Co-hosted by Sustainable Lakewood, Eco-A and Atlanta City Council member Carla Smith, the inaugural Atlanta Kudzu Festival will be held from 9 to 6 p.m., September 24, in South Bend Park. Kudzu is strangling Atlanta’s forests and parks, but a team of artists and naturalists are celebrating the invasive vine’s positive uses. It can be harvested for paper, a nutritious food source and for crafts such as durable baskets.

North Georgia artist Cleve Phillips, known as the Kudzu King, is the special guest, leading three workshops on how to transform kudzu vines into valuable products. Naturalists with Eco-A will also be leading guided walks through South Bend Park.

Other hands-on workshops include making baskets from kudzu vines, paper making and making candy from kudzu.

Admission is free; some activities require advance registration and charge a nominal fee. Location: South Bend Park, 1955 Compton Dr., SE, Atlanta. For tickets and more information, visit Eventbrite.com.