This is a busy week for things to do in Atlanta outdoors, including the Kennesaw Big Shanty Festival and an annual favorite, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park, plus the Taste of West Cobb, and for something completely different, Atlanta Fringe Festival’s Third Annual Easter Art Hunt.
ATLANTA FAIRS, FESTIVALS, ATTRACTIONS ETC.
Atlanta Dogwood Festival. April 11-13. Piedmont Park, 400 Park Drive N.E., Atlanta. www.dogwood.org.
Named for the trees that sport beautiful white and pink flowers during the spring in Atlanta, this annual festival at Piedmont Park is a festival of arts and crafts, music, concessions and activities. April 11-13. Piedmont Park, 400 Park Drive N.E., Atlanta. Festival information, including information on the new feature, The Backyard Barbecue & Brews, a VIP experience within the festival.
Kennesaw Big Shanty Festival. April 12-13. Free admission. Main Street (Ga. 293), Kennesaw. kennesawbusiness.org.
Make plans to visit the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History home of "The General" famous Civil War locomotive. The Kennesaw/Big Shanty Festival is one of the largest festivals in North Georgia. April 12-13. The Big Shanty Festival will begin with a parade through downtown Kennesaw at 9:30 a.m. April 12th. Enjoy Civil War re-enactments, live entertainment, crafts, vendors and food.
Sandy Springs Artsapalooza. April 12-13. 6100 Lake Forrest Drive N.E., Sandy Springs. 404-873-1222, www.sandyspringsartsapalooza.com.
This festival for artists and run with the help of artists includes a children’s play area, local musicians, interactive art stations, plus up to 150 arts and crafts participants. Those include painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craftspeople, glass blowers, jewelers and more. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 12; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 13.
Taste of West Cobb. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. April 12. Tickets packets $10. Hillgrove High School, 4165 Luther Ward Road, Powder Springs. www.tasteofwestcobb.com.
Magnetic Music Festival. Electronic Music festival offering a full-on audiovisual sensory experience complete with state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting design and a lineup of electronic music DJs. .3 p.m. April 12. $59-$99. Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1500 Tara Place, Hampton. http://www.magneticmusicfestival.com/
Spring Fling and Festival at Gaither's Plantation. 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. April 12. $5. Gaither Plantation, 240 Davis Ford Road, Covington. asouthernladysevents.blogspot.com
The 22nd Annual Disc Dog Southern Nationals. April 12-13. Free. Piedmont Park, 400 Park Drive N.E., Atlanta. www.atlantadiscdogs.com.
Atlanta Fringe Festival's Third Annual Easter Art Hunt. 10 a.m. April 12. Free. Brownwood Park, 602 Brownwood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. atlantafringe.org.
Earth Day Kids Fest. 10 a.m. April 12. $10; $6 children; ages 2 and under free. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055, www.chattnaturecenter.org.
"Orchid Daze: Lasting Impressions." Through April 13. $18.95; $12.95 ages 3-12. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
"Whales: Giants of the Deep." The exhibition also takes a look at New Zealand's Maori culture. Through Aug. 24. Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-929-6400, fernbankmuseum.org.
"Seamus Heaney: The Music of What Happens." Through May 7. Free. Woodruff Library, 540 Asbury Circle. 404-727-6861, bit.ly/emory-heaney-exhibition.
"Atlanta Blooms." Through April 30. $18.95; $12.95 ages 3-12. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Michael Randman. A benefit for Hapeville Educational Foundation. 7:30 p.m. April 12. $10. Hapeville Performing Arts Center, 599 N. Central Ave., Atlanta. 404-474-8332, academytheatre.org
EASTER EVENTS
Southern Folk Passion on Palm Sunday. 4 p.m. Sunday April 13. Druid Hills Baptist Church, Atlanta.
Eggstravaganza: Callanwolde's Easter Egg Hunt. 10 a.m. Saturday April 19. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Atlanta.
Hop in the Park at Atlantic Station . There will be games, activities, face painting and more! Visit with the Easter bunny. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Atlantic Station, Atlanta.
Atlanta Easter Egg Hunts | MORE Easter Events
MUSIC
Spring Music Festivals close to Atlanta, including Moogfest in Asheville and Atlanta Jazz Festival and the CounterPoint Music Festival in Rome, GA.
