50thingstodo2017 lowres

a guid activit e to ie destin s and ations

Summer 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD

Historic Banning Mills

City of Grantville

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50 things to do

a gui activi de to tie destin s and ations

Summer 2017 INDE X OF ADVERTISERS Arnall Grocery Company ......................14 Atlanta Brick Co.................................... 17 The Bedford School...............................11 Bubbles and Brushes Family Fun Art Center............................................ 4 City of Grantville.................................... 3 Coweta-Fayette EMC .......................... 20 Discovery Point ....................................12

Summer 2017

ATLANTA Atlanta Food and Wine Festival Midtown Atlanta puts on its party vibe June 1 - 4 as more than 180 chefs, barbecue masters and vintners vie for professional honor while fans get to sample.

Admission starts at $55 for a gastronomic adventure of Southern food and drink.

Throughout each day are classes and focused experiences, such as the Connoisseur Breakfast or The Finger Bowl Chronicles. Or just hang out in the tasting tents.

Details about schedule and prices at atlfoodandwinefestival.com or 404-474-7330. Attendees are encouraged to take MARTA to the Midtown station and follow the music. Check the website for each night’s schedule and line up.

Atlanta Ice Cream Festival Nothing cuts the heat like ice cream, and this daytime festival celebrates the popular dessert and the local people who make it. But there’s also a health component at

the event with a fitness walk and booths on wellness.

Ice cream is the main focus of this family-oriented happening.

Admission is free, and animals on leashes are welcome in the park.

However, traffic is expected to be congested and organizers recommend using MARTA. The event is July 22, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. The website is atlantaicecreamfestival.com.

Atlanta Jazz Festival Piedmont Park gets cool in the middle of summer as the blue notes float among the trees. Among the world’s most renowned jazz festivals, the Atlanta event draws fans and talent from all corners of the globe.

Always on Memorial Day weekend, this year’s event is May 26 - 28.

Admission is free, but sessions to meet the artists have fees.

For the 40th anniversary, one of the many stages will feature artists who performed at the inaugural festival in 1977.

Organizers recommend fans take MARTA or the sponsoring ride-

Historic Banning Mills............................ 5 Jack Peek’s Sales, Inc. ...........................7 Kidzone Urgent Care .............................11 Newnan Rotary Club ............................14 Newnan Theatre Company ................... 8 Newnan Utilities’ Carl Miller Park ......... 9 North GA Turf .......................................13 Primecare Pediatrics ............................17 The Print Shop Gallery .........................19 StoneBridge Early Learning Center....... 6 Sweetland Amphitheatre .....................15 ValueMax Car Rental............................12

50 things to do this summer is a publication of

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50 things to do

Summer 2017

Party for three hours and then bike around Atlanta at 11 p.m. while raising money for terminally ill children, and you’ve got the funky event organizers call the Moon Ride, now in its fifth year. It’s free and open to the public, but there’s ample opportunity to pitch in for the cause – Bert’s Big Adventure, which sends chronically-ill children on a five-day, expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World.

The six-mile ride through some of Atlanta’s most popular neighborhoods is June 9. The pre-ride party begins at 7 p.m. in Piedmont Park. Food trucks will be on site. More information at atlantamoonride.com.

including the actual office concepts well after he turned of founder Truett Cathy. over day-to-day management See artifacts from his to his sons. storied career, travels and Pick the one- or two-hour philanthropy. And see tour for company history and his collection of vintage core values, or the deluxe automobiles. tour that also includes his The main attraction is office, the Kitchen, and Hatch. food, though. You’ll taste For times and prices, visit samples from The Kitchen tours.chick-fil-a.com. The and experience Hatch, the scenic, 80-acre corporate company’s innovation center headquarters is located at 5200 where it develops new menu Buffington Road, Atlanta, just items. After all, the company south of Hartsfield-Jackson boasts that it didn’t invent Atlanta International Airport. the chicken, just the chicken a national stature from the Children’s Museum moment it opened. Celebrating sandwich – or at least the of Atlanta sandwich with breaded and Atlanta’s legacy as the hub of This is no stuffy exhibit hall fried boneless breasts. the civil rights movement, the Cathy never stopped where visitors look but don’t museum includes artifacts touch and everyone whispers. from its early leaders, including innovating even after his chain expanded nationally, This is built for children writings from the Rev. Martin coming up with new restaurant and all their curiosity and Luther King, Jr. Interactive exhibits feature the Freedom Riders, lynchings, a chance to experience a lunch-counter sit in, and the hostile reaction of militant segregationists.

Hear the hymns that inspired activists and the speeches of segregationist politicians trying to justify their points of view.

The sobering tour ends on a positive note, hailing the freedom movements ongoing around the world.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are $18.25 for adults, (No reservations required. Walk-ins only.) $16.25 for seniors, students or educators, and free for active members of the military. Other discounts are available at civilandhumanrights.org.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights

Chick-fil-A Backstage Home Office Tour

For an education and edifying experience, visit one of Atlanta’s newest museums; one with

Take a peek into the home office of America’s No. 1 chicken restaurant chain,

Atlanta Moon Ride

share company Lyft because traffic is notoriously congested for Piedmont Park events.

Check atlantafestivals. com for information and the performance lineup. Hours are Friday 7 - 11 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. - 1 a.m., Sunday 1 - 11 p.m.

