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What to do this SPRING & SUMMER

March 2023

March 2: Lyndon House Arts Center 48th Juried Exhibition

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The Lyndon House Arts Center is opening its 48th Juried Exhibition on March 2 from 6 to 8 p.m., where it will feature a wide range of artists during regular gallery hours for the public. The center has invited Athens-area artists who are 18 years and older to submit pieces to be presented at this event, allowing citizens to submit three entries for $35.

The Lyndon House hopes to predominantly feature local artists in this exhibition, as a way to showcase the city’s talent and message. They’ve also announced that Maria Elena Ortiz, curator at The Modern in Fort Worth Texas, will be the guest juror for the event.

The exhibition is free for all who wish to attend, and will be open to the public until May 6, the last day for viewing.

March 21: UGA Theatre: Wolves

Cellar Theatre

Wolves is a Pulitzer-prize nominated play featuring a high school girl’s soccer team that regularly converses during their pre-game warmups on the challenges that await them as they go into the real world. The tickets start at $12 for adults and $8 for students.

March 23-25: Great Southland Stampede Rodeo

UGA Livestock Instruction Arena

Hold onto your hats and belt buckles at the Great Southland Stampede Rodeo hosted by the UGA Block and Bridle club. One of the largest rodeos in Georgia, it draws thousands to watch cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country ride, rope and hold on tight in this exciting event that regularly sells out. Events include bull riding, team roping and barrel racing, as well as others standard in the professional rodeo circuit. The rodeo has been run solely by students since it was started as a fundraiser in 1974.

March 26: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Bach and Friends

UGA Performing Arts Center

A group of composers and performers will be playing Bach Concerto, Concerto Grosso by Handel and concertos by Vivaldi in the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall at 8 p.m.

March 27: Legally Blonde - The Musical Classic Center

The Classic Center will be playing the movie, Legally Blonde - The Musical, a movie that focuses on the journey of a smart, young college student named Elle Woods trying to navigate a world of stereotypes and sexism as a blonde.

March 30: Judah & The Lion Concert

Georgia Theatre

Judah & The Lion is an American alternative rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee, that has many big hits such as “Take A Walk” and “Take it All Back” that have hit numerous charts. The band will be performing at the Georgia Theatre with tickets starting at $30.

March 31: TEDxUGA Roots

Morton Theatre

The University of Georgia will explore how the seeds of scholarships and support have spread around the world changing it. The tickets for the event will be $15 for students and $20 for non-students.

April 2023

April 1: International Street Festival

The International Street Festival is an annual, free event that hosts a variety of cultural displays and performances from different student and community organizations. This year, the event will be hosted from noon-5 p.m. on College Avenue.

April 13: Sierra Ferrell Concert

UGA Theatre

Sierra Ferrell, an American singer-songwriter who composes music of various types, such as jazz, country and other Latin styles, will be performing at the UGA Theatre with tickets starting at $25.

April 16: Beer Fest

Classic Center

The Classic Center Cultural Foundation is hosting its first-ever Athens Beer Fest, which will include live music, food and of course, beer. Ticket prices range from $45-85 on the Classic Center website.

April 21-23: Athens Twilight Criterium

Each year, Athens Twilight hosts a professional cycling race featuring a variety of different groups, with prizes for each of the different competition winners. The Twilight Series also hosts other events, such as BMX racing, Kids’ Criterium and a mountain bike criterium. This year’s Twilight events will kick off Saturday, April 21st at 7:30 a.m. with their Twilight 5K run.

April 27: Chase Rice Concert

Georgia Theatre

Chase Rice is an American country singer from Florida who is also known for his appearance on the show “Survivor: Nicaragua.” He will be performing at the Georgia Theatre, with tickets starting at $39.50.

May 2023

May 1: Chicago Classic Center

Catch the famous Broadway musical based on a true story about two women who were convicted of murder in 1924.

