Tara Davies (taradactyl), DJ at MJQ, the Music Room, and other venues around Atlanta
Friday
5:30 p.m.
For happy hour, my friends and I will hit up Lloyd’s in Inman Park for $5 martinis or Golden Eagle in Reynoldstown for a patio and a strong drink.
Banshee’s fry bread
Photograph by Iain Bagwell
7 p.m.
It’s dinner time at Banshee (don’t forget to order the fry bread). After eating, we’ll stick around for their late-night house music.
DJ Headmaster
Photograph courtesy of Stuart Myerburg
10 p.m.
Thankfully, Mary’s is next door. We’ll catch my fave, DJ Headmaster. He always plays stuff you’d never hear in Atlanta (everything from Hole to Peaches and pop gems in between).
Saturday
Watchman’s Seafood and Spirits
Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
8 p.m.
I’ll be sure to make reservations for A Mano in Old Fourth Ward or Watchman’s at Krog Street Market.
11 p.m.
It’s time to stop being bougie and hit up my party, Heartbeeps, at MJQ for a fun, classic dance night featuring New Order, Madonna, Missy Elliot, and maybe even some Motown.
Sunday
Chaka Khan Hacienda
Photograph courtesy of 8Arm
4 p.m.
Before we call it an early night, I’ll hit up 8Arm for Ree De La Vega’s late afternoon–evening party, Chaka Khan Hacienda. There’s usually a market with local wares and fun dance tunes. It’s a great end to the weekend.
Lizzo is among the artists performing at Music Midtown this weekend.
Photograph by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella
Music Midtown
When: September 14 and 15
Where: Piedmont Park
Cost: $165+
Detail: Summer music festival season is coming to a close, but what better way to say goodbye with this Piedmont Park fest that brings a well-curated mix of chart-toppers (Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Travis Scott, Panic! at the Disco, Charlie Puth), local artists (6lack, Lil Yatchy, the Coathangers), indie rockers (Vampire Weekend, Lord Huron, Cold War Kids), electronic darlings (MØ, Banks), and more.
Falcons Friday Kickoff Rally
When: September 13, 7–9 p.m.
Where: Atlantic Station
Cost: Free
Detail: The Falcons host their first home game of the season against the Eagles this Sunday. To get fans hyped (and make them forget about last week’s defeat in Minnesota), the team will host a free pep rally on Friday evening with food trucks, giveaways, appearances from former players, cheerleader and Freddie Falcon photo opportunities, and a performance from Bone Crusher.
Atlanta Horror Film Festival When: September 12–14
Where: Synchronicity Theatre
Cost: $12–$50
Detail: Why wait for October to star your horror movie marathon? Synchronicity Theatre hosts three days of independent feature films and shorts, along with daily filmmaker cocktail hours across the hall at Tavernpointe.
Atlanta Arab Festival
Photograph courtesy of Atlanta Arab Festival
Atlanta Arab Festival
When: September 14 and 15
Where: Alif Institute
Cost: $5, kids 12 and under are free
Detail: Come ready to feast on kabobs, shawarma, soujouk, baklava, and much more at this 14th annual festival celebrating Arabic culture. Vendors include Babakabab Lebanese Barbecue, El Tannur Bakery & Cafe, Halal Guys, Sage Mediterranean Grill, and Souq International Market. Also expect live music and performances, a kids’ talent show, a market, games, and more.
Back to your Roots Farm Fair When: September 15, noon–4 p.m.
Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center
Cost: Included with general admission: $10 adults, $6 kids aged 3–12 (2 and under free)
Detail: This one’s for the kiddos—meet farm animals, go on a garden scavenger hunt, make crafts, listen to story time, and more. King of Pops and snow cones will be available for purchase and there will also be live bluegrass music.
Photograph courtesy of Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics
Chase Hodges, the first tennis coach Georgia Gwinnett College has ever had, is clearly comfortable in the environment he helped build. “We’ll play anybody, anytime, anywhere!” he yells as we began a tour of the facility, a former country club less than a mile away from the main buildings of the Lawrenceville campus that boasts 12 courts, three of which are clay. A former player at North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Hodges left coaching at Georgia State seven years ago to start Georgia Gwinnett’s tennis program.
“Seven years, that’s kind of a sleeping giant in regards to what we have done here,” he says. “I honestly feel like we are one of the best programs in all of college tennis, regardless the division.”
He’s not wrong. The Grizzlies’s record is nothing short of impressive, particularly for such a young program: 11 NAIA national titles—five for the women’s team and six for the men’s. The men’s program has only lost three matches in its history and is currently on a 109-match win streak, the longest active streak in collegiate men’s tennis. That means Hodges is currently a remarkable 272-22 (151-3 in men’s matches) as a coach.
The men’s team celebrates after a NAIA win earlier this year.
