Shaky Knees crowds boosting business around Piedmont Park

Shaky Knees brings boost to businesses around Piedmont Park

Businesses near Piedmont Park are excited to see Shaky Knees move to the area this year, missing out on a big music festival like this in 2024. Music Midtown had held a spot at Piedmont Park in the fall for several years. It got canceled in 2022, came back in 2023, and then went on a hiatus in 2024. In previous years, both Shaky Knees and Music Midtown have been huge economic boosters for the city.

ATLANTA - Businesses around Piedmont Park say they are eager to welcome the return of a major music festival to the area as Shaky Knees makes its debut at the park this year.

The backstory:

The move comes after Music Midtown, which had long been a fall staple at Piedmont Park, was canceled in 2022, returned in 2023, and went on hiatus again in 2024. In past years, Shaky Knees took place in Central Park. 

What they're saying:

Restaurants and bars near the park say they are already seeing the impact.

"We have extra staff. We order a lot," said Alejandro Alzate, general manager of Zocalo. "Even like Thursday, we had people pouring in."

"Even like Thursday, we had people pouring in," added Kyra Sims, assistant manager of The Nook.

Shaky Knees, which has been held at Central Park in recent years, is expected to bring large crowds through the weekend. Nearby businesses say the location shift has been positive.

"We were happy, because Shaky Knees kind of took over Music Midtown, so it was good for us," Alzate said.

The festival also draws visitors from across the country.

"We get a lot of visitors coming in from out of town. We met this lovely sister duo who came from New Mexico," Sims said.

Alzate said his team has been preparing to introduce new customers to their restaurant following a major renovation.

"We have been talking with customers all weekend, and it’s the first time for a lot of people at Zocalo," he said. "We just did a massive renovation of our restaurant — it’s like a brand-new restaurant now."