Big Game alternatives and Valentine’s pop-ups

This Sunday, as millions of people are putting the finishing touches on their Super Bowl chicken wing platters or arguing about the game’s over/under, I’ll be settling in for a television event with some real bite.

Puppy Bowl XXII will kick off at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Discovery+. I’ll be cheering on RuPaw, the game’s lone metro Atlanta representative, who was rescued by Smyrna-based Bosley’s Place before being adopted (she’ll also make an appearance at a Sunday watch party at the Stout Brothers in Smyrna).

Don’t get me wrong — my Puppy Bowl love doesn’t mean I’m anti-Super Bowl. I’ll still likely watch bits and pieces of the Patriots vs. Seahawks matchup (if only for the between-game ads) and, of course, I’ll be firmly planted in front of my TV when Bad Bunny takes the stage at halftime.

If you’re a fellow half-in, half-out of the Big Game watcher, here are some options for you:

🏎️🏁 Check out F1 Arcade, which opens Friday on Howell Mill Road. Sip on cocktails and nibble on snacks while you use F1 simulators to race against friends or family members. Oh, and the Super Bowl will also be on when you need a break from the racing.

👀 If you’re really just in it for Bad Bunny, head to Urban Pie’s Bad Bunny Bowl Watch Party in Kirkwood. Show up at noon for a tailgate hosted with women sport’s bar Jolene Jolene, then come back at 6 p.m. for a party featuring free food, drinks, tattoos and swag. There will also be Bad Bunny-themed watch parties at the Battery at Truist Park and El Ponce.