No quintessential Georgia holiday would be complete without a visit to Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn District, a mile-and-a-half long historic neighborhood strung along Auburn Avenue, just east of busy downtown- an area rich with the history, heritage and achievements of Atlanta’s prominent black citizens. Wander and explore the very streets where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised and where many African Americans established flourishing businesses, congregations, and social organizations despite enforced restrictions of the day. The six-square block, traditionally black neighborhood housed Atlanta’s affluent and educated African American community from the turn of the 20th century through the 60s; today, it is home to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site which includes a captivating visitor’s center allowing guests to explore MLK’s crucial role in the Civil Rights movement, the restored King Birth Home, burial sites of the beloved Dr. King and his wife, the Ebenezer Baptist Church Museum, where he co-pastored with his father and the International Walk of Fame – an interactive memorial created from the bronzed footprints of influential Civil Rights activists. Hungry historians will find an authentic taste of the old South at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market – one of Atlanta’s premier farmer’s markets since 1918, tendering health-conscious shoppers a cornucopia of fresh produce, meats and dairy from local and organic farms as well as traditional Southern delights from Sweet Auburn Barbecue. A vibrant neighborhood arts community hosts Springfest, the South’s largest annual African-American heritage celebration – and the National Black Arts Festival, which attracts nearly a half million people over the course of a popular three-day extravaganza.