May 4: Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards

40 Watt Club

The 7th annual show, in honor of legendary local singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt, will showcase Athens talent vying for a cash prize.

May 6: May Day Celebration

West Broad Farmers Market

At the annual May Day celebration, enjoy music, festivities and fresh produce.

May 11: UGA Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremonies

Stegeman Coliseum and Sanford Stadium

On May 11-12, UGA will host its graduation ceremonies for the undergraduates, master’s and doctoral students. The undergraduate ceremony will be hosted at the Sanford Stadium and the master’s and doctoral ceremonies will take place in the Stegeman Coliseum.

May 17: Bonnie Raitt Just Like That...Tour 2023 Classic Center

Bonnie Raitt is an American singer of the blues and a 10-time Grammy Winner. Tickets from $57.25.

June 2023

June 1: The Litas Athens Bike Night

Akademia Brewing Company

Every first Thursday of each month, Akademia Brewing Company hosts a Bike Night for those curious about biking. The event also features live music, tasty food and beer from 6-9 p.m.

June 3: Pride Parade

The Athens Pride and Queer Collective debuted the first annual Pride Parade last summer in 2022, and featured floats from Athens businesses and organizations like Creature Comforts Brewing Company, Classic City Rollergirls and Live Forward. The parade ends with an all-day celebration with vendors and food trucks.

June 8-10: Hot Corner Festival

Corner of Washington and Hull Street

The Hot Corner Festival celebrates African-American businesses in Athens. There will be a variety of vendors with food, clothes and more. See page 51 for more on the festival.

June 23: Jerry Seinfield

Classic Center

Jerry Seinfield is an American stand-up comedian, famous for his sitcom “Seinfeld.” Tickets range from $65 to $155.

June 23-25: Athfest Music and Arts Festival

Athfest is an annual three-day event in downtown Athens that consists of vibrant music, good food, and fun. The weekend is composed of a variety of performers and artists, with the show being primarily focused on local artists to show off the cultural scene of the city. People from all over come to experience the exciting line up that not only hosts a variety of music groups and genres, but also a KidsFest area with games and tunes, a wide array of visual artists that line the streets, great food and different retail vendors for people to check out.

The event is part of a larger effort to raise money for Athfest Educates, a nonprofit that is dedicated to providing grants to support music and arts education for Athens students K-12. It is also to raise awareness of the city’s vibrant music scene, which was crowned one of the best indie music scenes in the world.

The event is free for all participants, and will be located on Washington Street, between Pulaski Street and College Avenue, and Hull Street, between Washington Street and Hancock Ave.

July 2023

July 1: Star Spangled Classic

Celebrate American independence at the Ben Epps Bridge Airport on Sat. July 1, 2023. The fireworks display will be visible from most of East Athens – around Lexington Road, Gaines School Road and Cherokee Road.

July 8: Really, Really Free Market Reese and Pope Park

From noon to 2 p.m., Flagpole is hosting a completely free yard sale for those in Athens. People can either donate what they don’t want or take what they need every Saturday of each month.

July 22-23: Hardcore Youthfest Red Line

Various young punk bands from across the country will be performing at Redline on the fourth weekend of July. The event starts at 5 p.m. Saturday and ends on Sunday at 5 p.m., and tickets currently range from $20-50.

Mural Magic

Local artist Anthony Wislar’s graphic mural on the side of Creature Comforts Brewing Company downtown taproom depicts Athens’ music history and its lasting influence. The nighttime scene is colored with teal, black and blue paints and displays unnamed artists to symbolize the interconnectivity of all musicians from Athens. Wislar’s style draws inspiration from comics for his techniques, like leaving lines unblended. There are dozens of murals in Athens; some of the most popular for visitors downtown include local artist David Hale’s “Hope” on the side of Epiphany and Rook & Pawn, a pastel geometric painting by Trek Matthews on the side of Little Kings Shuffle Club and Dave Jenkins’ farm-themed piece on Last Resort Grill.

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