Discover our favorite Atlanta birthday ideas for adults and COVID-safe birthday ideas for adults in this list. From kayaking and tailgating to backyard campouts and brewery-hopping, you’re sure to find your next birthday adventure in this list.
You don’t need to be a birthday child to enjoy your special day – we promise!
TLDR: In this article, you’ll find:
- Atlanta birthday party ideas for adults
- COVID-safe birthday ideas for grown-ups in Atlanta
- Family-friendly birthday party ideas
- Socially distant birthday party ideas for adults
- COVID-safe birthday celebration
1. Host an Outdoor Movie Night
Rent a big screen projector and invite the crew over for a backyard birthday movie night! You can rent a backyard movie night kit with an inflatable screen from NixNax Entertainment, a local business started by seniors at Decatur High School.
For extra fun, put together individual popcorn and snack kits for everyone. You can include a bag of freshly-popped popcorn with classic movie candies – think Milk Duds, Junior Mints, and Twizzlers. Ask everyone to bring their own blanket or chairs. Then, cozy up under the stars and watch your movie(s) of choice! Pro tip: When the movie is over, turn your party into a campout! See idea #6 for planning tips.
2. Explore Atlanta on a Walking Food Tour – One of Our Favorite Atlanta COVID-Safe Birthday Ideas for Adults!
Unexpected Atlanta offers unique ways to learn about our city’s food, culture, and history. This year, celebrate your birthday with something off-the-beaten-path. The Grant Park Past & Future Food Walk includes 9 delicious modern, Southern food tastings at 3 food stops. You’ll explore one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods on foot with 1.2 easy miles of walking.
An enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide will lead you and your group through the whole experience, sharing fascinating stories about our city’s history along the way. Private parties include cute custom menus at each restaurant.
3. Rent a Private Movie Theater or Head to the Drive-In
Host a private birthday movie theater rental with your pod! You can rent out a screen at your local AMC theater. There are nearly a dozen AMCs around metro Atlanta. Choose your film from new releases or favorites like Wonder Woman 1984, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and more. You can even order your snacks ahead of time for express pick-up. Some places even have a party room or area where your group can gather.
For an outdoor option, the Starlight Drive-In on Memorial has been a classic since 1949. The drive-in has four screens and a state-of-the-art digital projection system. Plus, an on-site snack bar serves up popcorn, nachos, candy, and other movie-watching treats. Pro tip: check out the snack bar coupons on Starlight’s website to score a free fountain drink.
4. Host an Outdoor Spa Day
An outdoor spa day is a double-win: it’s COVID-conscious while also allowing you to soak up some relaxing time outdoors. These days, many spa treatments can be done at home and in your backyard, whether by a mobile masseuse or manicurist or by going the DIY route.
To host a DIY outdoor spa party, prepare an easy flavored spa water. You can stock up on face masks, tea bags to depuff tired eyes, nail art and nail polish. Create spa vibes with an essential oils diffuser, twinkle lights, and soothing music.
5. Plan a Birthday Picnic
Plan a grown-up birthday picnic. Try one of our favorite under-the-radar Atlanta picnic spots. Yellow River Park, just east of Stone Mountain, offers easy parking and plenty of spots for a scenic riverside picnic. Or, host an otherworldly mountaintop picnic at Arabia Mountain. The cratered surface of this scenic spot is the perfect backdrop for a memorable birthday picnic.
You could also enjoy scenic views at Morgan Falls in Sandy Springs.
To make an afternoon out of it, bring some fun outdoor activities like hula hoops and a frisbee. Or, make it a Bridgerton-themed soiree and encourage everyone to dress in their finest picnic dress clothes.
6. Go Camping in Your Yard – One of our Favorite Atlanta COVID-Safe Birthday Ideas for Adults!
Have a bonfire and s’mores night and camp in your yard! Friends can bring their own tent and spend the night together under the stars. If you don’t already own a fire pit, there are plenty of affordable options and ample safety tips online. And, this is an at-home activity you can enjoy for years to come. You can roast hot dogs and take turns telling spooky stories – or a recap of the latest true crime documentary you watched. Then, set out a s’moresgasbord of treats. You can even make festive birthday party s’mores.
7. Hit Up a Local Brewery
These days, Atlanta has no shortage of breweries with ample outdoor patios. Try Bold Monk Brewing Co. in Underwood Hills. Their tree-lined outdoor beer garden offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch in addition to their delicious brews. Or, head to Wild Heaven Beer in Avondale Estates or in the West End, on the Westside Beltline. Both locations offer plenty of outdoor space to relax and celebrate, along with other breweries and restaurants nearby.