Atlanta Moon Ride

Bubbles and Brushes Family Fun Art Center

OPEN ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, for KIDS TO COME AND PLAY! Good for One FREE Hour of Open Studio Play! ($7 value)

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50 things to do

The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse

The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse

boundless energy. It’s not just okay to touch the exhibits, it’s encouraged, because that’s how kids learn problem solving, creative thinking and artistic expression.

Consider timing your visit to participate in daily programs that include Music & Movement, Eat a Georgia Rainbow, Super Spectacular Science Show, Build It Lab, Arts Studio, Story Time, and a mini-musical where “imaginators” sing and dance their way through original stories and songs that highlight themes, such as anti-bullying.

The programs are included in the price.

Adventure Camp during the summer has children ages 5 to 9 years old experience all of the learning zones indepth. Children also learn yoga, create unique crafts, and cook together. Mad Science Campers engineer new machines, participate in Robot Olympics, build their own roller coasters, and unlock the power of chemical reactions.

The museum is at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW, Atlanta. Open Monday & Tuesday, 10 a.m. 4 p.m.; Thursday & Friday,

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information, call 404-659-5437 or visit www. childrensmuseumatlanta. org.

The Peachtree Trolley Company Take in Atlanta on a whirlwind, 90-minute, fully-narrated tour that tells the stories of the city’s legends and points out mustsee sites. For instance, learn the history behind the CNN Center, Georgia Aquarium, Oakland Cemetery, and the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Other sites include Underground Atlanta, the state capitol and the King Center.

Ride in the style of the classic trolleys that used to run all across the city in the early 20th century, complete with park-bench seating and clanging bell. But this trolley has air conditioning.

Tours start at the Hilton Garden Inn, 275 Baker St. NW, Atlanta, near Centennial Olympic Park and leave at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Details on fares and availability at thepeachtreetrolley.com.

Step into an intimate, 235-seat Elizabethan playhouse and step back in time to the Renaissance.

Professional actors stage authentic plays by William Shakespeare and other classics of the 17th century, complete with period costumes, thrilling swordplay and music of the era.

It all happens in the casual atmosphere of a pub, with a wide selection of Irish brews and a menu that includes shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, Cornish pastries, and bangers and mash.

Showtimes are ThursdaySaturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Seating and food-and-beverage service begin 75 minutes prior to performance. It’s at 499

Summer 2017 Peachtree St., Atlanta. Visit shakespearetavern.com or call 404-874-5299.

SkyView Atlanta For the most thrilling view in Atlanta, ride the SkyView Ferris Wheel in downtown overlooking Centennial Olympic Park. You’ll rise 20 stories into the air in a climate-controlled car with a spectacular vista of the South’s largest city. Rides include four rotations of the giant wheel, typically no more than 15 minutes. Consider the VIP ride that includes special seats, a glass floor and a longer ride.

With nearby parking and the Peachtree Center MARTA station just three blocks away, the stunning views are convenient to visitors from

Summer 2017 anywhere. And it’s within walking distance of the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center, College Football Hall of Fame, and The Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Located at 168 Luckie St., Atlanta, the wheel is open every day unless weather or unusual, infrequent mechanical issues require closing. Sunday through Thursday noon to 11 p.m., Friday noon to midnight, and Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight. For prices, visit skyviewatlanta.com.

BUENA VISTA Pasaquan This 7-acre site full of colorful sculptures by folk artist and Buena Vista native Eddie O. Martin, later known as St. EOM,

50 things to do is full of wonder and has drawn international attention, as well as a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. CNN named it one of 16 intriguing things to see and do in the United States in 2016.

Six major structures, more than 900 feet of painted masonry fence, totems, walkways, and other works illustrate the mind of this fascinating artist. It has been extensively restored and preserved by Columbus State University.

Martin, who was as colorful as his artwork, drew inspiration from religious and cultural symbols from African, PreColombian Mexican and Native American influences.

The site is open for viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday,

Saturday and Sunday. It is closed in July. The university suggests donations of $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for students, at 238 Eddie Martin Road, Buena Vista.

More information is available at 706-507-8306 or pasaquan. columbusstate.edu.

CARROLLTON Lowell Paintball A professionally-run paintball facility that focuses on safety and Christian fun, Lowell caters to team building.

It is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekdays with reservations a week ahead. Call 770-8542267. It’s at 2277 Whooping Creek Road, Carrollton or at lowellpaintball.com.

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CEDARTOWN Skydive Georgia If you’re an adrenaline junkie, skydiving is probably at the top on your bucket list and Skydive Georgia, the largest skydiving training facility in the Southeast, offers what you’ve been dreaming about.

First-time jumpers can dive tandem-style, strapped to a certified instructor, or opt for independent free falls, but only after several hours of training.

Skydive Georgia offers Accelerated Free Fall lessons for those seeking certification.

Family and friends can watch from a viewing deck at the site. Divers can also watch themselves afterward via the center’s professionally produced videos of their flight.

Read the owner’s manual before operating Honda Power Equipment.

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50 things to do

© 2014 Black Horse Photos

SAM Shortline Railroad

The experience, open to those 18 and older, takes two to three hours.

Skydive Georgia is also where skydiving pros go to jump and have fun at special events throughout the year.

Skydive Georgia, at 493 Airport Road, is less than an hour’s drive from Atlanta.

