Freaknik is an annual spring break festival in Atlanta, Georgia. It is primarily attended by students from historically black colleges and universities. Begun in 1983 as a small picnic in a public park near the Atlanta University Center, it was initially sponsored by the DC Metro Club. To coincide with Reading Day of the center's schools, it is typically held during the third weekend in April. The event increased in size and popularity in the 1990s, incorporating dance contests, concerts, parties, a basketball tournament, rap sessions, a film festival and a job fair. The Atlanta magazine called it Atlanta's most infamous street party. In 1999, actions by the police and elected officials caused celebration of Freaknik to cease. A revamped version of Freaknik returned in 2019, it is set to move forward as a summer three-day event centered around artists performing.
