Atlanta Greek Picnic Do’s & Don’ts

If you are a part of the Divine Nine, you know that the Greek Picnic season starts early in the summer. There will be picnics all over the country during this time. Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston are just a few cities that will have them.

The Atlanta Greek Picnic is the biggest one. The Atlanta Greek Picnic (AGP) started in 2004. It’s grown a lot over the years. If you are Greek, I suggest you attend at least once. It is a good experience. There is a lot of fun to be had that weekend. I created a list of do’s and don’ts for first-time attendees of AGP. Bookmark this article and take note.

Atlanta Greek Picnic Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s

Stay Hydrated

It is hot in Atlanta during June. You have to make sure you stay hydrated. You don’t want to go to the ER for heatstroke symptoms. Please, drink enough water. If carrying a water bottle isn’t for you, try a Camelbak. They are light and comfortable to wear. At the picnic one year, I saw some members of Phi Beta Sigma wearing one that looked like the one below. You can put enough water or liquor in it to keep you hydrated or get you right.

Network

When it comes to big events, you should network. Coming to Atlanta Greek Picnic is the same. Try to network with all kinds of people. It doesn’t have to be people in your fraternity or sorority. You never know what type of relationship you can strike up. Some people have found their husband or wife at the picnic. Others have found business partners and friends. Make sure that you speak to people when you can.

Book EVERYTHING in Advance

Make sure you book everything in advance. By everything, I mean hotels, flights, rental cars, and event tickets. AGP is a colossal event. You don’t want to be left out. The sooner you book, the better. Two websites that you should visit when you’re ready to book are Expedia and Airbnb. Don’t get me wrong, Atlanta is a large city, but you want to ensure you stay as close to the events as possible. You don’t want to book last minute and have to stay in Stockbridge or something.

Respect Yourself and Your Letters

At AGP, you should remember you’re an adult representing your organization. Don’t do anything that your founders would be ashamed of! That includes fighting or doing anything dumb. Ensure you are on your best behavior when repping your fraternity or sorority in Atlanta.

Go to as Many Events as Possible

If this is your first time coming, attend as many events as possible. A full schedule of events goes on during the Atlanta Greek Picnic Week. There are happy hours, community service events, the picnic, and more. You can view the schedule here.

Don’ts

Try to Grip Every Brother or Soror up

It’s cool to network and meet people but don’t be that person that tries to grip up every frat or soror. It’s a lot of things going on. People don’t have time for that. Afterwhile, you will get tired of gripping everyone up. A simple wave or head nod will be fine at this event.

Cause Trouble

Don’t come to AGP being disrespectful or trying to fight. Again, you want to represent your organization in a good way. The organizers put in a lot of hard work to make sure that AGP goes off without a hitch. Fighting or doing crazy stuff ruins the event for everybody. Also, we are all adults, so let’s ensure we act like it. 

Double or Triple Greek Paraphernalia

Don’t go overboard with your paraphernalia. A shirt or dog tag should be okay. You don’t need a shirt, hat, shoes, or gloves. We get it; you want to represent but don’t have to go overboard. This is more for the Neos or old-school frat and sorors. They are usually the ones that you see wearing the double nalia. If that’s you, one or two items are okay, but you don’t need to go crazy.

Trash Your Hotel Room

Don’t trash your hotel room. Believe it or not, this has happened before. It makes us, as Greeks, look bad, especially if you have a discounted room. You are an adult, so act like one. If you see your frat or sorors acting a fool in the hotel, calm them down. Trashing hotel rooms could get people banned from the hotels.

Drink & Drive

Don’t drink & drive. The Atlanta police department doesn’t play around. There is no reason to get a DUI, especially when you’re out of town. If you’re going to drink, make sure you have a designated driver, or you can use Uber. Get $5 off your first ride with this link. If it’s a group of you, you can share a ride so that it won’t be expensive.

Crazy Greek Shirts

Don’t wear a crazy or disrespectful Greek shirt. An example could be one with your organization’s letters in someone else’s colors. That is not a good idea. If you need ideas for a shirt, check out Amazon or this store. They have excellent items for you to choose from.

Don’t Wear Your Line Jacket

Don’t be that guy or girl that wears a line jacket in 85-degree weather. It makes no sense to do that. You will be hot as hell. Even if the jacket is new, save it for homecoming because you will look crazy wearing it in Atlanta during the summer.

Those are the do’s and don’ts of AGP. They actually can apply to any Greek Picnic.

Travel Resources

TripAdvisor

If this is your first time in Atlanta, see what sites the city offers. You can click the link below and see what the city offers.

Priceline

If you want a place to book a rental car, check out Priceline. They have a lot of options. Click on the image below for more information.

Rakuten

If you’re someone who loves to travel and save money at the same time, then Rakuten could be just what you need. As someone who has used Rakuten to get cash back on several hotel bookings, I can attest to the fact that it really works. And the best part is that if you sign up for Rakuten through my referral link, you’ll receive a free $10 cash back! So, don’t hesitate to join the millions of users who are already earning cash back on their purchases through Rakuten.