It’s open daily, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

For more information, call 770-684-3483 or visit www. skydivegeorgia.com.

CONCORD Gregg Farms For a peach of a time, make the short drive to rural Concord where peaches are the star attraction. Pick your own or simply buy them individually, by the basket or by the bushel.

Be sure to get a cone of fresh peach ice cream as the perfect way to beat the heat.

Besides fresh peaches, there are peach jams, jellies, salsa, fresh vegetables and boiled peanuts.

Peaches are so central to Georgia culture – we are the Peach State after all – that it’s important to show the kids how they grow and how they’re picked and processed. And who doesn’t enjoy munching on a juicy peach?

Note that the farm doesn’t take credit or debit cards, so plan accordingly. It’s at 5634 Concord Road, Concord and

open Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. More information is available at greggfarms.com or 770-227-4661.

CORDELE SAM Shortline Railroad Visit four towns – Leslie, Americus, Plains and Archery – in addition to Cordele in the air-conditioned, 1949-vintage cars of the SAM Shortline excursion train.

The train passes through pecan groves and scenic country farms.

If you want to explore any of the towns, you’ll have to catch the next train to either return to your origin or to continue.

Leslie is the home of the quirky Rural Telephone Museum, featuring central-office equipment and switchboards, including the one used by White House staff when President Jimmy Carter visited his hometown of Plains.

Americus has a restored downtown highlighted by the Rylander Theater and the Windsor Hotel. It’s also close to Andersonville, the Civil War prison that now hosts the National Prisoners of War Museum. In Plains, visitors can tour the school Carter attended that is full of exhibits about his early life, and sample peanut butter ice cream in the

stores on the main street. And Archery, Carter’s boyhood home, features the farmhouse in which he grew up.

The schedule of stops and departure times changes daily, so call ahead for information, ticket prices and reservations.

Most round trips last around six hours and occur on Friday or Saturday. Some tickets include a snack or lunch.

Call 877-427-2457 or visit samshortline.com.

CLEVELAND North Georgia Zoo & Farm Here’s a chance to talk to the animals up close, and pet them, feed them – even ride them. OK, you can’t pet the wolves, and you wouldn’t want to ride the

Summer 2017 alligators, but there’s still lots of personal interaction for kids and adults with more than 200 animals. You can hold a python or pet a crocodile.

Some are exotic, like camels, zebras, kangaroos and monkeys.

Some are cuddly, like rabbits, llamas, and tortoises. Walk among them in an hour-long guided tour. Not in the mood to walk? There’s a hayride, cart ride or pony ride.

The wildlife walk is $23 for adults and $21 for children, which includes the petting farm. Petting alone is $8 for adults and $6 for children. It’s $5 for each of the pony rides, camel encounter and reptile adventure. The zoo is at 2912 Paradise Valley Road, Cleveland.

More information is available at

Summer 2017

Photo courtesy North Georgia Zoo & Farm

North Georgia Zoo & Farm

www.myfavoritezoo.com or 706-348-7279.

COWETA COUNTY Bike Routes Explore the county’s seven bike routes that span woodlands, farmland and scenic horse pastures.

Oriented toward recreational riders, the routes include

50 things to do rolling hills along the county’s lightly-traveled rural and minor roads to connect with state-sponsored routes that cut through the county.

They vary in length. The shortest is the 5.2 mile Green Route which begins on Palmetto-Tyrone Road at Craig Wood Way and ends at Fisher Road on the statesponsored Little White House Route. Coweta’s longest is the 28.2-mile Orange Route that runs from Ga. Hwy. 16 at the Ga. Hwy. 34 bypass and includes Welcome Road, Thomas Powers Road and Smokey Road, among others.

Maps are available at local welcome centers or online by searching for “Coweta County +bike routes.”

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40 miles north of downtown Atlanta. Different launch sites Balloons Over Georgia are used, and most flights last Do something adventurous this about an hour, depending on summer and book a flight on a wind speed and direction and scenic hot air balloon ride with the landing site. Cameras and Balloons Over Georgia. It’s a camcorders are encouraged. once-in-a-lifetime experience Balloons Over Georgia and a memorable gift for an is at 235 Castleberry Road, anniversary, wedding, birthday, Cumming. Hours are before or special date. See Lake Lanier, sunrise and sunset. For private Stone Mountain, Kennesaw rentals or more information, Mountain, the Atlanta skyline call 678-283-4033 or visit www. and the beginnings of the balloonsovergeorgia.com.

Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountain ranges. You might DAHLONEGA even get to watch deer run or Dahlonega Arts fly with a hawk. & Wine Festival With its spotless safety On May 20-21, downtown record, the family-owned and Dahlonega transforms into operated ballooning company launches near dawn and dusk an alfresco art gallery, with a when the wind is calmest. They juried show sponsored by the lift off from an area about 35Chestatee Artists.

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©Caffeine and Octane

Caffeine and Octane

Arts and crafts will be on sale, and there will be local and regional wines to taste while listening to jazz groups performing live.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday with a performance of the comedy “I Hate Hamlet” at the historic Holly Theater that evening.

Sunday, it’s 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Both days at the town square, with free parking nearby at the parking deck of the University of North Georgia. More information is available at dahlonega.org.

