On Sunday, Oct. 26, at Legacy Park, hundreds of Atlantans gathered for CompassionCon, the annual outdoor celebration hosted by Compassionate Atlanta. Blending the spirit of a festival with the depth of a community conference. The event offered an immersive experience designed to show how compassion can transform systems, relationships and communities.
Atlanta Way 2.0 joined this year’s event as a vendor in the Economic Empowerment Neighborhood, engaging with visitors around the power of collective action and civic connection. Throughout the day, community members stopped by the Atlanta Way 2.0 table to answer a simple but profound question: “What does compassion mean to you?” The responses — ranging from “having patience when folks need grace” and “what you say and do for others” to “taking care of my sick mom”— captured the heart of the event’s mission.
Held each fall at the historic Legacy Park, CompassionCon invites neighbors, families and organizations to connect through shared values of kindness, justice, equity and inclusion. The event’s design mirrors the complexity and beauty of a living ecosystem, with themed “neighborhoods” exploring compassion in its many forms: storytelling, healing, creativity, food, environmental care, animal connection, civic engagement and joyful play.
This year’s CompassionCon Landscape: A Living Ecosystem of Compassion showcased an impressive array of organizations and resources — from A Home for Everyone in DeKalb to the Atlanta Humane Society, from arts and crafts to Interfaith Atlanta and The Eleanor Roosevelt School Restoration Project. The air was filled with music, laughter and the energy of connection.
The main stage hosted a dynamic lineup of cultural performances, including music, dance, spoken word and a moving recitation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech by a young performer. Families flocked to the GPB Kids tent, where Daniel Tiger himself delighted the youngest attendees.
For Atlanta Way 2.0, participation in CompassionCon underscored its commitment to fostering collaboration and compassion as engines of civic progress. “It was inspiring to see so many young people and families engaging with our work and reflecting on what compassion looks like in action,” said Britton Edwards, COO of Atlanta Way 2.0. “A big thank-you to our Activators who saw the event on social media and came out to connect on chilly, rainy Sunday — it truly embodied the spirit of community we’re building together.”
More than just a festival, CompassionCon is a model of what’s possible when compassion sits at the heart of civic engagement and community well-being. It is, as its organizers describe, “a space to learn, connect, celebrate and co-create a more just and caring world.”