Photograph courtesy of Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics
“We have a big target on our backs, but the expectations are really high here,” Hodges says, who’s never had a losing record during his 20-plus-year coaching career that took him from Longwood University in Virginia to the University of Asheville in North Carolina to Drake University in Des Moines before landing in Georgia. “We aren’t putting up banners for second place. We are playing to win the whole thing.”
The Grizzlies have several advantages not often seen in NAIA programs, among them, a budget that allows the coaches to recruit internationally. While there is no basketball team or football program, the college clearly invests in the programs it does have: the Grizzlies baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s soccer teams were all ranked among the top 10 last season.
“They players we recruit know that they are going to compete against the best and that they will be taken care of,” Hodges says. “And when they leave us, sometimes they pass the word on.”
That word-of-mouth has helped recruit players from Austria, Finland, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Paraguay, and Spain. “We have a very diverse roster,” Hodges says, “Tennis is a global sport. You have to be able to recruit overseas.”
The women’s team celebrates their NAIA championship win earlier this year.
Photograph courtesy of Georgia Gwinnett College Athletics
And while the program may not pick up the headlines its Division I counterparts do, Hodges is confident in his team’s ability. “We have never lost to a Division I program on the men’s side,” he says. “I’d love to play the [men’s Division I] national champions in order to give us the opportunity to see where we stack up against the best.”
The Grizzlies upcoming season begins this Friday, and Hodges has signaled that he’s not leaving the program anytime soon. “From my standpoint, this is a place where I can win and win big,” he says. “We are a program that can compete with anyone in the country.”
ADAC is thrilled to invite the design community and enthusiasts from the Southeast and beyond to DISCOVER ADAC this September 24-26 for nearly 30 events featuring keynote presentations, salon-style talks, product launches, book signings, a cocktail sip, pop-up shops, and the ever-popular Sip & Stroll at ADAC West sponsored by Atlanta Magazine and Atlanta Magazine’s HOME. This is your opportunity to connect with a national audience of design authorities, allied professionals, and members of the media to explore new perspectives and the future of the creative world.
10 Can’t-Miss Events During DISCOVER ADAC
THE NEW ELEGANCE |Timothy Corrigan with Jill Waage Tuesday, September 24, 10 AM
Throughout his illustrious career, Timothy Corrigan has established a look that is layered and detailed, while being suitable for the way people live today. Join Timothy in conversation with Jill Waage, Editor in Chief of Traditional Home, as they take an insider’s tour of Timothy’s new book, The New Elegance: Stylish, Comfortable Rooms for Today, which features eleven of his projects from around the world. Discover the building blocks of Timothy’s successful decoration, including scale and proportion, symmetry, architectural details, the power of color, drama lessons, art and mirrors, layering, comfort, and details. Following the presentation, Sutherland Perennials Studio and Traditional Home invite you to a book signing reception celebrating Timothy Corrigan’s stunning new tome.
KEEP IT CHIC! FABULOUSLY STYLISH SPACES | Jesse Carrier, Mara Miller, Rush Jenkins, and Klaus Baer with Pamela Jaccarino Tuesday, September 24, 1 PM
Join Luxe Interiors + Design Editor in Chief, Pamela Jaccarino; designers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company Interiors; and Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer of WRJ Design for a lively discussion about designing refreshing homes with panache, style, and oomph! Discover the influences, ideas, and artistry that these design duos bring as they continue to beautify high-end interiors. Following the presentation, join Pamela Jaccarino, Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller for a champagne toast to celebrate the Carriers’ new furniture collection for Century. In addition, Jesse, Mara, Rush Jenkins, and Klaus Baer will be signing copies of their respective books, Carrier and Company: Positively Chic Interiors and Natural Elegance: Luxurious Mountain Living.
ADAC WEST SIP & STROLL | Sponsored by Atlanta Magazine’s HOME and Atlanta Magazine Tuesday, September 24, 5:30 PM
There is nothing quite like the community of showrooms, commercial and residential designers, architects, framers, artisans, and chefs that make up the creative enclave of ADAC West. Back by popular demand, for a third year in a row, the ADAC West Sip and Stroll is the ideal way to connect with the people and products that make up one of the Southeast’s most unique design resources. Celebrate the finale of the first day of DISCOVER ADAC as you sip delicious cocktails and stroll with friends and colleagues new and old.
THE SEEKERS OF NEW DESIGN—NEAR AND FAR | Lisa Fine, Carolina Irving, Penny Morrison with Leslie Newsom Rascoe Wednesday, September 25, 10 AM
The most creative designers today are what might best be referred to as Seekers—independent thinkers who have the ability to make changes in the world of design. Three inspiring and noted design Seekers working now are Lisa Fine, author of the new book Near & Far: Interiors I Love, Carolina Irving, and Penny Morrison. Like all true Seekers, they travel the world constantly, observe it, and incorporate what they see into their work and products. As MILIEU recognizes its first annual list of Seekers this fall, Leslie Newsom Rascoe, MILIEU’s Design Director, will host these visionary designers, exploring in Lisa’s new book their passions, their secrets, and their visions for what they design and make. MILIEU and Travis & Company invite you to a reception following the presentation. While in the showroom, view the latest fabric collections from Penny Morrison, Lisa Fine, and Carolina Irving; and shop Carolina’s tabletop Pop-up Shop, as Lisa signs copies of Near & Far: Interiors I Love.
