We've helped you prepare for spring by telling you all about festivals, events and concerts. That's a lot of info, so we're here to remind you what's happening in the next few days.
FESTIVALS
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Like its perennial namesake, this festival blooms annually in Midtown’s sprawling Piedmont Park. A juried competition features 260 fine artists showing off their works, from sculpture to painting to photography and all points in between.
You’ll also find festival food, live music, kiddie activities, a 5K run, and a disc dog competition (but leave your pooch at home). Additional food and drinks can be had at Backyard Barbecue & Brews, a special VIP ticketed event on Saturday and Sunday.
Noon-10 p.m. April 10, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. April 11, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 12. Free. Backyard Barbecue & Brews: $25-$35. Piedmont Park, 1320 Monroe Drive N.E., Atlanta. dogwood.org.
Festival on Ponce
Artist market, music, food, children's area. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 11, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 12. Free. Olmsted Linear Park, 1451 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta. festivalonponce.com.
WORTH NOTING
Zoo Atlanta’s Amphibian and Reptile Experience
Zoo Atlanta just opened its Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience.
Underneath a 45-foot-high glass dome, the $19 million, 14,000-square-foot showplace will display between 70 and 90 reptiles and amphibians at any one time, focusing on animals that are part of conservation programs and using fewer, larger displays to create a better sense of their surroundings. One of the stars will be a Cuban crocodile.
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Zoo admission: adult (ages 12 and up), $22.99; child (3-11), $17.99; ages 2 and under, free. 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-624-5600, zooatlanta.org.
‘Man of La Mancha’
For five seasons, Serenbe Playhouse has presented theater in many outdoor locales around the Serenbe development in south Fulton County. It got this year going earlier than usual, with its first spring staging, "Man of La Mancha" at the Labyrinth at Serenbe. The twisty paths of Serenbe's natural labyrinth, a place customarily used for meditation and contemplation, will no doubt emphasize the mind-bending nature of Don Quixote's misadventures.
Through April 11. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. $25-$30. The Labyrinth at Serenbe, 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road in Chattahoochee Hills. 770-463-1110, www.serenbeplayhouse.com.
CONCERT
The Bangles
With their combination of sunny harmonies (“Manic Monday”), New Wave inflections (“Going Down to Liverpool”) and dusky dabblings (their cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade of Winter” is superbly moody), the Bangles offered much to love in their ’80s heyday. Now a trio, the band is anchored by the mellifluous vocals of Susanna Hoffs, combined with the guitar and drums, respectively, of sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson.
8:30 p.m. April 11. $35. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
