Atlanta's Peach Drop in 1999. Ten years later, that 800-pound peach is ready to drop again. AJC file photo

If you’re planning to head downtown for the annual New Year’s Eve Peach Drop celebration, prepare youself for frigid temperatures and a huge crowd that sticks around, rain or shine. Peach Drop regulars will pack Underground Atlanta early, but the Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome will let out in plenty of time for that crowd to join the fun before midnight, too.

Peach Drop regulars, please share your tips to have a fun, safe and warm experience in the comments!

Here are more details about the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and here’s what you need to know before you go to the Peach Drop:

When and where: People begin gathering for the Peach Drop early on December 31, but the crowd in Underground Atlanta really starts to grow around 5 p.m. Here’s the full entertainment lineup.

• Kids entertainment and activities run from noon-6 p.m.
• Kenny’s Alley will have live entertainment from …

Continue reading Know before you go: Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta »

Auburn majorettes led the band to Centennial Olympic Park before the Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2007. Expect to see the same type of spirit from the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tennessee Vols in downtown Atlanta this New Year's Eve. AJC file photo

This New Year’s Eve will be a busy day in downtown Atlanta. The Chick-fil-A Bowl parade and fan events will warm everyone up, then revelers will be arriving for the Peach Drop in Underground Atlanta just as tailgaters are getting really serious about the game inside the Georgia Dome. This year’s ACC vs. SEC matchup features the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tennessee Vols.

Tips from veteran Chick-fil-A Bowl attendees are welcome in the comments! Otherwise, here’s what football fans need to know before they head to downtown Atlanta on New Year’s Eve:

When and where:

• The Chick-fil-A Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31. Gates open at the Georgia Dome at 5:30 p.m. Find tickets.
• The Big Green Egg Scholarship Luncheon and Chalk Talk for fans runs …

Continue reading Know before you go: New Year’s Eve Chick-fil-A Bowl »

Concerts, autographs and games, like this one from the 2005, fill the SEC Fanfare events that run before the 4 p.m. game on Saturday. AJC file photo

This will be a busy Saturday downtown, between the annual Children’s Christmas Parade and the SEC Championship game.

If you don’t have a ticket to the showdown between the No. 1 Florida Gators and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, you’re not alone. But there are other attractions and fan events that’ll cost you a lot less than a seat inside the Georgia Dome.

For those who haven’t spent much time around downtown Atlanta, here’s a basic guide with suggestions for attractions, restaurants and shopping. You can find even more stuff to do around the area in our Weekend To Do List or in the searchable AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

Continue reading Know before you go: 2009 SEC Championship weekend »

Erica Rosalle and other volunteers carried rainbow flag up Peachtree Street during Pride in 2004. AJC file photo

The Atlanta Pride Festival returns to its home in Piedmont Park this year, but in a new season — Oct. 31-Nov. 1 instead of a weekend in June.

Expect a big crowd — the festival has drawn up to 200,000 in the past, although attendance was down during its brief move out of Piedmont Park during the drought. Given the timing around Halloween, they expect even more than usual to be wearing costumes. There are some special events meant only for adults, but the festival itself is family-friendly and open to all, whether gay, heterosexual, lesbian, trans or otherwise.

If festival regulars have advice for how to better enjoy the weekend, suggestions are always welcome in the comments!

To start, here’s what you need to know before you go:

Events
The Pride Festival itself is free, but …

Continue reading Know before you go: Atlanta Pride Festival, Oct. 31-Nov. 1 »

Zombie dancers at Stadium of Screams float between the kids' area and the haunts. Their music? "Thriller," of course. AJC photos by Jamie Gumbrecht

For the next few weeks, I’m going to try out some of the haunted houses and corn mazes vying for our time and attention this time of year. My first stop was Stadium of Screams, the new haunt at Gwinnett Braves Stadium in Lawrenceville.

It’s the first year for this attraction, developed by Spooky Shead Productions to fit into the underbelly of the new stadium. Here’ s a story and fun photos from the Gwinnett Daily Post about Stadium of Screams’ opening night.

Here’s what you should know before you go:

How it came to be: Alex Shead had a serious reputation for Halloween celebration. Since 1994, his home had become a haunted house, one that sometimes drew thousands of people and required a security guard, he said. (This is the first year that Shead’s daughters haven’t had a haunted house in their home.) When the Gwinnett Braves …

Continue reading Haunt review: Stadium of Screams, Lawrenceville »

High five! Chipper Jones and Nate McLouth celebrate a 4-0 shut out of the Florida Marlins on Monday. Can they keep it up? AJC/Curtis Compton

Despite the lackluster attendance at last night’s game, I get the feeling that the place to be this week will Turner Field, where the Atlanta Braves are racing to catch up with the Colorado Rockies. The prize: a spot in the playoffs.