RENOVATING MY KITCHEN | Joanna Saltz and Jean Stoffer Wednesday, September 25, 1 PM
How long will it take? How much will it cost? And can you paint your cabinets a playful color or will that go out of style in five seconds? When House Beautiful Editorial Director Joanna Saltz decided to renovate her family kitchen, she had a LOT of questions—and found all the answers in Michigan-based designer Jean Stoffer. Join the two of them to learn all the things Joanna wished she knew before they embarked on this labor of love together. Following the afternoon panel discussion, please join Jean Stoffer and Joanna Saltz at the Made Goods showroom. While in the showroom, be sure to check out the latest Made Goods and Pigeon & Poodle collections.
MODERN ENGLISH | Beata Heuman, Aldous Bertram, and Stewart Manger with Ellen McGauley Thursday, September 26, 10 AM
Fresh, fearless, and wildly innovative: the UK’s design scene is heating up, and from the looks of it, the creative powerhouses across the pond are just getting started. This illuminating panel covers the rising influence of British design and explores its growing impact on everything from textiles to furniture. Join London-based designer Beata Heuman; artist, designer, and English expat Aldous Bertram; American designer Stewart Manger; and VERANDA Deputy Editor Ellen McGauley as they discuss modern interpretations of classic English decorating, and how they’re shaping the global design community. Please join Beata Heuman, Aldous Bertram, Stewart Manger, and VERANDA’s Ellen McGauley at the Cowtan & Tout showroom following the morning panel discussion. While in the showroom, be sure to check out their newest collections.
SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND | Madeline Stuart with Elizabeth Ralls Thursday, September 26, 1 PM
Los Angeles-based designer and self-proclaimed style icon Madeline Stuart joins Elizabeth Ralls, Editor in Chief of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, to discuss the time-honored tradition of Hunting and Gathering. With her trademark humor and passion, Madeline will present imagery from her forthcoming book, No Place Like Home, and discuss the fine art—and highly rewarding challenge—of going hither and yon to ferret out unusual items, quirky elements, and extraordinary, one-of-a-kind pieces that can completely transform a space. Jerry Pair invites you to a reception following the presentation as Madeline Stuart signs copies of her book, No Place Like Home. While in the showroom, preview furniture from the Madeline Stuart Collection.
ENTERTAINING: THE TOTAL PACKAGE | Chris Hastings, Tara Guérard, and Matthew Quinn with Margot Shaw Thursday, September 26, 3 PM
Explore every aspect of entertaining, including the most attractive and exciting new kitchen elements, easy and exotic dishes and techniques, do’s and don’ts for a successful soirée, and simple and impactful flowers. Margot Shaw, Editor in Chief of FLOWER magazine and author of Living Floral: Entertaining and Decorating with Flowers, is joined conversation by James Beard Award-winning chef, Chris Hastings; tastemaker and event designer extraordinaire, Tara Guérard; and nationally renowned kitchen designer, Matthew Quinn for a 360 view of entertaining in inimitable Southern style. Following the discussion, celebrate the close of DISCOVER ADAC with a reception and book signing in Matthew Quinn’s showroom, Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio. Stock your library as Margot Shaw signs copies of Living Floral; Chris Hastings signs Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Family, and Traditions; and Tara Guérard signs Weddings by Tara Guérard.
DIRECTIONS IN DESIGN September 24-26
Atlanta-based designer, Steve McKenzie, has masterfully mixed pieces from ADAC and AmericasMart in a pop-up vignette that expresses his view of the ever-evolving world of design. Inspired by the vast range of new products offered in showrooms at both design resources, Steve’s vignette highlights fresh new themes that are showing up in the industry and showcases ADAC and AmericasMart as the Southeast’s ultimate design destination.
ADAC SERVES UP STYLE September 24-26
From lavish spreads to quiet tables for two (and possibly even a recreation of a favorite movie set), participating showrooms at ADAC and ADAC West are ready to unveil themed tablescapes designed to inspire ideas for stylish entertaining on any occasion. During DISCOVER ADAC, explore new ways to make guests feel welcome and delight in ideas you can use to create memorable and magical moments in life.
For more information on ADAC and this free event, see ADAC’s website and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag #DISCOVERADAC. For help with travel recommendations, view the Plan Your Visit page here. To see the full DISCOVER ADAC lineup, flip through the event guide here.
Early one Sunday morning, as Midtown’s bartenders announce last call, Son Tran listens closely to his scanner. The 27-year-old officer has just finished filing a police report—a Washington Redskins player visiting Atlanta totaled his green Corvette. Before a 911 dispatcher sends another call his way, Tran hustles into the 24-hour Chevron station on Ponce de Leon Avenue and grabs the tallest sugar-free energy drink he can find.
