Sandy Springs' North End Finally Gets Its Own Night Out This Fall
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
"It is going to be the first major project you see as you come into the North End of Sandy Springs," Economic Development Director Chris Burnett said in late August, describing the planned redevelopment of North River Shopping Center at 8830 Roswell Road. He called it the "first major development project in the North End in decades."
That project is still mostly paperwork and a demolition zone. About a mile down Roswell Road, though, the city is already running a smaller experiment. This fall, for the first time, the North End has its own recurring city event, held on a weeknight in a shopping center parking area rather than on City Green. The Georgia Sun describes the Sandy Springs Night Market as a pilot program, launched this year to see whether residents want a regular Thursday evening market.
Put plainly, the North End's fall is an audition. The city is checking whether the stretch north of Hightower Trail can hold a calendar of its own before the large physical changes arrive. The two market dates left are the part of that test residents can take part in directly.
Rough Draft Atlanta reported that Sandy Springs officials scheduled the three evening markets in response to North End residents' calls for more city programming and investment outside the downtown City Springs district. The city's own announcement calls the market an extension of "the beloved Saturday morning outdoor market into a vibrant after-work shopping experience on the north end" of the city.
That Saturday market is the comparison point. At City Springs it runs 8:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday on City Green at 1 Galambos Way. The Night Market moves the format a few miles north and into the evening, 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of September, October and November. The Sept. 3 debut is done. The two dates left are Thursday, Oct. 1, which is tomorrow, and Thursday, Nov. 5.
River Springs Shopping Center sits just north of Hightower Trail on the west side of Roswell Road, behind the Sandy Springs Diner and Christian Brothers Automotive. The center's owner lists tenants including Waffle House, Dollar Tree, Orbit Performing Arts Academy, Master Pius Martial Arts and Hounds Town. That roster is undated, so it is a sample of the center rather than a current directory. One note on the address: one recent news brief listed the market at 8830 Roswell Road, which is the North River site. The city's market page says 8610.
The city promises more than 30 local farmers, food producers, artisans and specialty vendors, with prepared food alongside produce and handmade goods. The announcement pitches it as a place to pick up a freshly prepared dinner or a last-minute hostess gift. That fits a 5 p.m. start better than a Saturday morning does.
The market's public vendor directory names businesses including King of Pops Sandy Springs, DeCesares Pizza, Bee Wild, TR Farms, La Macaron Guy and Yams Foods. The directory covers the whole three-date season, so it doesn't confirm who will be set up on any given Thursday. Check the vendor map before you go if you're heading over for one stall in particular.
The practical rules from the city's FAQ:
No outlet has reported on turnout at the Sept. 3 debut, so the October and November dates are where the pilot gets its real read.
Two weeks after the October market, the fall calendar shows the North End and City Springs working on the same day. Saturday, Oct. 17 holds two free city events with start and end times that line up end to end:
The next Saturday, Oct. 24, Spooky Springs takes over Abernathy Greenway Playable Art Park from 5 to 7 p.m. It has candy stations, face painting, music, food trucks and Halloween activities, and it ends the city's fall run of community gatherings.
Morgan Falls Overlook Park works as more than an event venue in this North End calendar. The city lists a two-thirds-mile wooded trail, river access for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, a floating dock, a fire pit, porch swings, a picnic pavilion, a playground, restrooms and a connection to the Springway. If you go for Paws and Pastries, the rest of the park is open to you that afternoon too.
The North End's other near-term date is on the City Council's agenda. In its August newsletter, The Leaflet, the Sandy Springs Conservancy said the council is expected to consider a new grant application on Oct. 6. The grant would fund a 1.6-mile addition to the Morgan Falls trail system.
The segment, known as Springway Trail Segment 2C, would start at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. It would run east along a tributary of the Chattahoochee River, through mature forest and past rock outcroppings and waterfalls, before meeting Roswell Road. The conservancy says design is 60% complete, with geotechnical prep and right-of-way coordination underway.
The project has a funding history. Sandy Springs applied in early 2025 for a Georgia Department of Natural Resources grant covering half of the estimated $13.9 million construction cost. That grant was later rescinded amid federal budget cuts. The city has $5 million in its capital budget as a local match. If it's built, Segment 2C would nearly double the Morgan Falls Loop, from 1.8 miles to about 3.4 miles, moving toward a planned continuous 5.6-mile loop around the park. Conservancy Executive Director John Maximuk has been promoting the project in person, most recently at the Aug. 29 Farmers Market Family Fun Day at City Springs.
The Night Market is a three-Thursday trial. North River is the multiyear change it sits beside. In late August, Rough Draft described the center as anchored by Dollar General, with a mostly empty parking lot, several vacant storefronts and a partially demolished southern section.
Woodfield Development is expected to buy the 13-acre site in October and start construction on its share of a project valued at roughly $200 million. The city's incentives depend on that closing. For residents, the piece that matters most is a 0.71-acre public park. The city describes it with two playgrounds, native landscaping, turf, shaded seating, restrooms and space for community events. Woodfield would also provide 70 public parking spaces for retail customers and park visitors.
Burnett said every tenant lease will have to end and the full site will be cleared, park included. Rough Draft reported that construction could take up to three years. A permanent North End event space is therefore at least a few years away. Until then, River Springs' parking area and Morgan Falls Overlook Park are where city programming north of Hightower Trail takes place.
"We believe this will be a catalyst for more things to come in." Chris Burnett, Sandy Springs Economic Development Director
The pilot market will show the city whether the North End wants evening events before that park is built. The Nov. 5 market is the last scheduled date of the season.
If you live in the North End and are wondering how projects like North River, the Morgan Falls connector and a possible regular market could affect your home's value, Property Guys of Atlanta tracks those changes block by block. Request your free home valuation, and we'll show you what's moving near your street.
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