Freaknikers from Southern Illinois University danced around Five Points in downtown Atlanta in 1996. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said he doesn't expect the party to return to Atlanta.

That illustrious, verifiable source we know as The Internet says that Freaknic (sic) is coming back. “The Official Atlanta Freaknic Site” says it’ll be April 16-18 in Washington Park. It also says that the 2010 theme is “Super Freak,” and that “Freaknic is a private event for members only. You must register on this site and pledge to not break the law.” It adds, “There are no nude pictures on this Web site.”

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says no way. Or rather, “I don’t believe it will materialize and it’s not my intention for the city to be supportive of it.” He points out that nobody has filed for a permit. It’s not clear who the organizers of the Web site are.

Continue reading POLL: Do you want Freaknik back in Atlanta? »

It's Fat Tuesday, time to nosh on treats like this traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras King Cake from Haydel's Bakery in Jefferson, La. For me, pass the paczki!

It’s the best Tuesday of the year, the one where we get to eat a lot of sugar and channel New Orleans’ spirit, no matter where we are. Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, yes, Mardi Gras!

In my native Michigan, we celebrate with paczki, a massive, special jelly doughnut loaded with enough of everything bad for you that it comes back around to good again.

Here, the variety is shockingly wider. (Seriously, they’re really big doughnuts.) King Cake, paczki, sandwiches, drinks…

Here’s a list of Atlanta Mardi Gras events put together by Jon Waterhouse, and there are many more in the AccessAtlanta.com calendar.

What other Mardi Gras celebrations are out there? Share in the comments!

For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.

Continue reading 2010 Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday celebrations in Atlanta »

Because the drink just can’t keep you warm enough, the Snuggie Pub Crawl is coming to Atlanta this weekend.

The ideas is to wear the as-seen-on-TV robe-blanket-snugglebunny device while you stroll around with a cocktail. No, no, they’re not just for reading or watching TV! I don’t know if you’re supposed to take yourself seriously while you do this, but the Snuggie Pub Crawl is clearly a Thing That People Do.

Here’s a video from an NYC Snuggie Pub Crawl:

Where will this bar hop be going? A string of Virginia Highland favorites — Limerick Junction from 1-3 p.m., Dark Horse from 3-4 p.m., Atkins Park from 4-5 p.m., Hand & Hand from 5-6 p.m., Neighbors from 6-7 p.m., followed by an after party at Blind Willie’s starting at 7 p.m.

For the record, I’ll be hanging out elsewhere Saturday night. The Snuggie and Schnapps crowd is a bit wild for me.

Want to go? Snuggie Pub Crawl, 1-8 p.m. Feb. 6. Virginia-Highland bars. $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Continue reading Snuggie Pub Crawl wraps up in Va-Hi on Feb. 6 »

Martinis and IMAX returns on Jan. 8. AJC file photo

After taking the month of December off, Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s popular Martinis and IMAX nights return Friday to starts its 2010 season of cocktails and movies.

This Friday’s movie selections include the double feature “Van Gogh: Brush with Genius” with “The Old Man and the Sea” at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. or “Wild Ocean” at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.

The night at the museum (for grown-ups!) starts an hour later and ends an hour later this year. Fernbank’s announcement also says it’ll have a steady stream of live music and DJs to keep music going the entire time.

Want to go? Martinis and IMAX. 6:30-11 p.m. every Friday. $12 for adults, $11 for students, $7 for members for admission and movie ticket, $7 cover without movie ticket. Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-929-6400, www.fernbankmuseum.org.

• For those who like the IMAX, but not so much the martini, Atlanta Bargain Hunter has a

Continue reading Fernbank Museum’s Martinis & IMAX returns January 8 »

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? »

That's the winner: Chelsea Lynn LaBate. Forgive my grainy, far-away photos. AJC/Jamie Gumbrecht

After nearly five hours of acoustic singer-songwriter performances, there were just two acts left standing at the Eddie’s Attic Bi-annual Open Mic Shootout: Chelsea Lynn LaBate and The Honey Dewdrops.

As one of seven judges for Friday night’s songwriting competition, I’d love to write you a tale of competition and suspense, but this was kind of a quintessential Decatur night: acoustic music, smoke-free food and drink, black curtains and holiday lights, unfailingly polite, appreciative applause. Eddie’s Attic is like the public radio of music venues. It’s fun, smart and ends with hug, but any adrenaline belongs to those behind the microphones.