A Vietnamese immigrant with boyish cheeks and wire-rimmed glasses, Tran first got assigned to the Morning Watch—a rite of passage for rookie officers—in 2018. Five days a week, he clocks into APD’s CNN Center precinct just before 11 p.m. For the next eight hours, he patrols downtown and Midtown streets, doing everything from catching drunk drivers to hauling people to the Atlanta jail for disorderly conduct, public urination, or other city code violations. (Plus, untold hours of paperwork.) As months have passed, Tran has settled into a steady rhythm on the overnight shift. Except for one thing: sleep. He once slept a solid eight hours a night, back at his last job as an archive assistant. Now, he’s lucky to get five.
“The one thing I hate? That I rely so much on energy drinks,” Tran told me, sipping his Monster before speeding off to a criminal trespass call a few blocks away from Piedmont Park.
By the time we arrive, it’s three o’clock, a time at which only 3 percent of America’s workforce is, in fact, working. In Atlanta, this relatively small army of night owls—firefighters and factory workers, security guards and gas-station clerks, doctors and truck drivers—keeps the city running smoothly. Once the sun rises and the rest of us head to work, thousands of weary workers head home—or, in some cases, to yet another job. For night workers like Tran, though, that simple reversal of a work schedule can come with great sacrifice to health and lifestyle.
“We’re not designed to physically work overnight. There’s no real, ideal night-shift schedule.”
“The first few weeks, I didn’t think I could make it,” says Bill West, a 55-year-old overnight trucker. At 6 p.m., three days a week, he pulls his 18-wheeler onto Moreland Avenue, the start of a 10-hour trek to Little Rock, Arkansas. Wary of stimulants, he began by blasting AC/DC or calling other truckers on the road. As dawn approached, however, he struggled to stay alert. Over time, things got better. If he started yawning, he’d pull over for a brief nap. After his route, he embraced blackout curtains to block the sun. “I’ve never felt fully rested,” West says. “You can learn to live with it, but it’s unnatural.”
Working the night shift can feel like constant jet lag. H. Elliott Albers, director of Georgia State’s Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, says switching to nights can disrupt a tiny part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus that controls the body’s circadian clock. In the short term, workers become disoriented or lose cognitive abilities. Chronic sleep deprivation, left untreated, can increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. People who work overnights can even develop Shift Work Sleep Disorder, a chronic condition recognized by the National Sleep Foundation that is linked to cancer, depression, and even premature death.
Once an overnight nurse, Ann E. Rogers has spent her career researching the effects of insufficient sleep in the workplace. She says night-shift workers are more prone to occupational injuries—from drivers falling asleep at the wheel to nurses sticking themselves with needles. “We’re not designed to physically work overnight,” says Rogers, now a nursing professor at Emory University. “There’s no real, ideal night-shift schedule.”
“I’ve never felt fully rested. You can learn to live with it, but it’s unnatural.”
While some employers have found workarounds—medical providers in Perth, Australia, 12 hours ahead of Atlanta, now see some Emory ICU patients via teleconferencing software and equipment—cities can’t function without the night shift. It’s that very shift that allows places like Atlanta, that strive to be 24/7 cities, to never sleep. Talk to night-shift workers, and you’ll hear a wide range of tactics for both staying up on shift and getting to sleep afterward. Rogers, for her part, suggests midshift naps. Tran’s secret: a $4,000 mattress that has 10,000 microsprings.
“Melatonin can get you back on track,” says Dr. Michael Lacey, a medical director of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine. “We also use light boxes”—patients sit next to a lightbulb-filled rectangular fixture at home after they wake up, which he says stimulates an area deep in the brain to trigger dopamine—“to lessen the shock of night shifts on the body.”
The best way to adapt to the night shift? Stick to the schedule, even on off-days, according to Albers. That’s easier said than done. Three years ago, when I worked as an overnight news writer for CNN, my work week started Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. and ended Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. I tried shifting my sleep schedule to call my parents, run errands, and maintain a social life. I tried everything from a sleeping mask to earplugs to melatonin. But none of that could offset my erratic sleeping pattern. Soon, I grew unhappy, ate poorly, and felt fatigued. I quit after five months.
Atlanta Police Officer Son Tran started working overnight shifts in downtown—a proving ground for many rookies—last year.
Photograph by Audra Melton
Not everyone can do the same. That’s the case for Tran, who’ll work nights for the foreseeable future. Later that Sunday, not long after the sun rises, Tran heads from the CNN Center to his home in Morrow. He chats with his wife about his shift and decompresses by watching funny YouTube videos. An hour later, he closes the blinds, dons his sleeping mask, and shuts his eyes on his dream mattress. Another Morning Watch is fast approaching.
