements (complimentary mobile charging stations!) that are worth the price. Kush VIP tickets range from $97 for one day to $160 for the Kush VIP Two-Day pass. “Our indoor venues allow audiences to be inside. Here, you don’t need to be out in the elements, whether that’s any rain or even too much sun,” says Rosenfelt.
“What I do like about music festivals is there are bands you like and bands you don’t know,” Rosenfelt says. “[I like] the aspect of not knowing this band or that artist. But I like this rolling experience of if the band catches my attention, I’ll stay and listen.” We both agree that SweetWater 420 Fest is going to be incredible because “it’s about the discovery of a new band.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time in NOLA and made a lot of movies in NOLA. I became aware of Trombone Shorty when I was a kid and now I’m super excited he’s coming to my place,” says Rosenfelt. “I saw him play on Frenchman’s Street.” Trombone Shorty plays on Sunday, April 21, 2024, and VIP tickets are still available here.
Rosenfelt has been a movie producer for 30 years and lived on the West Coast for a long time. But he fell in love with New Orleans and the South. Now he’s ingrained in the intown Atlanta community and his kids attend Paideia. He came to this Pullman Yards development from the same perspective as producing a movie. “It’s about experience, entertainment and amassing and procuring talent to showcase what you hope to be an amazing experience for the attendees,” he says.
“When we say, we’re entertainment driven, we truly mean it,” he says. “I’ve been in Atlanta for more than six years now,” says Rosenfelt. “Whether it’s the entertainment or arts scene, I’ve seen such a dramatic expansion of the city as a whole in a short amount of time. Undeniably the influence of migration or remigration… the moving back into the city… It’s undeniable that the exposure is a large driver of entertainment in Atlanta. It’s a huge impact. Not even debatable. The city as a whole has changed so dramatically across the board.”
Rosenfelt is correct. Atlanta just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Events like SweetWater 420 Fest continue to make Atlanta a hub for the best place to live in the country. Hope to see you there!