DECATUR Decatur BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Festival Your toes will be tapping, your fi ngers sticky and your tastebuds dancing as all your senses drink in the fun of this annual event. The setting might be in the shadow of the big city, but the atmosphere is pure Southern rural.

The day is August 12 from noon to 8 p.m. in Decatur’s historic Oakhurst Neighborhood, where East Lake Drive meets Oakview Road. Admission is $12, and no outside coolers are allowed.

More information is available at decaturbbqfestival.com.

DUNWOODY Caffeine and Octane North America’s largest monthly car show features 2,000 vehicles and typically draws 15,000 spectators. Cars run the gamut from restored, vintage masterpieces to one-of-a-kind racers, exotics and domestics.

For 11 years, this monthly gathering has attracted car buffs from across the Southeast to Perimeter Mall at 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, on the first Sunday of the month from 8 - 11 a.m. It’s within walking distance of the Perimeter Center MARTA station.

There’s no fee to attend or to show your own vehicle. More information is available at caffeineandoctane.com.

FAIRBURN The Bedford School Squirrel Hollow Camp The Bedford School offers its annual Squirrel Hollow Camp for kids ages 6 - 14, who have academic needs due to learning differences or need summer skills practices.

Campers in this remedial program receive academic instruction and participate in recreational activities such as swimming, team games and

challenge courses.

Small-sized classes are grouped by age and skill level and do not require the students to keep up with materials or do outside work. Campers work on reading, reading comprehension, writing skills and math using a variety of structured, multisensory techniques and materials in a stress-free environment.

The day camp, held on Bedford School’s 46-acre campus, runs June 12 - 23 and June 26 - July 7. Besides the main classrooms, the campus has a full-size gym, computer lab, cafeteria, playground, soccer field, swimming pool and a 30-element challenge course.

The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Georgia Accrediting Commission and is a member of several recognized organizations that focus on learning disabilities.

The Bedford School is at 5665 Milam Road, Fairburn. For more information, call 770-774-8001 or visit www.thebedfordschool. org.

The Georgia Renaissance Festival Enter the gates of a 16thcentury English village and step back in time, complete with royalty, jesters, artisans and performers. Ten stages offer non-stop entertainment, comedy and action, not to mention the jousting contests and bird-of-prey demonstrations.

Roaming players will perform magic, juggle, sing and do some completely silly stunts. To fill the stomach, there will be mead and ale, roast turkey legs, fish & chips and other hearty fare.

Summer 2017 The festival runs April 15 - June 4 at 6905 Virlyn B. Smith Road, Fairburn or I - 85’s exit 61, where there will be signs. For information call 770-964-8575 or visit garenfest.com. Admission is $22 for adults, but less online, and other discounts are available.

FORT VALLEY Lane Southern Orchards Time your visit to Lane Southern Orchards for the produce you favor – peaches from May to August, blackberries and blueberries in June and July, and muscadines in July and August. If you want farm tours, go in June or July.

For more than 100 years, the Lane family has farmed 3,000 acres of peaches and another 3,000 acres of pecan groves. Visitors get a glimpse of a professional agribusiness in operation from the elevated walk over the peach-packing line and can purchase fresh produce, local wines and condiments in the roadside market.

They can also try homemade peach cobbler, peach ice cream and other homestyle dishes at lunch in the café. Or they can simply grab a rocking chair and relax.

Open daily at 50 Lane Road, Fort Valley, just five minutes west of Exit 142 off I-75. For information, visit lanesouthernorchards.com or call 800-27PEACH.

GRANTVILLE Grantville Splash Park and Skate Park Grantville Splash Park is a welcome stop for kids of all ages wanting a fun, cool break

Summer 2017 from summer heat. Located at the Grantville Community Center, the park features a rain tree, water mushroom, pipe falls, volcano sprays, deck sprays and a tipping bucket.

The park at 54 Post St. opens Memorial Day weekend and closes on Labor Day. Hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1 - 6 p.m.

Closed Mondays. Admission is $1. Extended hours are available for birthday parties or other private rentals.

You don’t have to know an air walk from a melongrab to have a blast at Grantville’s new, $100,000 Skate Park that opened in September of 2016.

The city-owned facility is next to the Clements & Malcolm Community Center and is designed for beginners and

young children, but challenging and fun for advanced skaters who come from all over the region.

Built by The American Ramp Company that specializes in skating facilities, the Grantville park at 99 Brown St. has plenty of nearby trees providing welcoming shade to be considered an actual park.

It has a variety of features, guaranteed to be interesting for skaters of all levels.

For more information, call 770-583-8935 or visit www.grantville.org.

HELEN Cool River Tubing Head to the top end of the Chattahoochee River for the brisk, moving water that floats

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5665 Milam Rd. Fairburn, GA 30213 • 770-774-8001 • www.thebedfordschool.org The Bedford School is accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, and has been approved by the Georgia Department of Education to receive the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10)

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50 things to do

you effortlessly down “The Hooch.” There’s a choice of trips – one-hour, two-hour, or all day.

The company provides distinctive blue-and-white buses to take you up river to the put-in spot or return you to where you started, depending on which of the company’s three locations you began from. For a little extra you can buy a wristband for the mid-trip waterslide, which you can ride as much as you want before completing your river float.

Information is available at coolrivertubing.com or 706-878-2665. Open seven days a week, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The address is 590 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen.

