Visit Atlanta’s first cat cafe: 5 things to do this week

With more hours of daylight and temperatures that actually feel like spring, making the most of your lunch break or after-work hours will be of the essence this week.

Exploring Atlanta’s newest eateries, checking out some new bands and taking the kids to Stone Mountain Park’s newest exhibit are all on the menu this week.

Dust the pollen off your car and take a leap into these five adventures before the week’s out:

Stop by Atlanta’s first cat cafe

Time to give a furry welcome to Atlanta’s first cat cafe, Java Cats Cafe, which opens Monday at 415 Memorial Dr., Suite C in Grant Park.

Owner Hadyn Hilton has worked on bringing the widely popular concept to Atlanta since last spring. Java Cats will serve a full coffee drink menu and pre-packaged pastries, cold sandwiches and cookies from The Gathering, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Atlanta Mission that helps homeless men and women get back on their feet by teaching them culinary skills.

She plans to allow about 12-15 kitties to take a cat walk around the cafe. Local animal rescue group Paws Atlanta will help identify cats that would respond well to the social setting.

The attraction Dinosaur Explore will open in Stone Mountain Park in late March. The dinosaurs are being moved from sister property Wild Adventures park in Valdosta, which is owned and operated by Herschend Family Entertainment property. Herschend Family Entertainment property manages Stone Mountain Park. CONTRIBUTED

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Visit Stone Mountain Park’s new exhibit Dinosaur Explore

Stone Mountain will open its much-anticipated dinosaur exhibit Dinosaur Explore on Thursday.

Families and other dinosaur enthusiasts will have the chance to explore the 20 dinosaurs on display that represent 14 species and more. The indoor portion of the attraction will allow kids to feed the animatronic baby dinosaurs and play games in the Dinotorium.

Noam Pikelny

The bluegrass banjo player is known for paying homage to Bill Monroe and singing harmonies with the The Punch Brothers. On Friday, he steps out on his own at The Earl.

The Grammy-nominated banjo player is set to release his latest album “Universal Favorite” at the end of this month.


8 p.m. Mar. 31 @ The Earl. Tickets are $22 in advance; $25 at the door and are available here. 488 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta.

Eat your way through Inman Park Restaurant Week

Even if you don’t live in Inman Park, its restaurant week is just enticing enough to warrant a trip to the neighborhood. The celebration of local restaurants starts Monday, featuring the finest pre-fixe menus at 14 restaurants.

Prices will range from about $20 to $30 per meal at Inman Park hot spots like Barcelona Wine Bar, The Brasserie at Parish, Hampton + Hudson and more.

For a complete list of menus and participating restaurants, visit www.inmanparkrestaurantweek.com/.

See ‘Don Pasquale’

The Atlanta Opera's modern take on Gaetano Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" sets the comic Italian opera in the golden era of Hollywood. Bass-baritone Burak Bilgili performs the role of Pasquale, a silent film star soon to enter retirement who marries a woman more interested in his money than his heart.

8 p.m. March 27 and  7:30 p.m. March 28. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-881-8885, Atlantaopera.org.

Quiz: What’s your cat IQ?

RECOMMENDED VIDEO: Go on stage at the Cobb Energy Center, where the Atlanta Opera performs "Don Pasquale."