Turtles from Jekyll Island’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rehab facility for sick and injured creatures, had to be transported to Atlanta as Hurricane Dorian neared the United States.
After Governor Brian Kemp issued mandatory evacuations along the Georgia coast that Sunday, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island went on alert. Founded in 2007, the center dedicates itself to the care, rehabilitation, and study of sea turtles and protection of their environment. It’s the only center of its kind in the state, and with the storm looming, the injured and sick turtles housed there needed to be evacuated.
The team first released seven patients that were ready to return to the wild after months of rehabilitation. Terry Norton, director of the center, says that it is often in the best interest of the animals to release them ahead of storms, as long as they’re ready.
“Studies have been done to look at how turtles respond in weather events, and they know what to do. The ones we felt were ready would be a lot more comfortable in their natural habitat than driving up to Atlanta in a tub,” Norton says.
Three vans loaded the other 90 turtle patients, including four loggerhead sea turtles, for the evacuation caravan from Jekyll Island to Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium.
Grabbing each turtle from its tank, the team loaded them into plastic tubs—similar to the ones that house your holiday decorations—full of towels and padding. The turtles are able to spend several hours outside the water, Norton says.
The team arrived at the aquarium on September 2 and set up a mobile turtle hospital on-site, where the aquarium staff was ready to lend a hand in caring for the creatures.
“They had room for us to set up shop and use some of the bigger tanks for the sea turtles. We had access to all of the saltwater and freshwater we needed,” Norton says. “Their staff worked with our staff to care for the animals.”
On any given day, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center looks after animals brought in with skull or jaw fractures, buoyancy issues, flipper trauma, and other ailments. Boat strikes account for 20 percent of the cases they see. Fish hooks injuries and Fibropapillomatosis, tumors caused by the herpes virus, are some of the other issues they see. One of the seven turtles released before the evacuation, named Manicotti, was among those riddled with tumors, but he responded well to a series of surgeries and was able to return to the wild.
As of this past weekend, the staff has returned to Jekyll Island. They will clean the tanks and ready up the center for the return of the turtles. Fortunately, the Center suffered minimal damage after the passing of Dorian and will be open to the public again soon. While the center is primarily a turtle hospital, it has an exhibition gallery to teach the public about the turtles and their habitat, and also allows visitors to see some of the turtles in rehab.
“We use the individual turtles that are patients to engage visitors and let them know about the bigger picture issues [in their environment],” Norton says.
A few turtles came home to Jekyll Island with the staff, with the rest to follow in the coming weeks.
The team feels positive about the community of wild turtles in the area too. The nests hatched earlier this year, so they’re hoping few were impacted by the storm. “It was a great year for sea turtle nesting on the Georgia coast,” Norton says.
ONE Musicfest When: September 7-8 Where: Centennial Olympic Park Cost: $75-$750 Details: Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, an all-star lineup including Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd, Pharrell, and KP The Great will perform at this two-day event. This year, the festival also collaborated with clothing brand FUBU for a limited edition collection of shirts and hats that will be for sale at the festival.
Music Midtown When: September 14-15 Where: Piedmont Park Cost: $165-$1,250 Details: Known for bringing a diverse group of rising and established artists to perform every year, the long-running event’s 2019 lineup includes Lizzo, Travis Scott, Cardi B, Panic! at the Disco, and Billie Eilish. Atlanta’s own 6lack and Lil Yatchy will also take the stage.
Imagine Music Festival When: September 20-22 Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway Cost: $49-$899 Details: The EDM showcase brings some heavy-hitting artists this year, including Diplo, Above & Beyond, ZEDS DEAD, and Marshmello. If dancing isn’t enough, attendees can also practice yoga, watch circus acts, attend transformative workshops, watch live art, or take a dip in this year’s new splash pool.
Sweet Auburn Music Festival When: September 28-29 Where: 320 Irwin Street Cost: Free Details: The multi-genre music festival is a perfect blend of food, entertainment, and community. Have a family outing or bring a friend to grab a bite at the international food court, look at some sweet rides at the car show, and dance to timeless music.
A3C When: October 8-13 Where:Various locations Cost: $249-$999 Details: A few changes are in store for this year’s hip-hop festival and conference—including a larger focus on technology—with a number of events taking place over a span of six days. Artists including Big Daddy Kane, E40, Megan Thee Stallion, and Pink Sweat$ will perform across Atlanta at Center Stage, Masquerade, and the Tabernacle. With a West Coast Tribute in honor of the late rapper Nipsey Hustle, the concert series will also host a Hip-Hop Trailblazers and FADER FORT experience. The conference—where many music industry legends drop gems about all things hip hop and culture—will take place October 10 through October 12 at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart.
Food & Drink
Atlanta Mimosa Festival When: September 28, 1-5 p.m., 12 p.m. for VIP Where: Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park Cost: $45-$79 Details: Get your fix of this favorite breakfast cocktail, along with bellinis, wines, beers, and other adult-friendly drinks. For football fans, ThumpsUp Tailgating & Mobile Entertainment will show Saturday’s college games, so you won’t miss a play.