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Summer 2017

©Sweetland Amphitheatre

Sweetland Amphitheatre

LaGRANGE Sweetland Amphitheatre at Boyd Park Kool & The Gang kicks off this year’s Summer Concert Series on May 28. The band has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide with hits like “Cherish,” “Jungle Boogie,”

“Celebration” and “Summer Madness.”

The lineup for Sweetland Amphitheatre’s 2017 Summer Concert Series also includes Vince Gill on June 9, The Molly Ringwalds on July 1 and TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band on September 29.

The former city park that

downtown grew up around has been transformed into a modern outdoor theater that opened last year. Take your choice of stadium seating, table seating for alfresco dining, or stretch out on the lush lawn.

The congenial casualness and connections with others in the audience is as much a part of the amphitheatre experience as the performance.

Beach towel-sized blankets and low-profi le, beach-style chairs are permitted on the sloped, grassy lawn for general-admission ticket sales only. Check the rules and regulations for chair specifications.

The venue is at 110 Smith St. in the heart of LaGrange’s historic downtown. For ticket

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Summer 2017 sales, call 877-725-8849 or visit www.sweetland.events.

MADISON Firefly Festival On July 28 - 29 in the height of firefly season, what better way to celebrate the joyous glow of the little bugs than with music and food? The historic Town Park in Madison makes a good setting.

There are plenty of activities for kids Friday evening, including drums, inflatable houses, and a dance line.

Saturday features a concert by Sweetwater Junction, and grown ups can bring a cooler and blanket and stake out a spot to enjoy music and dancing.

Hours are Friday, 6:30 - 8:30

50 things to do p.m., Saturday 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Information at 218 W. Jefferson St., Madison, 706-342-4454 or madisonga.com.

NEWNAN Atlanta Brick Co. What’s more fun than visiting a toy store? Getting to play there.

Imagine getting to do it for a week straight, and you’ll have an idea of the fun ahead of kids who participate in Atlanta Brick Co.’s day camps. Just don’t tell them how educational it is.

Atlanta Brick Co. has the South’s largest selection of LEGO® products, including the largest collection of minifigures in the world. Go here for hardto-find sets, both new and used.

Each camp features five, three-hour days, or campers can

sign up for both the morning and afternoon sessions. They focus on different activities from building models like boats, cars, catapults and blasters to activities like Angry Birds, tank battles and robot skirmishes.

At the end, each child gets to take home one of the creations they’ve built.

Ongoing events are Atlanta Brick Co.’s popular Build & Learn events, Parent’s Night Out, the Thursday Building Club and the Collaborative Tower Builds, where enthusiasts start on Monday and hopefully reach the ceiling

by Friday without the tower collapsing. It’s also a good place for holding birthday parties.

Atlanta Brick Co. is at 20 Tower Way, Suite 2, in the

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Atlanta Brick Co.

Thomas Crossroads area.

Hours are Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., and Sunday, 1 - 6 p.m. For more information, call 470-414-2208 or visit www.atlbrick.com.

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50 things to do

Photo courtesy Chattahoochee Bend State Park

Chattahoochee Bend State Park

Bubbles and Brushes Art Studio In Bubbles and Brushes’ open studio, children and adults are invited to play with paint supplies, the glitter tables and the Craft Buffet – a grand assortment of buttons, stickers, pom poms, pipe cleaners and hundreds more supplies to create masterpieces. Check the Facebook page to get inspired and for photos of some adorable Mommy & Me projects.

The family art studio offers a stress-free environment to get messy and creative without any of the cleanup. The best deal is to become a member to get free or discounted admission to Open Studio hour, Mommy & Me classes, after-school classes, night art parties and more.

Adults ages 16 and older can attend Friday and Saturday night art parties, 7 - 9 p.m., in which art teachers talk you through a work of art in two hours. It’s relaxing fun for a girls’ night out or date night. Check the website for painting choices.

Summer camps for kids ages 6-12 involve painting, drawing, mixed media and ceramic projects that are fired in the studio’s kiln.

Started by a public-school art teacher six years ago, Bubbles and Brushes also hosts Spirit Days and field trips for schools and churches.

Bubbles and Brushes is at 314 B Newnan Crossing Bypass in the Ashley Park mall. Hours are Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon 6 p.m. For more information, call 678-899-7035 or visit www. bubblesandbrushes.com.

Chattahoochee Bend State Park Situated in a graceful curve of the Chattahoochee River, the 2,910-acre Chattahoochee Bend State Park is a haven for paddlers, hikers, campers, mountain bikers and anglers.

Mother Nature is the star of the show. If you’re looking to stretch your legs, there are hilly trails to give you a workout, but the gentle riverside trail is “a walk in the park” with an observation tower for a treetop view.

Visitors have been known to come around a bend in a trail to come upon a pair of does or wild turkeys, or to flush a 12-point buck and a covey of quail. Overhead, you’ll hear the screech of hawks and

Summer 2017

even bald eagles. Wildflowers, blackberries and muscadines growing wild along the trails offer rewarding surprises.

The shady paths and flowing water give visitors a sensation of coolness when summer is baking mall parking lots.

On the park’s schedule this summer are Glow-in-the Dark Bowling on May 26 and the Memorial Day Duckie Race on May 27.

Mark your calendar for Hooch Hike and Paddle on May 20 and June 24, which involves a 5.5 mile hike to the boat launch at the north platform where you’ll break for lunch, get brief instructions on the best way to paddle back, and then canoe or kayak back down the river.

