It’s not a surprise that millennials are obsessed with brunch. It’s like a religion. From the avocado toast to endless mimosas to chicken and waffles, everything about brunch is just soo good. Which is why when the Atlanta Beer Festivals -the people to thank for the 10 festivals they put on during the year (also responsible for the Atlanta Wine Party)- put on Atlanta’s First Brunch Festival, everyone knew this was going to be good.

With over 40 vendors from all over Atlanta, the festival made for an impressive spread. We’ve rounded up the best things from the festival and more importantly why you should put it on your calendar for next year.

1. There were people from near and far.

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

It was exciting to be in a city that’s not a typical small a** college town but surprisingly, we ended up running into a lot of FSU alumni. We met people who drove from Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and more for all the brunch deliciousness. We even met someone who had flown in from Canada! Now that’s dedication to the brunch game.

2. The food was the sh*t.

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

Let’s be real, that’s the reason we drove 5 hours to go and let me tell you it was worth it. There were options galore and frankly they were all good. From the pulled pork and grits to the endless amounts of chicken and waffles to the fruity pebble donuts, it was all tasty AF.

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

But, brunch isn’t just about the overly sweet waffles and french toast or the lunch-esque bagel spread that we’re used to. The festival taught me that brunch can be savory and spicy and deeply rooted in flavor.

3. The bar was on point

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

You can’t have brunch without alcohol. I mean, you can but it wouldn’t be any fun. The bar was stocked. Mimosas were on deck, tons of craft beer and there was vodka as well.  The true shining star was the make your own bloody mary station. Once you got the vodka you could go ham on the hot sauce and pepper.

4. The prices were stellar

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

Brunch can be obscenely expensive. So only paying $3 for plates and $5 for drinks was a blessing. Granted some of the portions were on the small side but other vendors didn’t hold back and gave out full sandwiches and pieces for the standard $3 price.

The drinks came in pretty big cups and with free water bottles as well you never felt like you were dying of thirst. There were three major stations for drink so if you got drunk early you’d have to bear the long and somewhat unorganized line once you sobered up.

5. Spoon was there.

brunch festival

Photo By Robert Wehrli

You know that Spoon is awesome. But being able to share that with everyone else was amazing. So obviously the festival killed their first year by having us there. Not only was the giant spoon a big hit among the crowd but it was a great talking point amongst strangers.

brunch festival

Photo by Robert Wehrli

It’s not often you see three college kids walking around with a giant spoon and it was an instant connector between people. (Shoutout to Hennessy Jaguar for let us use their whip for a photo op)

Spoon brings people together, just like how brunch does.