Athens This Weekend: February 10-12

It's finally the weekend! After a long week, I know I am ready for an exciting and eventful weekend, and I'm sure you are too! Luckily, there are so many exciting events taking place this weekend in Athens,GA. Get your planners ready, because the Classic City will guarantee you a great time!

1. Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers 

The Classic Center Theatre presents the legendary Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers! Jake and Elwood Blues will be accompanied by the sassy Bluettes to perform all of your favorite songs including, "Everybody," "Shake Ya Tail Feather," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Think," "Respect," "Gimme Some Loving," along with so many more. So don the sunglasses, dig out your best pork pie hat, and buff up those dancing shows for a night of the best music, moves, and comedy! The show will be Friday, February 10, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and prices range from $9-$65.

2. Athens Kids Expo

Athens Kids Expo is a fundraising event benefiting the Wee Read Program of United Way of Northeast Georgia. This event is perfect for a family-fun day! Your children will be beyond excited when they hear what this event has to offer. The Athens Kids Expo will feature fabulous entertainment, face painting, bounce houses, balloon artists, a petting zoo, and more! There will be products and services for the entire family including educational products, toys and hobbies, health care services and products, cosmetics, jewelry, apparel, music and entertainment, arts and crafts, safety products and services, schools and daycare services, summer camps, and much more. Whew! This exciting event will be taking place Saturday, February 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. So bring out the entire family and enjoy a fun-filled day! 

3.UGA Women's Softball Red & Black Showcase

The University of Georgia's Softball Team will open its 2012 season by hosting the Fifth-Annual Red & Black Showcase this weekend at Jack Turner Stadium! The first game will be against Army on Friday, February 10, at 7:00 p.m. You can enjoy additional games throughout the weekend as well vs. Utah State, St. John's, Campbell, and North Carolina State. So come out and support Georgia Softball for another exciting season! 

Additional Events taking place in Athens,GA:

• Bring the family out to the "Owl Prowl" Friday, February 10 from 6:30-8:00 a.m., for an evening hike. You will search for the owl that inhabit the woods of Athens, GA, while learning about these fascinating feathered nocturnal animals. This event will take place at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.
• Grains of Sand will be performing at The Melting Point Friday, February 10, at 8:00 p.m. This band's desire is to keep the great music of the 60's and 70's around for everyone to enjoy-the young and old! Tickets are $10 in advance and will be $12 the day of the show. You can also reserve seating on the mezzanine level on a first-come first-serve basis. There will be tables of two available for $30 and tables of four available for $60. Come out and enjoy a night of fun, great music, and dancing! 
• Let the King romance you on Saturday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m. Buffalo's Southwest Cafe in Athens, GA,  will be featuring the Elvis-Burning Love Valentine's Show. Enjoy a romantic evening with delicious food from their full menu.
• The Senior Adults Sweetheart Prom will be Sunday, February 12, at 4:00 p.m. This romantic event will be held at Lay Park. Come and enjoy an evening of dancing, listening to soft music, socializing and light refreshments.This is guaranteed to be a good time!
These were just a few of the many exciting events happening in Athens,GA. Hopefully you've read something that will be of interest to you! Be sure to check out our Visit Athens, GA calendar for a full list of even more events and activities! 

To stay in the know about what's coming up in Athens, join our mailing list!

What are you looking forward to doing this weekend in Athens,GA?

Athens This Weekend: July 22-24

It's going to be one of those weekends in Athens, GA. You know, the kind of weekend with enough exciting events taking place around town for you to be able to customize your days specifically to your own interests. I suggest you start creating your itinerary now- so as not to miss the fun happenings going on in Athens, GA this weekend. There is:

1) Art to be discussed; If you haven't yet had the chance to visit the first Resident Studio Exhibition at ATHICA, featuring 30 oil paintings by Maxine Youngblood, then it's time to get out there and check it out  in its final weekend. The exhibit's Closing Reception will take place Sunday, July 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will include an artist & curator Panel for open discussion and finally, a reception with the artist. Having not started creating art until the age of 52, Maxine Youngblood, now around 73 years old, nevertheless, creates vivid, rousing works of art. The 30 oil paintings being featured in ATHICA's Resident Studio exhibit are of that same nature, bright, colorful, and passionate, often likened to the style of French and German Expressionism. Curator Lizzie Zucker Saltz and Assistant Curator Ashley Westpheling largely selected works that were figurative in nature- representing pop culture icons like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Donald Trump, as well as other local artists, performers, and models. If you already had the pleasure of visiting this exhibit or will be visiting for the first time this weekend, be sure to remember to come out for the closing reception on Sunday to hear about the works from the artist and curators themselves! Open 1-6 p.m. Thursday- Sunday! For more information about ATHICA or the event, visit our calendar listing. 