Here’s some info about games times, special events, tickets, parking — all the stuff you need to know before you go.

(And if you’re not going, follow Tuesday’s game live with Jeff Schultz.)

Games: There are at least six Braves games left in Atlanta. Note that the game time on Saturday’s game shifted from 7:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m.

Sept. 29:  7:10 p.m. vs. Florida Marlins
Sept. 30: 7:10 p.m. vs. Florida Marlins
Oct. 1: 7:10 p.m. vs. Washington Nationals
Oct. 2: 7:35 p.m. vs. Washington Nationals
Oct. 3: 4:10 p.m. vs. Washington Nationals (Time change!)
Oct. 4: 1:35 p.m. vs. Washington Nationals

Concerts:There are …

Continue reading Know before you go: Atlanta Braves playoff race games »

The Atlanta Football Classic parade will draw dozens of marching bands through downtown. This year's parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday near the Hyatt on Peachtree Street. AJC file photo

It’s been a rough week in Atlanta for everything but college football. Amid floods and rain, we got the news that the College Football Hall of Fame will move from South Bend to downtown Atlanta. As everything dries off, we’ve now got a full weekend of Atlanta Football Classic events to keep us busy.

And some other good news: no AFC events have been canceled or changed because of rain.

Here’s what you need to know before you go. Meanwhile, AFC regulars, help us out in the comments by sharing the can’t-miss events, the best place to watch the parade or any other advice.

EVENTS
There are a ton of events going on in Atlanta for the football, and they range from college fairs to club nights. Here’s a full schedule of Atlanta Football Classic events. Meanwhile here are a few key events for the …

Continue reading Know before you go: Atlanta Football Classic events »

“For Sisters Only” is like a shopping day with friends with way better background music.. Or, like a big concert with hundreds of vendors in the lobby. Whatever you’re there for, this weekend’s FSO at Georgia World Congress Center is expected to attract more than 40,000 people over two days.

Now in its 18th year, FSO is billed as a “marketing event” to vendors, businesses and organizations who must pay for a spot at the expo. They want to show their stuff to a large group of African-American women, and a lot of women want to see what they’re offering — and who is performing on stage. Admission is a lot less expensive than a typical concert ticket for this lineup.

While it’s called “For Sisters Only,” it’s designed to be a family event — plenty of guys and kids in the crowd.

Here’s what you should know before you go. Folks who have attended before, share your advice and experiences in the comments!

Tickets: They cost $10 per day and you can buy them online. They’re $15 per …

Continue reading Know before you go: ‘For Sisters Only’ 2009 at GWCC »

The Atlanta Arts Festival features more than 200 artists and runs Sept. 12-13 this year. AJC file photo

I expect most of us will let out a sigh of relief this Saturday when we set foot in Piedmont Park for the Atlanta Arts Festival. After festivals were kicked off the grassy lawns because of drought, that space is not to be taken for granted. The Atlanta Arts Festival continues there on Saturday, when it will open with more than 200 artists, live music and art creation stations. It’s a newer festival than the city’s beloved Dogwood Festival, which features about 250 artists, and draws a smaller, less intimidating crowd, too. But in three years, has established itself among the city’s favorite free fall activities.

Here’s what you should know before you go.

Atlanta Arts Festival, 2008. AJC file photo

It’s fine art, less craft. The artists here are painters, sculptors, woodworkers, photographers and jewelry makers. They’re selling their work, much like the crafters and artists …

Continue reading Know before you go: Atlanta Arts Festival, September 12-13 »

Pretty! Yellow Daisy Festival Shoppers checked out a tent at the 2007 festival. AJC file photo

Pretty and simple though it sounds, the Yellow Daisy Festival is a huge event. Pretty, indeed, but not simple. Some 200,000 people will come to Stone Mountain Park to see and buy the wares of more than 500 crafters from around the United States. This is the 41st year for the show, and admission is free, so it draws shoppers from far away, too.

There’s some good news to add: for the first time, festival organizers made a program that lists artists’ names and booth numbers, plus space to take notes.

Here’s what else you should know before you go! As always,  tips and ideas from experienced Yellow Daisy Festival-goers and questions from newbies are welcome in the comments section!

Prepare a shopping list: First, the arts and crafts categories — accessories, artist’s prints, artwork, clothing, clay functional (like ceramics and pottery) and clay nonfunctional (decorative pieces), …

Continue reading Know before you go: Yellow Daisy Festival, September 10-13 »