Honda Battle of the Bands: 5 things to do this weekend in Atlanta

It’s the calm before the storm.

With the Falcons headed to the Super Bowl, next weekend in Atlanta is bound to be chaotic. If you’re looking to preserve your energy, we can't blame you.

Even if you’re headed to the Georgia Dome this weekend for the Honda Battle of the Bands, you can make time for both fun and relaxation this weekend.

Here are five things to do throughout metro Atlanta:

Design over Doughnuts

Atlanta City Studios hosts Design over Doughnuts where everyone is welcome to “celebrate inclusive, exceptional design that makes Atlanta a more fulfilling, enjoyable and beautiful place” on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month.

The event is free. No RSVP is necessary, but it’s only scheduled to last 15 minutes. If you’re in the area, this is a cool way to join the conversation and network before tending to other business.

8 a.m. Jan. 27. Free. Atlanta City Studio at Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta. Poncecitymarket.com. 

Wild Weather exhibit

Fernbank will open a new exhibit dedicated to helping attendees explore weather this weekend. Wild Weather is a traveling exhibition that will help museum visitors learn about the science behind extreme weather, including hurricanes, tornados heatwaves and more. “Dance up a storm” in the Experience the Weather zone before tracking a tornado inside this exhibit.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 28-May 7. $18 (adults, 13-64), $17 (seniors 65 and older), $16 (children, 3-12), free (members). Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta. Fernbankmuseum.org.

Honda Battle of the Bands

Celebrate the magic of HBCU marching bands at the 15th annual Honda Battle of the Bands this Saturday. North Carolina A&T State University and Alabama State University are among the bands that will perform at the Georgia Dome.

3 p.m. Jan. 28. $15-$21. Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive, Atlanta. Hondabattleofthebands.com.

The Nile Project

Artists from 11 Nile countries have joined together as the collective musical group “The Nile Project,” touring for educational concerts. The group will perform at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University on Jan. 28.

8 p.m. Jan. 28. $31.21-$62.64. Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St., Atlanta. Rialto.gsu.edu.

‘The Mountaintop’

“The Mountaintop” is a fictional production that reimagines Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s conversation with a maid at the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his death in 1968. The Aurora Theatre production features language that might be inappropriate for a young audience.

Through Feb. 12. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. $20-55. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Auroratheatre.com.