2) Music to be danced to; In its seventh consecutive year, the Annual Darius Goes West Benefit Concert will feature huge acts, such as Bubba Sparxxx and the Nappy Roots who will be accompanied by Georgia Gurlz and Elite Tha Showstoppa- doors open at 8:00 p.m. Saturday night at the 40 Watt. Tickets will be $10 in advance and anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Darius Goes West: The Roll of his Life is an award winning documentary that followed Darius Weems, a teen with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, on a 7,000 mile journey across the U.S. to spread awareness about the fatal DMD disease and raise money for researching a cure. The film was widely praised and raised over one million dollars for research. Since the film, a Darius Goes West Foundation continues to spread awareness and raise money through events such as the one taking place in Athens, GA this weekend. Other Darius Goes West Day affiliated events taking place this weekend are: 

• Dealing For Darius/ Casino For a Cure: Poker Tournament at Lucky Dawg Billiards, Thursday July 21 
• Family Fun Night/ Carnival: The Body Shop of Athens, Friday, July 22, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
• Darius Goes West screening: Cine, Saturday, 7:00 p.m. See trailer below-

For more information about the benefit concert, visit our calendar listing.

3) Local commerce to be supported; The Athens Farmers Market is still in full swing, all local produce and crafts at their freshest and finest, Saturday at Bishop Park from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Your beautiful morning of perusing the displays of the healthy produce and delightful crafts in the sun will be set to a Celtic soundtrack this Saturday morning as Repent at Leisure will play at 8:00 a.m., but the track will flip with the soul folk sounds of local singer/songwriter Kyshona Armstrong at 10:00 a.m. I know it'll be Saturday, but the Athens Farmers Market is worth setting your alarm for this weekend! For more information, check out our event listing.   

4) Theater to be enjoyed; Opening night of The Circle Ensemble Theater performance of Metamorphoses will take place Thursday and run through the Saturday night, July 21-23, beginning each night at 8:30 p.m. in the pool at Ashford Manor. The play transforms ancient myth and lore into contemporary language in a story that takes place completely in and around a large pool of water. This performance is sure to be one of the most interesting theatrical events of the summer! Read more about it on our calendar listing. 

5) and much more to do in Athens, GA this weekend! Be sure to check out our weekend calendar for other fun and exciting events on the schedule, like the secret passageway opening and Slop Fest 2011!

Athens This Weekend: July 15-17

The summer heat has been a huge and steady companion to all venturing outdoors in Athens, GA these last couple of weeks- greeting all who exit the relief of air conditioning with an enthusiastic, all-consuming hug of humidity. But our good friend, Sweltering Heat, will be giving us some much needed space this weekend in Athens, GA, so let's make the most of it! With a varied calendar of options for all ages, plan on getting out and about for multiple weekend events!

1) Spend your Saturday morning in the midst of renewed classical antiquity and in the company of the little ones you love most at the Georgia Museum of Art Family Day event running from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The Family Day of July 16th will feature the Kress Collection, which includes 12 Italian Renaissance paintings donated in 1961 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The valued collection, which includes pieces from as far back as the 14th and 17th century, has been integral to the museum's educational function as university students, faculty, and art historians from all over the world come to study the works. The Family Day activities will include refreshments and the crafting of Renaissance-inspired picture frames in the first-floor classroom following an educational tour of the Kress Collection. This highly informative and engaging Family Day event at the Georgia Museum of Art will entertain parents and kids alike, so come out and see how you and your family will be inspired! For more information on this event, visit out calendar listing.

2) The museum isn't the only place to enjoy displays of inspired cultural expression in Athens, Ga this weekend- The Rialto Room will feature the latest segment of their "Go Green" Series benefitting the Oconee River Land Trust- A Songwriters in the Round event is set to take place this Friday night, July 15, beginning at 8:00 p.m. The evening will feature songwriters of a Southern persuasion as all musicians fall under the country genre. Some past credits of the performers include: Mike Dekle, writer of hits "Scarlett Fever" and "Someone Must Feel Like a Fool Tonight" by Kenny Rogers;  Will Nance, writer of #1 Billboard hit "She's Everything" for Brad Paisley; John Ford Coley, writer and performer of hits "Love is the Answer," "Gone Too Far," and "Sad To Belong"; Byron Hill, writer of classics such as "Fool Hearted Money" by George Strait and many others. This unique and intimate event could only be made better by making it last all night- reserve a room for the night at Hotel Indigo- offering a special deal of one standard room and 2 concert tickets for $145.00. Single tickets are on sale for $15 here. Come escape for a unique evening at the Rialto Room this Friday night! For more information on this event, visit our calendar listing.

