Cabbagetown’s walls are about to get a lot more paint — and light. Forward Warrior, the neighborhood’s annual mural festival, returns Sept. 18–20 with 80 murals along Wylie Street, plus a new Friday night projection-mapping experience, a poetry program and weekend walking tours. This year’s lineup includes five new artists: Danae Antoine, Emily Cadena, Monk Panda, Skape and Jesus Valdivia. Free kids’ activities run throughout the weekend.
A Cabbagetown tradition
Forward Warrior is presented each year by the Cabbagetown Initiative in partnership with the Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association. The half-mile Wylie Street corridor where it takes place holds more than 130 individual murals. Artist and curator Peter Ferrari founded the project in 2014; John Dirga, executive director of the Cabbagetown Initiative, now oversees it. Support comes from CSX Transportation, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts and Culture and the Georgia Council for the Arts, along with sponsors including StreetArtMap.org, Sam Flax and Yacht Water.
The event acts as a reunion of sorts for participating artists, supporters and residents. “Once artists are invited to join Forward Warrior, they become part of the family,” Dirga said. “They are invited to come back every year to work on their mural, refresh it, or repaint something new.”
Forward Warrior Street Fest 2026
The weekend opens Friday with “Words on Wylie,” a live reading of poems written about the murals, featuring Bea Taylor, Abstract CIM, The Uncanny Imp and KnowEye. Dot.O, of the Keepers of the Underground DJ battle, and Hope Hilton of the Atlanta University Center curated the lineup of professional poets, spoken word artists and student writers.
Friday night’s other centerpiece is a projection-mapping activation at the Krog Tunnel entrance, run by artist Daniel Phelps, courtesy of Atlanta Downtown Inc. It transforms a new mural by Ferrari into a moving, illuminated piece of art, with a surprise installation from Evereman rounding out the night. “I can’t think of a better placement to highlight not only for placemaking and visibility, but to celebrate Peter’s new mural,” Dirga said.
Saturday is the festival’s main day, with street closures on Wylie Street between Powell and Estoria running 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and pedestrian- and bike-only access from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Street art walking tours run Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. and again 2 p.m, Sunday, extending the festival into a third day.
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Dirga said organizers hope to build on this momentum in future years. “The goal is a week-long celebration of the arts ecosystem extending from the train yard into Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown,” he said.
Full details at cabbagetown.com/forwardwarrior.