The park, at 425 Bobwhite Way, is open daily 7 a.m. 10 p.m. For more information, call 770-254-7271 or visit www.gastateparks.org/ chattahoocheebend.

Discovery Point Summer Camps Enroll your child in a Discovery Point Summer Camp for fun, fitness and excitement. Camps engage in purposeful and fun activities such as science experiments, cooking, art and field trips throughout the summer.

Each week is a different theme with trips to parks, museums, local landmarks and attractions. On-site teachers and guest speakers share experiences and special lessons

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Summer 2017 related back to the weekly learning themes. Physical activity is also a primary focus and is encouraged throughout the day.

Discovery Point has two Newnan locations – in SummerGrove at 11 Market Square Road, and in Thomas Crossroads at 3052 Sharpsburg-McCollum Road. For more information, call 770-809-6891, or visit Discovery Point SummerGrove at www.summergrove. discoverypoint.com or Discovery Point Sharpsburg at www.sharpsburg. discoverypoint.com.

Newnan’s eight public parking lots, and enjoy the mile-long walk down historic LaGrange Street to the stadium at 190 LaGrange Street. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 770-253-8283 or visit www. mainstreetnewnan.com.

Main Street Newnan Market Days

Homemade, homegrown and handmade describe the specialties you’ll fi nd at Main Street Newnan Market Days in downtown Newnan.

Vendors set up booths around the old Coweta County Courthouse to offer locallygrown produce, honey, jams and jellies, salsa, pottery, art, Fourth of July Parade jewelry, handmade children’s & Fireworks clothes, hand-woven baskets, From the booming drums of leather products, freshly-baked the parade to the booming goods, handmade furniture, fireworks at sundown, there’s birdhouses and more. only one way to embrace the full Pickin’ on the Square, spirit of Independence Day. a gathering of acoustic Festivities start at 9 a.m. with musicians, sets up on the the downtown parade making courthouse steps and performs its way from Veteran’s Memorial bluegrass, gospel and other Park to Greenville Street Park. favorites for the crowds. If you Anyone can participate and play an acoustic instrument, registration isn’t required, feel free to join them. unless you intend to use a The Historic Coweta County motorized vehicle to pull a float.

Courthouse is at 200 Court If so, you’ll need to sign up a Square, Newnan. Market Days week before the event. Be at are held the fi rst Saturdays Veteran’s Memorial Park on of the month, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Temple Avenue no later than For more information, call 8:30 a.m. for the parade line-up.

770-253-8283 or visit www.

Later that day, gather the mainstreetnewnan.com. family to go to Newnan High Newnan Theatre Company School’s Drake Stadium to play games, enjoy live music Newnan Theatre Company and watch fireworks. The continues its 30-year tradition Newnan Rotary Club puts on a of providing live entertainment spectacular fireworks display with a Summer Series that at dusk. Hot dogs, popcorn features “Steel Magnolias,” and soft drinks will be on hand a bittersweet homage to the starting at 6 p.m., along with inner strength of Southern souvenirs for the kids. women in the face of personal Avoid traffic by parking trials. Luckily for the audience, humor is one of their coping free in any one of downtown

Page 16 mechanisms, and the jokes are that much funnier for Southern viewers.

NTC also offers six weeks of “drama boot camps” for elementary students with varying themes during the summer that teach the children how to design and build sets, write skits and create characters. They can sign up for one week or all summer, half days or full.

Fridays include the weekly showcase.

NTC Backstage workshops, offered for 6th through 8th graders, focuses on script writing, stage management, set building and more. Session One is June 5 - 16, Session Two is July 10 - 21.

Newnan Theatre Company is in downtown Newnan at 24 First Ave. Showtimes are Thursday - Saturday, 8 p.m. and Sunday, 3 p.m. For more information, call 770-683-6282 or visit www.newnantheatre.org.

Newnan Utilities’ Carl Miller Park The Kids Castle Playground is 32,000 square feet of wooden climbing areas, swings, assorted bridges, tunnels, forts, playhouses, cars, boats, trucks and airplanes for kids to play in, on and around.

Weather-resistant shades and sails covering most of it make this one of the best local spots in the summer to watch your children play.

If the shades still leave the kids overheated, then cool them off in the park’s two splash fountains where moving sprays keep them guessing and squealing. Picnic tables and pavilions for groups from 50 - 150 people are spread throughout the park’s tree-

50 things to do

Summer 2017

shaded 14 acres, which includes a paved walking and jogging trail.

The park at 70 Sewell Road, Newnan is open daily. Park hours through the summer are 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Splash fountain hours are 10 a.m. 8 p.m. For more information, call 770-683-5516 or visit www.newnanutilities.org.

StoneBridge Early Learning Center Summer Camps Summer means fun for campers, pre-K graduates through fi fth graders, enrolled at StoneBridge Early Learning Centers.

Spray parks for outdoor water fun are available at both day-care centers.

Summer camp activities include on-site acting lessons and visits from High Touch High Tech, a service that provides hands-on science experiments. Other camp activities include trips to a laser-tag facility, trampoline park and local skating rink park.

StoneBridge’s ELC locations are at 243 Summerlin Blvd. in Newnan and 106 Bailey Station Circle in Sharpsburg.