3) Connect with the Athens community through the delicious shared experience of enjoying some local food at events sponsored by the Taste Your Place Local Food Extravaganza, a couple of which will take place this Saturday and Sunday. This two week event, running from July 9 - 21, is sponsored by P.L.A.C.E., an Athens non-profit committed to maintaining and fostering the growth of a healthy, well-connected local food culture, seeking to unite the Athens community in an appreciation of good food from local vendors.  The Taste Your Pie Contest event will take place this Saturday at the Athens Farmers Market around 10:00 a.m. Contest entry is open to all who provide $5, a pie and the recipe, contest tasting of all pies costs only $5 as well. Prizes will be awarded to the most delectable pies. On Sunday from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m., a driving tour of 3 local farms will take place around Athens, seats can be reserved for $30 each- contact Amanda Tedrow (atedrow@uga.edu) to save your spot. For more information about past and upcoming Taste Your Place events, visit our event listing.

These three fantastic events are just the start of your fantastic weekend in Athens, GA- check out some other notable events taking place:

• View and partake in the creation of fairy homes in a Fairy House Workshop, Friday 6:00 - 8:30 p.m., at the State Botanical Garden.  

• Hear Native American Folk Tales at the ACC Library, Friday at 2:30 p.m., in a storytelling concert of Cherokee legends.

• Kayak or Canoe through Lake Chapman by the moonlight during Full Moon Paddles at Sandy Creek Park, Friday or Saturday from 9:00- 11:00 p.m.

Don't stop here--visit our weekend calendar for an even more comprehensive guide to this weekends events! Take advantage of the brief relief from the heat this weekend, get out and enjoy summer in Athens, GA!

Athens This Weekend: June 10-12

It's going to be another busy, fun weekend in Athens, GA! With options that appeal to every age and interest, the Classic City is the place to be this warm, summer weekend!

1) Spend your Saturday exploring the beauty of both nature and art in the State Botanical Garden with an Artist Walk of Forged from Nature: An Exhibition of Garden Gates. Beginning at 11:00 a.m., Andrew T. Crawford, the Atlanta-based artist responsible for the six finely-crafted, iron gates, will guide the walk. Attendees of the Artist Walk will follow Mr. Crawford through the gardens to each gate as he describes his nature-inspired designs and metalworking process. The six gates are appropriately named and themed after some basic natural elements: Bird Gate, Vine Gate, Sunflower Gate, Threaded Bar Gate, Corn Gate, and Tool Gate. So take a walk on the artist's side this Saturday to learn more about the exhibit and the art of metal working during the Artist Walk commencing from the conservatory at 11:00 a.m. in the State Botanical Garden. For more information about this event, visit our calendar listing.

• And if one free, guided art exhibit tour just isn't enough, head to the Georgia Museum of Art at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday to enjoy a spotlight tour of "The Art of Disegno: Italian Prints and Drawings" exhibit being featured. For more details about the exhibit, visit our event listing.

2) The family days of summer continue this Saturday as the Athens-Clarke County Library hosts Explore Harry Potter's World Family Day from 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. The Family Day event is set in celebration of the traveling National Library of Medicine exhibit, "Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine." With storytelling, trivia, crafts, madrigal singers, and more, Harry Potter's World Family Day is sure to be nothing short of magical. Costume dress is encouraged so dawn your Hogwarts robes or your Medieval suit of armour and head to the ACC Library this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. for a family fun day of Harry Potter magic and Renaissance science. For more information about this event, visit our calendar listing.

3) There are few ways to better start off a full weekend in Athens, Ga than by visiting Terrapin Brewery on a Friday afternoon for lots of delicious beer, live music, and fun with friends. This Friday evening, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., head to Terrapin to hear the musical styling of Macon-native, Louise Warren. Playing original and cover songs, the 20-year old singer-songwriter will serenade you with some passionate acoustic melodies as you sip your favorite summer ale. Bring a Frisbee or a blanket and take advantage of the beautiful weather in the outdoor area of the brewery. With tours running at 6:00, 6:30, and 7:00, enjoy a little educational insight into the brewing process. So start your weekend the best way we know how in Athens, GA, with a few good beers, friends, and some live music. For more information about this event, visit our calendar listing.    


And there is plenty more where these came from, check out more events happening in Athens, GA this weekend on our event calendar.

June Delivers a Fantastic First Weekend!

