UGA Graduation Weekend Itinerary Athens, GA

As stated in the “About” section, Lauren is a southern belle raised in Athens, GA. Early this month, Harry graduated from the University of Georgia which is located in Athens. This makes both Harry and Lauren UGA alums which means that we can give you the inside tips of what makes a perfect graduation weekend in The Classic City!

Athens is known for its music, arts, academics, food, and nightlife- it really is quite an amazing city- so when bringing your parents up for the weekend to celebrate your graduation, you want to make sure you show them the best time! The following provides you with our favorite Athens traditions, but trust us the options are limitless!

Thursday Night: We met Harry’s parents at The Graduate, affectionately referred to as its former name, “The Foundry” by locals, because that is where his parents were staying for the weekend. The Foundry has a fantastic bar that often features live music, and is a short walk to downtown. After a few drinks with his parents we headed to the college-kid favorite, Boar’s Head, to meet up with some friends.

Friday Afternoon: Lauren took the day off of work to spend it with Harry and his parents. We had brunch at Athens Bagel Company . This hometown restaurant is delicious, and is located in the heart of beautiful downtown Athens. After filling up on bagels and coffee, Harry gave his parents a tour of North Campus & the Geography building. The Geography building is special to Harry because as a Geography & Atmospheric Sciences double-major, he spent the majority of his studies there. He showed us the rooftop garden and meteorology station so that Lauren could get some pictures to show her students on Monday when she returned to work.

Friday Night: After everyone headed home to freshen up and get ready for Harry’s graduation, we drove to The Southern Brewing Company, so Harry could pour one last beer at their Cinco de Mayo event. (Harry has worked at SBC since they were newly opened). We left the brewery and made our way to UGA’s Sanford Stadium for the graduation. After 4 hours, and a touching commencement speech by Ernie Johnson, we went to our new favorite Korean BBQ joint, Iron Factory. Their bulgolgi steak is to die for!

Saturday Morning: Harry and Lauren decided that after 2.5 years of dating, their parents should formally meet. We decided that the best brunch spot in town would be Big City Bread Cafe in Normaltown. This spot was decided on because of 3 factors. 1) No reservations required. 2) It is where Lauren met Harry’s sister for the first time. 3) It is delicious!

Why didn’t we mention walking under The Arch and ringing the Chapel Bell? As any graduate of UGA knows, those are hot spots for recent grads-especially The Arch because of the superstition that walking under it before graduation will result in you flunking out of the University. Don’t worry, though, Harry walked under the next week!