Oktoberfest Atlanta When: October 11-12 Where: Historic Fourth Ward Park Cost: $19-$56 Details: The German-themed event will have all the brews you can dream of in one place. Grab a Bavarian pretzel or bratwurst to pair with a beer after you compete in kell roll racing, a stein hoisting contest, or the pretzel toss.
Atlanta Arab Festival
Photograph courtesy of Atlanta Arab Festival
Culture
Atlanta Arab Festival When: September 14-15 Where: Alif Institute Cost: $5, children are free Details: Now in it’s 14th year, this cultural celebration features food, Arabic coffee, live performances, games, a kids’ talent show, and a souk market. Attendees can enter photo contest in advance explaining what Arab culture means to them—the winners will have their picture displayed at the festival.
CURLFEST When: September 21, 12-7 p.m. Where: Candler Park Cost: $35-$60 Details: After its growing success in New York, the natural beauty celebration will take place in Atlanta for the first time. Target, DevaCurl, Creme of Nature, and Camille Rose are a few of the retailers and lines on the festival’s sponsor list. Naturalistas can visit vendors on Beauty Row, jam out to live music, view art, and listen to guest speakers while embracing all hair types, curl patterns, and skin complexions. Social media influencers from across the nation are known to attend, you may see some of your social media inspirations or hair goals for an Instagramable moment.
JapanFest When: September 21-22 Where: Infinite Energy Arena Cost: $10-$18 Details: This year’s JapanFest will celebrate the upcoming 2020 Olympics. The event expands across the entire arena, where you’ll will find Japanese dishes, vendor markets, an Anime Village, a kid-friendly area with Japanese games, a sword and martial arts exhibit, and much more.
Atlanta Greek Festival When: September 27-29 Where: Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Annunciation Cost: $5, free for children 12 and under Details: From gyros to spanakopita, you’ll find plenty of Greek favorites here. The marketplace will transform into a Greek Agora where vendors sell jewelry, oil paintings, and other household items. If you need you need Greek on-the-go, the festival also hosts a drive-thru on Friday and Saturday that offers a shortened version of its full menu.
AFROPUNK When: October 12-13 Where: 787 Windsor Cost: $50-$90 Details: Celebrating diversity and black culture, the “Carnival of Consciousness” returns to Atlanta with new installations including YouTube series The Grapevine TV. Performances by Anderson .Paak, Earthgang, FKA twigs, and Alabama Shakes lead vocalist Brittany Howard are only a few of the 21 artists set to take the stage. The Bites & Beats Food Festival—an event within an event—will have dishes from around the world for patrons to eat while enjoying the ongoing sets.
Film
Atlanta Horror Film Festival When: September 12-14 Where: Synchronicity Theatre Cost: $12-$50 Details: Expect everything from comedy to gore at this spooky film fest, which features independent features and shorts, some of which you can only catch at the three-day event. Sure to make your skin crawl or have you peeking through one eye, films produced in 10 different countries will entertain movie-goers with plots focused on the dangers of technology, paranormal activity, and more.
Festival on Ponce
Photograph courtesy of Festival on Ponce
Art
Yellow Daisy Festival When: September 5-8 Where: Stone Mountain Park Cost: $5-$10 before 10 a.m., Free after 10 a.m. Details: The award-winning arts and crafts show will display works from more than 400 artistsans along with this year’s featured artist and SCAD Atlanta professor Thomas Burns. Don’t miss the Flower Show on Friday and Saturday, which celebrates all things horticulture.
Buckhead Fine Arts Festival When: September 21-22 Where: Buckhead Village Cost: Free Details: For its second year in the upscale residential district, the two-day, rain-or-shine event will showcase works from about 100 artisans including glass blowers and sculptors. With live music and food available, there’s plenty to indulge—and four-legged furry friends are welcome, too.
Fall Festival on Ponce When: October 12-13 Where: Olmsted Linear Park Cost: Free Details: For the two time annual event—each in the fall and spring—festival-goers can enjoy local art and craftsmanship, food, beverages, live music, and a children’s area while taking in the views of a historic picture-worthy park.
The Sandy Springs Festival’s Lightning 5K/10
Photograph courtesy of Sandy Springs Festival
Community
Sandy Springs Festival When: September 28-29 Where: Heritage Green Cost: Free; some events require an additional fee Details: At the annual 33rd festival you can expect to find over 50 art vendors, bounce houses, face painting, a Chalk Walk, pet parade, and food and drinks—of course. After the Lightning 5K/10K on Saturday morning, festival-goers can visit Heritage Sandy Springs Museum in the Historic District to learn about the community and view a new art exhibit about the women of Sandy Springs. For the cherry on top, the new Sandy Springs Wine Festival will have over 75 wines and craft beers from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday along with live music and games to enjoy, also.