Tickets and upcoming concerts | Melissa Ruggieri's Atlanta concert recommendations
Earl Klugh's Night of Guitars featuring Chuck Loeb and Norman Brown. 8 p.m. April 12. $37-$62. Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Drive N.W., Atlanta. www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu. Read more about Earl Klugh on accessAtlanta
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. ASO principal oboist Elizabeth Koch Tiscione is the soloist for the Oboe Concerto by Richard Strauss. April 11 and 13. $24-$75. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. www.atlantasymphony.org.
Michelle Malone in Concert. 7 p.m. April 11. $20. St. Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-873-2636, stmarkumc.org.
Randall Bramblett. 8 p.m. April 11. $15-$18. Steve's Live Music, 234 Hilderbrand Drive, Sandy Springs. steveslivemusic.com.
Lady Antebellum, Kip Moore, Kasey Musgraves. 7 p.m. April 11. $25.25-$50. Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-443-5090, www.livenation.com. Read more about Lady Antebellum on accessAtlanta
Brad Mehldau. 8:30 p.m. April 11. $27.50-$30. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. www.variety-playhouse.com.
Karmin. 8:30 p.m. April 12. $17-21. Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.
ESOEBO. 8 p.m. April 12. $10-$12. Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth. www.eddieowenpresents.com.
New Trinity Baroque: Bach's "St. John Passion." 8 p.m. April 12. $39. St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 1790 Lavista Road N.E., Atlanta. www.newtrinitybaroque.org.
Magnetic Music Festival. 3 p.m. April 12. $59-$99. Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1500 Tara Place, Hampton. http://www.magneticmusicfestival.com/
Caroline Aiken Band. 7 p.m. April 12. $10. Eddie's Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.
Pete Huttlinger. 7 p.m. April 12. $30-$35. The Six String Social Club at Ragamuffin Music Hall, Roswell. 770-365-7738, www.sixstringsocialclub.com.
Packway Handle Band. 9:30 p.m. April 12. $14. Eddie's Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.
The Whispers, the O'Jays. 8 p.m. April 12. $70-$120. Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. www.atlantaciviccenter.com.
Southern Folk Passion. 4 p.m. April 13. Free. Druid Hills Baptist Church, 1085 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-909-8385, www.meridianherald.org.
Mozart's Requiem. 5 p.m. April 13. Free. North Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Road, Decatur. 404-636-1429, www.ndpc.org
Joe Gransden. 7 and 9 p.m. April 13. $20. The Velvet Note, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta. 855-583-5838, thevelvetnote.com.
Stephen "Ragga" Marley, Wayne Marshall, Jo Mersa. 9 p.m. April 14. $24. Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.
Main Squeeze. April 16. $10 in advance. Smith's Olde Bar, 1578 Piedmont Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-875-1522, www.smithsoldebar.com.
Seryn, John & Jacob. 8 p.m. April 16. $10-$17. Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth. www.eddieowenpresents.com.
Georgia State University Jazz Band II. 8 p.m. April 16. Free. Florence Kopleff Recital Hall, 10 Peachtree Center Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-413-5901, www.music.gsu.edu.
Ben Miller Band. 8 p.m. April 16. $14; $10 in advance. Eddie's Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.
500 Songs For Kids. April 10-12 at Smith's Olde Bar, 1578 Piedmont Road N.E., Atlanta; April 17-19 at the EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E.; April 24-26 and May 1-3 at the Loft, 1374 W. Peachtree St. N.W. www.songsforkidsfoundation.org
PERFORMING ARTS
"Elemeno Pea." Through April 13. $20-$30. Horizon Theatre Company, 1083 Austin Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-584-7450, www.horizontheatre.com.
"Miracle On South Division Street." Through April 13. $22-$27. Stage Door Players at North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-396-1726, www.stagedoorplayers.net.
"The Outsiders." Through April 13. $12.60-$15.60. New London Theatre, 2338 Henry Clower Blvd. S.W., Snellville. 770-559-1484, www.newlondontheatre.org.
"The Best Game." Presented by Rising Sage Theatre Company. Through April 13. $20-$25. Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. 404-500-7243, www.risingsagetheatre.com.
"Maple and Vine." Through April 20. $26-$45. Actors Express Theatre Company, 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-607-7469, www.actors-express.com.
"Designing Women Live 8." Featuring Topher Payne. Through April 13. $20-$25. OnStage Atlanta, 2969 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-897-1802, www.onstageatlanta.com.
