Athens This Weekend: February 19 - 21

Friday, February 19:

• Join us for the 2010 Southern Garden Heritage Conference at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia! Robin Salmon will open the conference with a lecture about garden sculpture and close the conference with a lecture about garden sculpture and close the conference with a presentation about Brookgreen Gardens, one of America's finest sculpture gardens. Amateurs and professionals alike are sure to find this conference interesting and informative. Preregistration is required- call 706.542.6359 today! $95 for members, $110 for non-members.

• Great event for all ages! Sandy Creek Park and the Athens Astronomical Association will host Starwatch: Winter Night Skies tomorrow from 7- 9 p.m. Starwatch is a unique event where participants can enjoy views of the winter constellations, Mars, and the crescent moon. Pre-registration is recommended. Only $2 for ACC residents and $3 for non-residents!

Saturday, February 20:

• Take a trip to Kingpins Bowl and Brew this Saturday from 2 - 5 p.m. for Bowling for the Bard and great prizes! They will be raffling off a framed, autographed poster from REM! Season tickets, restaurant gift certificates and more are also up for grabs. All proceeds help produce this summer's free production of The Taming of the Shrew. Only $5 to participate!

• In celebration of Black History Month, Classic City Tours is offering a special 2-hour bus tour at 2 p.m. of Athens' most significant African-American heritage sites. Stops include the Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery and Morton Theatre.

Sunday, February 21:

• "Eat, Drink, and Help Many" by attending the 17th annual A Taste of Athens! Over 50 restaurants and beverage distributors are participating for your chance to sample local cuisine, sip on wine & beer from regional distributors, bid on amazing silent auction items, and mix & mingle with other community supporters. This event benefits Community Connection of Northeast Georgia, who empowers our community to GET HELP, GIVE HELP, and GROW HELP.

• Support Sandy Creek Nature Center by walking or running in the Frog Hop 5K! The one-mile Tadpole Fun Run starts at 2 p.m. with the 5K race set for 2:30 p.m. Race entry forms are available around town, at Sandy Creek Nature Center or at the nature center's Web site. You can also register here. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome!

Ongoing Events:

• SEC Swim & Dive Championships: The Georgia swimming and diving teams are proud to host the 2010 Southeastern Conference Championships at Gabrielsen Natatorium. The four-day competition features seven men's teams and six women's squads that are ranked in the Top 25 by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America! See schedule here.

• Town and Gown presents Mame: Town and Gown presents Mame, a Tony-Award winning musical, at the Athens Community Theater! From mountain climbing related deaths to Massachusetts boarding schools, Mame is a musical that has it all. The musical, based on Patrick Dennis' novel Auntie Mame, chronicles the tumultuous and often hilarious life of the titular character. Mame made its broadway Theatre debut in 1969, and it features Georgia as a prominent setting. 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.

• UGA Sports: UGA tennis has two home matches this weekend, taking on Southern Cal. on Friday and Arkansas on Sunday. Also, cheer on the Hoop Dawgs as they take on Alabama!

• Not Since You Movie Premiere and Screening: This film was shot in large part in Athens! Not Since You is an ensemble film about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU just prior to 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia. It premieres this Friday, and screening for only one week at Beechwood Cinemas.