They are open year-round, Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Newnan center at 770-253-8104, the Sharpsburg location at 770-304-8857 or visit www.stonebridge-elc. com.

Photo courtesy Roosevelt Riding Stables

Roosevelt Riding Stables

and specialty blends for Summer Wined-Up guests over age 21 at the different tasting stations. Event-goers must provide a valid photo ID for admittance. Upon sign-in, each participant will receive a wrist stamp, commemorative wine glass and an informational brochure. Taxi service will be available throughout the evening. Advance ticket purchases are encouraged because the event sells out quickly. Summer Wined-Up festivities are complementary for non-drinkers.

Summer Wined-Up begins at 5 p.m. at the registration table on East Court Square.

For more information, call 770-253-8283 or visit www. mainstreetnewnan.com.

PEACHTREE CITY Ascension Indoor Rock Climbing Gym

From beginner to expert, the Unwind on the evening of June gym has 20 ropes available 9 by going on a “wine walk” to to scale each unique wall to offer ample challenge and sample wine at more than 25 variety. With a beginner wall, downtown businesses during this annual wine-tasting event. fully-stocked pro shop and instructors on staff, the facility Appetizers will be paired with reds, whites is geared toward families.

Summer Wined-Up

There are also two caves and a range of courses and activities on various days, such as Family Night and Student Night. It’s also available for birthday parties and lock-ins.

Open Monday - Thursday 3 - 9 p.m., Friday 3 - 10 p.m., Saturday noon - 10 p.m. and Sunday 2 - 6 p.m. Contact them at ascensiongym.com, 125 Depot Court, Peachtree City, or call at 678-870-1400.

Mastermind Escape Games If you’re looking to give your brain a little workout, try the challenges offered at this novel business. An escaperoom exercise pits you against the clock as you and nine or so other people have to use items at hand to fi gure out how to exit the locked room.

Make reservations, but arrive early if you’re a newbie so you can practice fi rst with the examples of locks, props and clues in the waiting area.

Then pick the theme of the room you hope to solve.

Guides will be on hand to offer instruction and pointers, and a game master to keep you on your toes and safe.

It’s located at 297 Dividend Dr., Peachtree City. Call

Summer 2017 404-793-1541 or visit mastermindescapegames. com. Hours are Monday Thursday noon - 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. - midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. - midnight, Sunday 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

PINE MOUNTAIN Roosevelt Riding Stables There are few better ways to enjoy mountain scenery than while mounted on a lumbering horse. Trails wind through shaded woods and along peaceful country creeks.

There is a choice of four guided-trail rides, ranging from one hour to a half day and with fees starting at $40.

The stables are in FDR State Park, Georgia’s largest

state park. The land was once the country’s western frontier when inhabited by Native Americans and escaped much of the farming boom in the 1800s because it is so hilly, preserving much of the oldgrowth forest.

The horses and staff are kid-friendly, but experienced riders can be paired up with more spirited horses. And the horses are available to rent for geocaching, because many of the caches are only accessible on horseback.

Reservations are recommended. The stables are located at 1063 Group Camp Road, Pine Mountain.

Call 706-628-7463 or visit rooseveltstables.com.

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Page 18

50 things to do

Summer 2017

Wild Animal Safari

STONE MOUNTAIN

See more than 550 exotic animals roaming free in a 500-acre park. Visitors drive through in their own vehicle or rent a van and get the chance to observe the animals acting naturally.

Many animals come right to car windows and can be hand fed. Among the 75 species of animals present you’ll see elk, water buffalo, giraffes and more running free. Park admission includes a bus tour with a guide so you can learn about what you’re seeing.

Tickets start at $21.95 for adults, $18.95 for children.

The park is at 1300 Oak Grove Road, Pine Mountain. Call for hours and tour-bus schedules at 706-663-8744, or visit animalsafari.com/Georgia.

Color Vibe 5K

SAUTEE NACOOCHEE Dukes Creek Gold & Ruby Mine Located on the creek where the fi rst gold was discovered in North America, this colorful stop gives visitors a chance to test their own luck for the shiny metal and precious colored stones. The covered panning tables are right next to the shop, which also specializes in unique and authentic Navajo horsehair pottery and prehistoric fossils.

Parking and admission is free. Dirt containing ore or gems ranges from $12 for 1 gallon to $80 for 5 gallons, and all are guaranteed to contain gold, rubies or other gems. Staff is on hand to demonstrate and offer pointers on panning techniques.

Dukes Creek is located at 6145 Ga. Hwy. 75, Sautee

© Color Vibe

Color Vibe 5K

Nacoochee. Information is available at 706-878-2625 or dukescreek.com.

SENOIA Georgia Tour Company Take a two-hour walking tour around Senoia, the city where AMC fi lms its series The Walking Dead. The tours are offered by a company that knows the quaint town of Senoia and appreciates all of its quirky charm as well as the luster brought by the stars in the series.

The walking tour features locations where the AMC series has fi lmed, as well as mentions of other locallyfi lmed deadly movie scenes, such as Pet Sematary Two, Drop Dead Diva, and the spot where the character Buddy died in Fried Green Tomatoes.

If you’re really a gung-ho fan, take the six-hour walk/drive tour, which is also a live-action theatrical experience. Or just take the Senoia Big Screen Walking Tour to see how this tiny town has been featured in dozens of movies and television shows.