Each of the 23 acts has a remarkable talent, whether for writing songs, singing them, playing or performing them. That’s what got them through the Monday Open Mic competition and onto the Shootout stage. What changes this competition is …

Continue reading Chelsea Lynn LaBate wins Eddie’s Attic Open Mic Shootout »

At a public hearing last night to discuss moving Atlanta’s ‘last call’ for alcohol sales back to 4 a.m., nearly all of the two dozen people that spoke supported the idea.

From the story, “Extending ‘last call’ in Atlanta gets support from some residents,” by AJCer Eric Stirgus:

About 60 people showed up at the 80-minute public hearing. Some were young. Some were bar owners and service-industry employees who argued in favor of the idea, saying Atlanta needs longer hours if it is to be a world-class city. Many live in Castleberry Hill, the central Atlanta neighborhood that has become a hub for nightlife in the city in recent years.

Mayor Shirley Franklin, City Council President Lisa Borders and Councilman Howard Shook, who arranged Monday’s hearing, each oppose the idea. They say it will put an additional burden on police officers. Borders said Monday she believes there is a correlation between late-night nightlife and crime.

I’ll try to keep you updated on this issue as it …

Continue reading Hearing on later ‘last call’ in Atlanta draws supporters »

Last call is 2:30 a.m. in Atlanta clubs and bars, like Mary's in East Atlanta, but there's talk again of making it 4 a.m. AJC file photo

It’s baaaaaaack!

Not Atlanta’s 4 a.m. last call, but the discussion about Atlanta’s 4 a.m. last call.

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Per an AJC story, Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall introduced legislation Monday to request the city study revenue opportunities of shifting last call from 2:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. (”Revenue opportunities” = alcohol sales tax.) The legislation went to the council’s Finance/Executive committee for discussion. Hall asked for a summary report by Jan. 30.

Everyone in Atlanta seems to have an opinion on life in a later late-night town. Some recall it fondly, as if we haven’t had any fun since. Some …

Continue reading How would 4 a.m. last call change Atlanta entertainment? »

Is it the company, the view or the booze? The Daily Beast gave the Glenn Hotel's rooftop bar a nod as it lists top places to meet single men. AJC file photo

After The Daily Beast crunched the numbers on population, eligible guys, four-year college degrees, nightlife and the number of gyms, Atlanta topped its list of best and worst cities to meet men.

As with any of the lists Atlanta shows up on, data rarely equals reality. This list mentions single gals who are searching, but doesn’t seem to consider Atlanta’s significant gay population, or how it could affect the data it used. It weighs all the bars, restaurants, clubs and theaters  — much of what we do for fun — as equal to places where we sweat on the treadmill. To keep the list tidy and uncomplicated, they couldn’t consider that where you meet people in Atlanta might be different than where you meet them in Columbus, Ohio or Los Angeles. Really, if I had to recommend a place in Atlanta for the single-and-searching, I’d …

Continue reading Atlanta tops Daily Beast list of places to meet single men »

Fernbank Museum of Natural History has officially extended the Friday viewing hours for its ‘Gold’ exhibit to open it up to Martinis & IMAX visitors through Nov. 27.

The exhibit was to close at 5 p.m., before the Friday night martini-and-movie set arrived. The new hours keep the special exhibition open from 5:30-10 p.m. Fridays through November. During those hours, exhibit admission is free with a Martinis & IMAX ticket, or $7 without a movie ticket. Here’s a preview of the ‘Gold’ exhibit.

The Friday night film schedule has been tweaked, too, to fill the theater with films they’re calling “Golden Oldies.” These films will be shown in the IMAX theater, but won’t be in IMAX format, and cost only $7, a discount from the regular Martinis & IMAX admission:

10 p.m. Oct. 16: “Austin Powers in Goldmember”
10 p.m. Oct. 23: “Goldfinger”
8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Oct. 30: “Beetlejuice,” for Fright Night
10 p.m. Nov. 6: “The Goonies,” for Pirate Night
10 p.m. Nov. 27: “Saturday Night Fever,” for …

Continue reading Fernbank adds exhibit hours, movies for Martinis & IMAX »