Looking for something to do in metro Atlanta this weekend? The dog days of summer are providing inspiration for a pooch-friendly 5K as well as a pet party. You can also enjoy breakfast at Chattahoochee Nature Center and get special access to the Butterfly Encounter.
Check out the following 15 things to do in metro Atlanta as you make your plans for some summer fun:
Intown Atlanta
Credit: From runsignup.com
Credit: From runsignup.com
8 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, July 9. $40. Piedmont Park, 1320 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta.
Run or walk while pushing a baby jogger, stroller, wagon, tricycle, power wheels or any other type of wheels. Awards will be given to the best-dressed strollers, and you’re also encouraged to let your child wear their favorite costume. The event benefits Start With Me, a nonprofit that encourages healthy living. Free car seat safety check ups will be provided, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards Ross will host the event.
Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, July 9. $19.99 and up. Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., Atlanta.
Celebrity, exotic and old-school cars will be on hand to admire, combined with family fun including amusement rides, carnival games and more.
Savannah Nights: Summer Craft Cocktail Series
6 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, July 8. $40 non-members, $35 members. Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-624-9453.
View animals at the African Savanna exhibit, taste six craft cocktails and listen to live music and Keeper Talks. Beer, wine and mixed drinks are also available to purchase.
Cobb
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Free admission, $1-$6 per taste. Jim R Miller Park (Cobb County Fairgrounds), 2245 Callaway Road SW, Marietta.
Sample many international foods, enjoy live music and entertainment and let the kids play in bounce houses, get their faces painted and more.
6 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday, July 8. $12, Hunt House, 1127 White Circle, Marietta. 770-396-5361.
Listen to music from The Sweet Lilies, a Colorado-based trio that blends three-part harmony with songwriting and musicianship.
Credit: From Cobb County Grand Prix’s Facebook page
Credit: From Cobb County Grand Prix’s Facebook page
6 a.m. packet pickup and late registration, 7:30 a.m. 1-mile fun run, 8 a.m. 5K, 8:55 a.m. tot trot, 9:15 a.m. awards ceremony. Saturday, July 9. Kennesaw First Baptist Church, 2958 North Main St., Kennesaw.
Hit the pavement to run the Downtown Dash, the third leg in the Kennesaw Grand Prix series of races. The asphalt course is mainly flat and takes runners through downtown Kennesaw.
DeKalb
First Free Saturday - Summer in Nature
11 a.m.-noon. Saturday, July 9. Free. Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody. 770-394-3322.
Explore outdoors as you dip your toes in the creek, look for creatures and learn tips and tricks for camping in the woods. You’ll be walking over uneven terrain and should wear water shoes, old sneakers or sports sandals with a heel strap.
Credit: From Fernbank Science Center’s Facebook page
Credit: From Fernbank Science Center’s Facebook page
Various times Friday, July 8 and ongoing. $5-$8. Fernbank Science Center, 156 Heaton Drive NE, Atlanta.
The Fernbank Science Center has a new schedule for the Jim Cherry Memorial Planetarium with programs including “Dawn of the Space Age” and “Forward! to the Moon,” along with Friday evening’s “The PLANET-arium Show.”
Second Saturdays at Harmony Park
1 p.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Free admission. Harmony Park, Oakview Road at East Lake Drive, Decatur.
Browse through wares from local vendors and handmade goods as you enjoy music from Music and Friends at this regular pop-up music event.
North Fulton
Credit: Chattahoochee Nature Center
Credit: Chattahoochee Nature Center
10 a.m.-noon. Sunday, July 10. $15 for members, $25 general public, free for kids under 4. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055, ext. 237.
Enjoy a light breakfast followed by exclusive access to the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Butterfly Encounter. You can also explore the grounds prior to opening.
8 a.m. Saturday, July 9. $40. Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek.
Bring your pooch and run a dog-friendly 5K in Newtown Park. The course is a Peachtree qualifier and participants will get a commemorative T-shirt.
Home by Dark at Brooke Street Park
7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Free admission. Brooke Street Park, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta. 678-297-6000.
Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a picnic and listen to music from Sarah Darling and Emily Shackleton.
Gwinnett
Credit: From stillfirebrewing.com
Credit: From stillfirebrewing.com
Noon-11:45 p.m. Saturday, July 9. StillFire Brewing, 343 U.S.-23, Suwanee. 770-927-8989.
Bring your dog for a day of live music, dog-friendly food trucks, activities and pet vendors. Pet adoptions from Gwinnett County Animal Hospital will be held from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., and the first 150 guests and their dogs will receive a StillFire-branded collapsible dog bowl.
Movie Under the Stars: “School of Rock”
7 p.m. Friday, July 8. Free. Sugar Hill City Hall, The Bowl at Sugar Hill, 5039 W. Broad St., Sugar Hill.
Bring the whole family to watch Jack Black in “School of Rock” at Sugar Hill’s award-winning amphitheater.
Noon-6 p.m. Saturday, July 9. $8-$24.99. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville.
Move and groove with Blues Man Stewart, Shy Lucid and Mark Prophet. Kids can play in a bouncy house, game cave or on a water slide.
About the Author