Located at 53 Main St., Senoia, with information at georgiamercantile.com or 770-599-0091.

Historic Downtown Senoia Known worldwide as the cinematic backdrop of Woodbury for the AMC television series The Walking Dead, and host city to two dozen other TV shows and Hollywood fi lms, this picture-perfect town indeed has star quality. It also has two former Southern Living Idea houses, a Buggy Shop Museum and dozens of historic houses including the Culpepper House and the Veranda Bed and Breakfast, as well as the former Holberg Hotel where Margaret Mitchell interviewed Civil War veterans to write Gone With the Wind.

Download a brochure to tour the town’s antebellum homes, explore its historic downtown and visit its many boutique shops, antique stores and the Woodbury Shoppe, the official Walking Dead store. Several familystyle cafés and other restaurants line the small town’s active Main Street.

The Senoia Welcome Center is at 68 Main St. For more information, call 770-727-9173 or visit www. enjoysenoia.net.

At each station along the race runners are dusted with a different colored powder, leading up to a kaleidoscopic fi nish. It’s part of a national trend of color races as excuses for blowing off some steam with costumed silliness.

The company running the races occasionally contributes part of the proceeds to charity.

The Stone Mountain race costs $65 to participate, although some discounts apply for early registration and for children. The race starts 9 a.m. on May 20 at VFW Field, 888 Gordon St., Stone Mountain.

Information is available at thecolorvibe.com.

VARIOUS Georgia’s Undead Trail Go on your own quest to fi nd vampires and zombies, which are startlingly numerous around Georgia.

The 93-mile trail connects locations where some of the most famous movies and television shows were fi lmed, to the delight of curious Walker fans and Vampire Stalkers. Along the way are restaurants, shops and guided tours designed to give fans lasting memories of their journey.

Stops along the trail include Senoia, where AMC’s The Walking Dead is fi lmed; Woodbury, where zombie geocaching offers a hunt for body parts and weapons; Covington, where CW’s The Vampire Diaries was fi lmed and Conyers, which provided scenes for CW’s The Originals, a spinoff from Diaries. Be sure to pick up a

Summer 2017 adventure resort.

Start with what the Guinness Book of World Records designated as the world’s longest and largest canopy tour. Six levels to chose from, with swaying bridges between. But it may also be one of the world’s safest overhead adventures.

Try the ropes course or the GuinnessWEST POINT appointed, highest freestanding Camping at West Point Lake climbing wall in the world. Get up a team The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to go geocaching. Scramble through the maintains four pristine campgrounds Squirrel Village that welcomes the at West Point Lake, which extends 35 whole family over age 4. Challenge miles along the Chattahoochee River yourself to the 100-foot power freefall, on the Alabama-Georgia state line. if you dare. Or ride horses, explore The lake offers more than 500 miles of 80 miles of walking trails or rock on a shoreline surrounded by 10,000 acres porch in the shade. Don’t worry, there’s of deep forests and rolling hills. a spa to relieve any stress you develop.

The R. Shaefer Heard Campground Stay overnight in the award-winning is on the southern shore at 101 bed and breakfast or in one of their Shaefer Heard Park Road in West luxury tree houses, complete with a Point The Holiday and Whitetail Ridge king-size bed, shower, jetted tub and campgrounds, both on the western stunning view. Order a picnic basket or shore, are on Abbottsford Road in dine by candlelight in the Tree Terrace LaGrange. The Amity Campground is that overlooks Snake Creek Gorge. at 1001 County Road 393 in Lanett, Ala. Send your kids there for day camp, In all, West Point offers 434 campsites June 26 - 30 or July 10 - 14. In addition in the four waterfront camping facilities, to the fun already mentioned (except and most have electrical and water the candlelit dinners), they’ll also get hookups. The facilities have grills, tables, to paddle board, kayak and experience dump stations, laundries and showers. history walks.

Many offer playgrounds, ball fields, tennis Information is available at courts, basketball courts and nature trails. historicbanningmills.com or At just under 8 miles, the Lakeside Trail 770-834-9149. is ideal for mountain biking with a mix of beginner to advanced sections.

WOODBURY Boat ramps are in 34 public recreation Lake Meriwether areas, including the campgrounds, as well as the two privately-owned, Enjoy boating, fishing, camping, disc full-service marinas. Bank fishing is golfi ng or simply picnicking on this 144excellent at many locations including acre lake surrounded by shady pines. public fishing piers at Hardley Creek, Admission is free, but there are small Rocky Point and McGee Bridge parks. fees for camping and fishing.

For reservations, call 1-877-444-6777 or Teeming with bass, bream, catfish and visit www.recreation.gov. crappie, the lake offers sustenance for the body as well as the soul.

Open all day every day, the lake WHITESBURG is just south of Woodbury off Ga. Historic Banning Mills Hwy. 85 at 728 Lake Meriwether Rd. Adventure seeker, foodie, nature Information is at exploregeorgia.org/ enthusiast, history buff or all four, listing/56779-lake-meriwether or there’s plenty to see and do at meriwethertourism.com/to-do Historic Banning Mills, a secluded or call 706-553-5247. zombie burger, see the clocktower where Damon liked to hang out and try to get a peek at current production at the Gin Property that serves as Alexandria.

Details on the trail and stops are online at georgiasundeadtrail.com.

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