15 family-friendly things to do in metro Atlanta this weekend
Looking for something fun to do with your family this weekend in Atlanta? If you’re a Lego fan, head to Atlanta Brick Con. Black History Month events are underway with a Black History Bowl Championship and a Black Experience Tour at Bulloch Hall. “Pete the Cat” returns to the Center for Puppetry Arts, and Fernbank natural history museum debuts its Planet Ice exhibition.
Check out the following 15 family-friendly things to do this weekend in metro Atlanta.
Celebrate everything Lego with creations to view, building zones, games, speakers, character meets, a 125-foot Lego RC off-road course to race on and more.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $23.36 and up. Gas South Convention Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 470-639-8243.
Use state-of-the-art F1 simulators to race your family (ages 7 and up) as individuals or in teams. Food and drink, including a children’s menu, are also available.
Noon-1 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Guests under 21 are welcome until 7 p.m. daily. 1115 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-737-3131.
Virginia Highland kicks off its first Mardi Gras celebration with a festive parade followed by a party with music from Wasted Potential, vendors, face painting, beads, and food and drink.
Noon parade, 1-4 p.m. party, Saturday. Free admission to both. Parade starts along Virginia Avenue at the intersection with Arcadia Street and ends at North Highland Avenue. Party takes place in parking lot behind Fontaine’s Oyster House, 1026½ North Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta.
Aurora Children’s Playhouse presents traditional Chinese music and dance from the Atlanta Chinese Dance Co., and you can participate in the show.
10 a.m. Saturday. $7. Lawrenceville Arts Center, 125 N. Clayton St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222.
Plan your next family road trip by checking out more than 150 fully staged new RVs and meeting exhibitors. A kids’ zone is also at the show.
Continuing 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Cobb Convention Center Atlanta, 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 770-955-8000.
This puppet show is based on the New York Times bestselling books and features Pete the Cat’s most amazing adventures. Tickets include admission to the show, the Worlds of Puppetry Museum and a Create-A-Puppet Workshop, where you’ll be able to make a hand puppet inspired by the production.
Continuing 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and 1-3 p.m. Sunday, plus additional dates. $26. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. NW at 18th Street, Atlanta. 404-873-3391.
Watch the Super Bowl and all its must-see commercials and have fun with a Bad Bunny halftime sing-along and team-themed photo opportunities.
5-11 p.m. Sunday. Free for 18 and under. $12.64. The Battery Atlanta, 825 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-965-2511.
Black History Bowl Championship
Celebrate Black achievement, history, knowledge and community with an opening ceremony hosted by Lori Wilson of WSB-TV, a guest address from teenage CEO Caden Harris, a gospel experience, art and interactive exhibits, the championship finale and more.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive, Kennesaw. 770-424-8274.
Movies at the Strand: “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Watch this classic story of injustice, family and integrity starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South. A free preshow performance on the Mighty Allen Theatre Organ will start half an hour before screening.
3 p.m. Sunday. $15.44. Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, 117 N. Park Square, Marietta. 770-293-0080.
Black Experience Tour at Bulloch Hall
Take a guided tour to hear stories of the enslaved people and their families at Bulloch Hall. You’ll learn about their roles and experiences before and after emancipation, and how their legacy influences the present.
11 a.m.-noon Saturday. Free. Bulloch Hall, 180 Bulloch Ave., Roswell. 770-992-1731.
Gather to the sound of bagpipes before running in one- or two-loop AJC Peachtree Road Race qualifiers that start and end at Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church.
7:50 a.m. Tot Trot, 8 a.m. 1-mile fun run, 8:30 a.m. 5K/10K, 9:30 a.m. awards, Saturday. $40 5K or 10K, $20 1-mile fun run. Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody. 770-393-1424.
Join in the official opening of Fernbank’s “Planet Ice” exhibit by participating in hands-on activities and crafts, taking the Cold Climate Adaptation Challenge and a pop quiz about snow, examining ice crystals under a microscope and more.
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. $25.95-$27.95. Fernbank natural history museum, 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta. 404-929-6300.
The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra will present “Peter and the Wolf,” featuring Decatur School of Ballet dancers and narrator Robert Shaw-Smith. Selections from the following works will also be performed: Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite 1, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
3 p.m. Sunday. $12. Decatur Presbyterian Church, 205 Sycamore St., Decatur. 678-891-3565.
Gather your courage to jump in the deep end of Alpharetta’s Wills Park Pool and help raise money to support nonprofits.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Wills Park Pool, 1815 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta.
Wear your best Valentine’s Day costume if you’d like and run in this AJC Peachtree Road Race qualifier that starts and ends at Suwanee Town Green. Come early for a DJ and mascot fun and take part in a prerace warmup. Stay after the race for hot chocolate, snacks and a photo booth. Proceeds support Rotary Club of North Gwinnett scholarships and other nonprofits.
9 a.m. 5K, 10 a.m. Fun Run, Saturday. $35 5K, $15 Fun Run. Suwanee Town Green, 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee.
