The Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta is a good time for the price of a good coat and hat, but other New Year's Eve party prices go way, way up from there. AJC file photo

Well, hello, hello! I’m back from an exhausting week of travel and merriment, and shifting now from Christmas mode to New Year’s Eve planning.

The chatter I hear isn’t so much about which party people will go to, but how much they’ll pay for it. You can get a night’s worth of chilled-to-the-core entertainment for free at the Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta, I see a lot in the $20 to $125 range…and then there are parties around town charging $2,000 for a VIP ticket.

I’m sure it’s a memorable way to ring in a new decade, but at that price, I’d never hear the end of it from my Atlanta Bargain Hunter cubicle-mate — or my conscience. At this point, any checks that require a comma had better be tiling my bathroom or feeding hungry wedding guests. 2010, I will toast you with pals and a SweetWater, thanks.

If you …

Continue reading How much will you pay for a New Year’s Eve party? »

Art: “Caught Captive” exhibition by Erick Swenson continues, 9 a.m.-6- p.m., SCAD’s Trois Gallery, Atlanta. FREE.

Music: Lady GaGa performs, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, Atlanta.

For teens: Mission Six, The Rubyz and Jasmine perform, 8 p.m. Gateway Event Center, McDonough.

Sports: Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m., Philips Arena, Atlanta.

Sports: Gwinnett Gladiators vs. Florida Everblades, 7 p.m., Gwinnett Arena, Duluth.

Have an event, venue, restaurant or performance in and around Atlanta? Add it to the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading To do list: December 29 »

Comedy: Jeff Dunham performs, 7:30 p.m., Philips Arena, Atlanta.

Film: “The Death of Richard Young” screening and filmmaker Q&A, 7:30 p.m., The Plaza Theatre, Atlanta.

For kids: Kwanzaa stories and crafts, 7 p.m., Clayton County Library Jonesboro Branch. FREE.

For families: Winter Wonderland continues, noon-10 p.m., Corn Dawgs, Walnut Grove.

Music: Lady GaGa performs, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, Atlanta.

Have an event, venue, restaurant or performance in and around Atlanta? Add it to the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading To do list: December 28 »

I reported last week about a Mixed Martial Arts event scheduled in January at Symphony Hall, but the event has been canceled after patrons complained.

From an AJC story, “No brawl in Symphony Hall“…

Symphony Hall officials had signed a contract with Sin City Fight Club promoter William McAlister, but they pulled out after a story in the Dec. 17 Atlanta Journal-Constitution prompted calls from angry patrons, McAlister said.

A few days later, he received his deposit in the mail along with a letter of termination, dated the same day as the AJC story.

What do you think? Did Symphony Hall officials make the right call?

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading ‘Brawl at Symphony Hall’ Ultimate Fight night canceled »

For kids: “Santa Buddies” screening, 10 a.m., Clayton County Library Headquarters Branch, Jonesboro. FREE.

History: “Through the Lens of Mundo Hispanico: Georgia’s Hispanic Community,” 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Atlanta History Center, Atlanta.

Music: Travel by Train and others perform, 8:30 p.m., The EARL, Atlanta.

Outdoors: Final days of “Moore in America,” 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta.

Stage: “Invasion: Christmas Carol” continues, 8 p.m., Dad’s Garage Theatre, Atlanta.

Have an event, venue, restaurant or performance in and around Atlanta? Add it to the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading To do list: December 23 »

History: “In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits,” 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, Kennesaw.

Holiday: Living Nativity Scene, 7:30, 8 and 8:30 p.m., Rock Spring Presbyterian Church, Atlanta. FREE.

Music: Jonathan Rich, Zac Taylor, Bethany Dick, Ryan Horne perform, 8 p.m., Eddie’s Attic, Decatur.

Sports: Georgia Tech vs. Kennesaw State basketball, 7 p.m., Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta.

Stage: “A Christmas Carol” continues, 2:30 and 8 p.m., Alliance Theatre, Atlanta.

Have an event, venue, restaurant or performance in and around Atlanta? Add it to the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading To do list: December 22 »

Magical Nights of Lights continues at Lake Lanier Islands this weekend. There's plenty going on around Atlanta this Christmas weekend. AJC file photo

I’m off this week to enjoy a merry Christmas in snowy Michigan, but I’d hate for you to spend the holiday weekend around Atlanta thinking there’s nothing left to do but have just…one…more…cookie. (By all means, go ahead. I recommend the gingerbread.) Here are some ideas to carry you, your family and your visitors from Christmas Eve and on through the weekend. Keep an eye on the Atlanta Music Scene blog for more live shows, check out this post for more details about holiday theater performances and as always, please share your suggestions in the comments. Have fun! – Jamie G.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24

Exhibition: “Dialog in the Dark” continues, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Premier Exhibition Center at Atlantic Station, Atlanta.

For Families: The Pink Pig ride continues, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Macy’s-Lenox Square, Atlanta. Read …

Continue reading Christmas weekend to do list: December 24-27 »

For kids: “Madeline’s Christmas” continues, 1 p.m., Horizon Theatre, Atlanta.

Holiday: Stone Mountain Christmas continues, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain.

Outdoors: Creature Feature-Animal Decorations, 3 p.m., Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell.

Stage: “Larry, Carols and Mo” features “A Christmas Story” screening, 7 p.m., Fox Theatre, Atlanta. FREE.

Sports: Atlanta Thrashers vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m., Philips Arena, Atlanta.

Have an event, venue, restaurant or performance in and around Atlanta? Add it to the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading To do list: December 21 »

As a regular purveyor of blog-friendly lists, I couldn’t leave you without these as we move into the thick of holiday vacations and last-minute gift-purchasing.

1) 12 kid-friendly ideas for Christmas break: You’ll recognize a few of these suggestions from our daily to-do lists, mostly because I sent some to my fellow AJCer Howard Pousner

2) Top 20 events to while away the winter in 2010: We’ll go into detail on some of these events now, but this handy round-up from the Arts and Culture blog offers a preview. You might want to reserve tickets — for yourself or others — now.

For those needing more ways to keep everyone busy, I’ll publish a list of Christmas weekend activities on Tuesday!

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading What to do this Christmas break? Try some of these ideas. »

The Planetarium at Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum got its 100,000 visitor this week. AJC/Jamie Gumbrecht

It’s been a busy year for the Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum in Cartersville. It opened in January, announced its Smithsonian Affiliate status in September and has already surpassed expectations for first-year attendance.

Museum officials said this week they expect the 120,000-square foot museum to hit the 200,000-visitor mark for the year — 50,000 more than expected. Just this week, a 7 year-old visiting with his family became the 100,000 visitor to the 120-seat planetarium inside the museum.

I’ve written before about the museum before, but never given the planetarium the attention it deserves: it offers four different shows throughout the day, with topics ranging from space travel, to the sun, to an animated children’s show, to “Mystery of the Christmas Star,” a show that will run through the holidays. New shows debut every few months.

Now that holiday …

Continue reading Tellus Museum and planetarium a hit with visitors »