New Realm Brewing Company on the Eastside Beltline trail is another great birthday brewery spot. Their patio and beer garden both offer stunning views of the city in one of Atlanta’s most hip neighborhoods.
8. Go on a Kayak or Paddleboard Adventure – One of our Favorite Atlanta COVID-Safe Birthday Ideas for Adults!
For an adventurous birthday get-together, rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards with your nearest and dearest. Several Georgia State Parks offer a variety of paddling rental options. Or, spend your birthday learning a new adventure skill. Check out REI’s outdoor classes and group activities around metro Atlanta. Their classes include topics like intro to mountain biking, wildflower tours, rappelling, and wilderness survival – as well as kayaking and paddleboarding.
Or, if you’d rather just bask in the sun and enjoy a low-key afternoon, try a classic warm-weather Atlanta birthday activity: shoot the hooch! For non-locals or new Atlantans, “shooting the hooch” is local slang for tubing down the Chattahoochee River.
In addition, if you want to up it to the next level, take a trip on a zip line with Treetop Quest, not far from the Chattahoochee.
9. Get the Group Together for a Birthday Tailgate
Plan a birthday tailgate party – no big game required! If you have access to a big driveway or yard, you can host a fun tailgate event. Ask everyone to bring a cooler stocked with their favorite drinks. If you have a grill or BBQ, you can cook up some food for your guests. If not, ask everyone to bring their own food to enjoy or share! Grab your portable speaker (or boom box, if you’re of a certain age) and play your favorite music. Add sidewalk chalk and bubbles for extra fun.
You can also rent classic tailgate games like cornhole, Giant Jenga, and Giant Connect 4 through CornholeATL. Or, hook up a sprinkler or even a Slip-n-Slide to turn your tailgate into a makeshift pool party and keep everyone cool.
Or, if you want to make it old school, go to a bowling alley and then have your tailgate. You could even rent a few lanes and make it a private party.
10. Host an Off-the-Beaten-Path Virtual Party
Of course, you could just hop on another Zoom call with your friends and family to celebrate your birthday. But after a year of video calls, why not switch things up a little? Turn your birthday video chat into a chance to do something special and memorable with your loved ones, wherever they might be.
For example, you could turn your birthday video hang into a dance party or a virtual karaoke bar. Or, consider booking a virtual Tarot reader through Modern Mystic, a popular shop in Ponce City Market. You could also play a virtual game of Cards Against Humanity with friends.
11. Get a Food Truck for Everyone
Go all-out and host a food truck for your friends and family! This idea is perfect for a milestone birthday or extra-special occasion. Set up lounge seating in your yard, or let everyone spread out with picnic blankets. Even from a little distance, you can still have dinner with your nearest and dearest.
- The Good Food Truck offers everything from homemade biscuits to curries served in waffle cones, tacos, sandwiches and sliders, salads, cheese boards, and more. They specialize in easy-to-carry vegetarian street food configurations, influenced by local Southern comfort food as well as Asian, Mexican, and Indian flavors.
- The Blaxican serves up Mexican Soul food all over Atlanta. Choose their curbside catering option for on-site food truck service. Or, keep things low-key and choose the self-serve taco bar option.
- S&J’s Woodfired Pizza offers personal pizza chef services, where a chef turns your home oven into a “pizza producing machine” with a specially formulated pizza stone. They bring along meats and veggies from their local farmer suppliers, along with fresh sauce and mozzarella.
- For a special birthday finale, you can also hire a King of Pops cart to come to your event. Or, order 12-packs of pops! For a cake option, check out the gorgeous custom cakes and baked treats from Bakey Bakes.
12. Ride through Atlanta with a Bike Tour
Not everyone wants to get outdoors for physical activity on their special day. But if you do, Bicycle Tours of Atlanta has got you covered! They offer safe and socially distant experiences for riders of any skill level. Options include the Tiny Doors ATL Bicycle Tour, Atlanta’s Journey for Civil Rights Bike Tour, and the “Sustainability in Action” Bike Tour.
You can also rent bikes and meet friends at a local trail. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition keeps an updated list of bike rental options around the city. Some of our favorite spots to ride include the Silver Comet Trail in Smyrna, the South Peachtree Creek Trail in Decatur (pictured), and the Cochran Shoals Trail in Northwest Atlanta.
However you choose to celebrate your Atlanta birthday in 2021, we’re wishing you a safe and joy-filled special day!