Fall Fest in Candler Park When: October 5-6 Where: Candler Park Cost: Free; some events require an additional fee Details: Prepare for crowds, as the 200+ booth artists’ market, kids’ zone, Sunday morning yoga, and Tour of Homes draws more than 18,000 people to the neighborhood. The festival’s 5K, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, also has an updated route this year.
Atlanta Pride Festival When: October 11-13 Where: Piedmont Park Cost: Free; some events require an additional fee Details: New this year, the largest pride festival in the Southeast will have its first Bi and Pan March celebrating the bisexual and pansexual communities along with adding a second tea dance. Also on the lineup: a kick-off party at the Georgia Aquarium, Trans March and Rally, Dyke March, Pride Car and Motorcycle Show, and the Pride Parade, the largest in the city and one of the oldest pride parades.
Little Five Points Halloween Festival
Photograph courtesy of Little Five Points Halloween Festival
Specialty
Pretty Girls Sweat Festival When: September 14, 12-5 p.m. Where: Georgia Freight Depot Cost: $50-$100, $25 for students Details: Supported by celebrities including Laila Ali, Karen Civil, and “the world’s fastest woman” Carmelita Jeter, the women-dominated fitness expo takes strides to make exercising a fun, enjoyable experience while creating a sisterhood and fighting childhood obesity. While “sweat sisters” take a break from yoga, strength training, or dance workouts, they can enjoy free beverages at sip stations, grab a bite of vegan soul food, and buy merch from vendors.
Little Five Points Halloween Festival When: October 19, 12-10 p.m. Where: Little Five Points Cost: Free Details: Since the 1970s, Little Five Points is the place to be for the spookiest costumes and movie favorites from the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus to Glinda the Good Witch of the South. Don’t miss the parade from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with live music and food to enjoy in Atlanta’s oldest art and music district.
And one more bonus festival to know about
Atlanta magazine’s Whiskey Festival When: October 17, 7-10 p.m. Where: Flourish Atlanta Cost: $75-$100 Details: We’ve outgrown our old space at the Estate in Buckhead, but we’re moving just across the street to Flourish. With more than 50 whiskey, bourbon, and rums ready to sample, attendees can enjoy live music, food pairings, and cigar rolling.
JapanFest September 21–22 Infinite Energy Center Visit Ginza Street or the Anime Village, shop for kimonos or ceramics, and eat street food like bento boxes or takoyaki.
Indie Craft Experience Fall Market September 8 Yaarab Temple The fall market offers vintage items, art, and hand-crafted goods from more than 60 vendors.
Phantogram September 9 The Tabernacle The New York music duo that merges rock, pop, and electronic music comes to downtown with opener Bob Moses. Here’s hoping Big Boi, a Phantogram fan, makes a guest appearance.
Free National Park Day September 28 National parks acrossGeorgia Enjoy free admission to the Chattahoochee River Recreation Area, Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park, Cumberland Island Seashore, and Fort Pulaski Monument.
FLUX 2019 September 26–29 Ponce City Market FLUX creates a playground of sound and art filling the mixed-use center’s stairwells, ventilation systems, and water towers.
Brenda Lee speaks onstage during the 2018 Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Medallion Ceremony in Nashville.
Photograph by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame
Her home state of Georgia is never far from Brenda Lee’s mind. It’s referenced in the first sentence on the first page of the singer’s rollicking autobiography, Little Miss Dynamite: The Life and Times of Brenda Lee.
Back in 2001, in a room brimming with national media types, all covering the dedication ceremonies of the new multi-million-dollar Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, she spied the Atlanta press credentials dangling around my neck, patted the seat next to her in the front row, and insisted I sit beside her.
Lee, a 1997 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame and a 2002 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductee (the only woman inducted into both) was so distraught when house painters dropped and broke her 1982 Georgia Music Hall of Fame Award, she cried. Then, she picked up the phone and called then-Georgia governor Zell Miller to ask him for help to replace it. (He did.)
Since her daughter Julie is a University of Georgia graduate, Lee has spent considerable time in Athens and even had a photo op with Uga, the school’s mascot bulldog.
Lee with Uga the bulldog
Courtesy of the Brenda Lee Archives
And the only time the pop, rock, and country icon got emotional during a recent 30-minute interview with Atlanta magazine was when she discussed what receiving the inaugural Georgia Public Broadcasting Georgia Legend Award from her home state means. The award will be presented to her during a gala in her honor this Saturday night at one of her favorite childhood concert venues, the Fox Theatre (some tickets remain: go toGPB.orgfor details).
The performer, now 74, who was born in the charity ward of Emory University Hospital, sang at her first talent contest at the age of seven in Conyers. Soon, she was a regular on the country variety program TV Ranch, hosted by John Farmer on Atlanta’s WAGA-TV.
By 1956, she had a record contract with Nashville’s Decca Records, recording with famed record producer Owen Bradley (who also worked with Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, a former UGA journalism student who was raised in Decatur). A year later, she made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage and danced in the wings with one of her fans, Elvis Presley.