"Thrill Me: The Leopard & Loeb Story." A two-character musical drama about the infamous murder case of the early 20th century. Through April 13. $8-$14. Newnan Theatre Company, 24 First Ave., Newnan. newnantheatre.org.
"Macbeth." Through May 4. $15-$36. The New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-874-5299, www.shakespearetavern.com.
"Annie." Through April 20. $32-$50. Atlanta Lyric Theatre at Cobb Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 404-377-9948, atlantalyrictheatre.com.
Jeff Garlin. Through April 12. $15-$30. Laughing Skull Lounge, 878 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 877-523-3288, laughingskulllounge.com.
"Charlotte's Web." Through May 25. $16.50. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-873-3391, www.puppet.org.
"Legally Blonde: The Musical." Presented by the Henry Players. Through April 13. $10-$12. Henry County Performing Arts Center, 37 Lemon St., McDonough. www.henryplayers.com.
"The Lion King." Through April 27. $35-$175. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 855- 285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
"9 to 5." Through April 27. $15-$28. Act3 Playhouse, 6285 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 770-241-1905, www.act3productions.org.
"Dividing the Estate." Through April 20, $20-$50. Theatrical Outfit, at the Balzer Theatre at Herren's, 84 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta. 1-877-725-8849 , www.theatricaloutfit.org.
"Always...Patsy Cline." Presented by Out of Box Theatre. April 11-27. $25-$30. Artisan Resource Center, 585 Cobb Parkway S., Marietta. 678-653-4605, www.outofboxtheatre.com.
"Camelot." Presented by Georgia Ensemble Theatre. April 11-27. $28-$39. Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-641-1260, get.org.
Atlanta Ballet: "Hamlet." April 11-13. $20-$120. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-872-5811, www.atlantaballet.com.
Janet "The Tennessee Tramp" Williams. April 11-12. $12. Bonkerz Comedy Club - Roswell, 11000 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell. 770-992-5688, roswell.bonkerzcomedy.com.
"Self Indulgence: Funny Stories with Jeffery Self." April 11-12. $20. Actors Express Theatre Company, 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-607-7469, www.actors-express.com.
Andrew Santino. April 11-12. $15-$20. Atlanta Improv Comedy Club, 56 E. Andrews Drive N.W., Atlanta. 678-244-3612, atlimprov.laughstub.com.
"The Importance of Being Earnest." April 11-13. $10-$15. The Theatre Arts Guild at Georgia Perimeter College, Cole Auditorium, Fine Arts Building, Clarkston. 678- 891-3572, gpc.tix.com.
"The Crucible." Georgia State University Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by Robert Ward. 8 p.m. April 11-13. $27-$55. Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta. rialtocenter.org.
"Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!" with Dita Von Teese feature MC Murray Hill. April 13. This is an 18+ show. $29-$750. Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta. tabernacleatl.com.
George Wallace. VIP reception 5:30 p.m. April 13; show at 7 p.m. $50; $100 VIP. Porter Sanford lll Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. 404-919-1246, www.portersanfordarts.org.
Doug Stanhope. April 16-17. $25. Atlanta Improv Comedy Club, 56 E. Andrews Drive N.W., Atlanta. 678-244-3612, atlimprov.laughstub.com.
VISUAL ARTS
Simone Leigh: "Gone South." Through May 31. $5-$8. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, 535 Means St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-688-1970, www.thecontemporary.org.
"The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Where Art and History Intersect." Through July 15. $11-$16.50. Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta. www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.
“Optic Chiasm: The Crossing Over of Art & Science.” Through May 4. $5. Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-364-8555, museum.oglethorpe.edu.
“Blind/Sight: Conversations with the Visually Inspired.” Through May 4. $5. Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-364-8555, museum.oglethorpe.edu.
"Birds of Bali." Photos by Frank Sharp. Through Aug. 24. $16-$18. Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-929-6300, www.fernbankmuseum.org.
"Hidden Heroes: The Genius of Everyday Things." Through May 11. $10 general admission. Museum of Design, 1315 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. www.museumofdesign.org.
"Abelardo Morell: The Universe Next Door." Through May 18. $12-$19.50. High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, www.high.org.
"Go West! Art of the American West from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West." Through April 13. $12-$19.50. High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. www.high.org.
"Bodies … The Exhibition." Ongoing. $16-$24. Premier Exhibition Center at Atlantic Station, 265 18th St., Atlanta. 866-866-8265, www.atlanticstation.com.