Lee on American Bandstand with host Dick Clark
Courtesy of the Brenda Lee Archives
Her song “I’m Sorry” hit number one on the Billboard charts in 1960. By the time she was 18, the Beatles were opening for her rockabilly act at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany. Lee would go on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide, including the enduring yuletide hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” charting 46 hits on the Billboard charts throughout the 1960s, ranking right up there with Elvis, the Beatles, and Ray Charles. Lee is also one of the trailblazing stars interviewed for the upcoming 16-hour Ken Burns PBS documentary Country Music, which debuts on GPB on September 15 at 8 p.m.
In a wide-ranging interview by phone last week, Lee discussed all this and more. On participating in the Country Music documentary: It was absolutely wonderful. I [recorded] my part at least five years ago. We did the interview in a big house up on Belle Meade Blvd [in Nashville]. Oh good lord, I talked about everything. My roots, all the genres of music I’ve been in—rockabilly, country, rock n roll, pop. The hiccupping [vocal technique] in my songs and who invented it. It’s really a compliment being included in this.
On working with legendary Nashville record producer Owen Bradley: Even though I was a child when we started working together, Owen never treated me like a kid. He and the musicians always treated me as an artist and as a peer. I was always asked my opinion. I still remember the day [in 1961] when the Wilburn Brothers brought Loretta Lynn into the office. Owen and I were listening to a song. They brought her in with a song they pitched to Owen called “Fool Number One.” Owen said, “I’ll tell you what, you give me that song for Brenda Lee, and I’ll sign Loretta to a recording contract.” So we both won. I got a hit record and the record company won big time getting Loretta!
Lee with Elvis, backstage at the Grand Ole Opry
Courtesy of the Brenda Lee Archives
On her friend and fan Elvis Presley: One afternoon, my record label got a call saying Elvis Presley wanted an autographed photo and could I sign one for him? They thought it was a prank until Elvis sent a car to pick it up! I still can’t believe it happened, but it did. We had done the [Grand Ole] Opry together and just became fast friends. When I met Priscilla, she said the first time she had gone to visit Elvis in his apartment in Germany, he was playing [Lee’s hit 1959 song] “Sweet Nothins” on the stereo.
On her first encounter with the Beatles when they opened for her in 1962 at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany: I was backstage watching these cute boys in suits and listening to their songs, thinking, “I don’t know that song. Or that one. Or that one.” But they were all great. Why didn’t I know these songs? I was friendly with John. He was my favorite. So when they came off the stage I asked him, “Good lord, John, where did those songs come from?” Very nonchalantly, very unaffected, he said, “Oh, we write ‘em!’ I thought, “Oh my lord!” So I asked, “Do you mind if one night I tape-record a portion of your set?” I also took a photo of them. I brought the tape and the photo to my record company in New York. I’ll never forget this as long as I live. The people at the record company—I call ‘em the suits—they listened to it and then they looked at me. I was so excited. I said, “What do you think?” They said, “This look will never happen and neither will this sound.” And honey, don’t you know, several months later, the world was astounded. I just remember thinking, “You idiots.”
On campaigning for fellow Georgian Jimmy Carter for president in 1976: I flew into Atlanta on election night to go to his party. There was so much excitement because nobody thought he had a chance. It was magical. Here we were with a president out of Georgia and he’s a peanut farmer! My uncle Ralph was a peanut farmer. I thought it was the greatest night ever. A Georgia peanut farmer can become president of the United States!
What it means to come back to her home state to receive the inaugural GPB Georgia Legend Award: It’s hard to put into words, the fabric of my being is Georgia. Everything I am is Georgia born and bred. My loved ones, my daddy, my mama, and my sister are all in that wonderful deep red clay. To be honored like this, I don’t have any words because Georgia was so good to me. Everything I know I learned as a child I learned on stage in Georgia or at WAGA-TV. Everything I know about singing I owe to coming up in Georgia.
Each year, Dragon Con’s faithful descend upon Peachtree Center clad in their finest foam, cloth, and metal, with masterfully created props in tow. We turn our heads to observe them, taking in the humor, skill, and uncanny resemblance to heroes, villains, and every character in between. Our favorite part of the convention, simply put, is people-watching.
This year, Stranger Things overtook the con. You could forgive us for thinking a Time Lord whisked us away to the 1980s—after all, one was present this past weekend. As usual, film, television, and video game characters rounded out our costumer-seeking experience. Newcomers to the world’s most-ambitious cross-over: memes, robotics, and even Marietta’s Big Chicken, offered a news lens with which to observe the pop culture zeitgeist while roaming the Marriott Marquis. The Cult of the Marriott Carpet also returned in greater numbers this year, creating more awareness of its colorful mission.
ADAC WEST SIP & STROLL | Sponsored by Atlanta Magazine’s HOME and Atlanta Magazine