Rejoice and welcome the glorious month of June in Athens, GA. With plenty of great options for the family or friends, this sunny weekend is in no short supply of exciting summer activities.

If it’s thrills you seek, then take a walk on the wild side, or at least the scientific side, at the 33rd annual Snake Day this Saturday at the Sandy Creek Nature Center. This beloved Athens event examines the anatomy and life of nature’s most infamous reptiles. Snake Day is packed full of slithery-fun crafts and games, but most importantly the event will center on hands-on, educational activities. Trained caretakers will be guides through the exciting world of snakes. Take advantage of the opportunity to get familiar with a wide assortment of snake variety, learn to identify them both venomous and non, and finally (gasp!) touch a scaly guy for yourself. So, don’t be shy, get acquainted with some serpentine friends this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information about this event, visit our calendar listing.

If the idea of a day of snakes still makes your hair stand on end, then brush it back and get your hands dirty with a ball of clay instead. Bring the family out to the Georgia Museum of Art this Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon, to Go Figure!, the museum’s Family Day event. Get inspired by Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir’s installation, “Horizons”, in the Jane and Harry Wilson Sculpture Garden before heading inside to form a sculptural creation of your own. Admission and refreshments will be free thanks to Family Day sponsors. For more information about this event, visit our event listing.

Make some classic memories of these sweet summer nights the best way we know how in Athens, GA- with a drink, fantastic food and great music. Find these 3 essential ingredients for a classic Athens night out at the Melting Point this weekend. Start the month and your weekend off right this Friday night with Swingin’ Medalions, a timeless and well-respected group with an ear for tradition. And Saturday don’t miss a true veteran of the blues, the Nighthawks’ Jimmy Thackery will perform a musically emotional journey almost as heady as his career. Come enjoy food and drink around 6 p.m. until the artists take the stage at 8:30 p.m. For more information about who’s on stage at the Melting Point this June, visit our calendar listing.

Take on the Garden Geology adventure of examining the Georgia Piedmont rock types in the State Botanical Garden of Georiga this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

Check out our weekend calendar listing for more great ideas and events happening in Athens, Ga this weekend!

Athens This Weekend: Feb. 4-6

Get ready for a weekend full of exciting things to do! For a full list of Athens events this weekend, check out our calendar!

1. Athens Wine Weekend

2. GMOA Family Day

3. The Water Coolers

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1. Now is the time to impress your friends with your intense wine knowledge! The Athens Wine Weekend this Saturday and Sunday includes seminars, tastings, and pairings taught by wine experts. Whether you are a new wine fan or think you know all about it, this exciting event is a great opportunity to taste new wines from around the world so don't miss it!

2. The Georgia Museum of Art continues its grand reopening with a super-sized Family Day Saturday. Come out for a day of gallery tours, art creation, refreshments, and an interactive program for kids that includes music, mime, and puppetry! This Athens art extravaganza takes place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and admission is free.

3. The off-Broadway show, The Water Coolers, is taking part in Athens theatre to bring out the joy in your seemingly mundane life. This musical comedy laughs at our everyday lives with original songs, sketch comedy, and pop parodies.

DON'T FORGET! Valentine's weekend is next weekend! Make plans now -- we've got lots of romantic suggestions coming on this blog and at VisitAthensGA.com.

Athens This Weekend: March 5 - 7

Friday, March 5:

• Everybody have fun tonight! Travel back in time to the era of shoulder pads, bangle bracelets and living to excess. The Melting Point presents The Highballs in Concert. The Highballs will be putting on a totally awesome show so you can party to the max. Like, for sure! Duran Duran, Madonna, Journey, the Bangles...all the best of the '80s in a high energy live show.

Saturday, March 6:

• The UGA Performing Arts Center is proud to present Narek Hakhnazaryan, a 19-year-old cellist who won first prize in the 2008 Young Concert Artists International Auditions! His two rewarding debuts were in Carnegie's Zankel Hall in New York and at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater in Washington, D.C. According to San Francisco Classical Voice, "he produces a powerful and colorful sound in all registers, nails every big shift and flashes all the virtuoso's tricks with insolent ease. He should have a stellar career."

• Treat your family to Exotic Birds & Animals on Planet Earth: Family Day at The State Botanical Garden! Roy Hodge from Exotic Paradise, Atlanta will travel to the State Botanical Garden this Saturday to educate and entertain families with his menagerie of exotic forest animals! Attendees will discover amazing facts and adaptations of exotic animals in a live animal presentation. Children and their parents can pet and take pictures with cockatoos, parrots, owls, monitor lizards, anacondas, boa constrictors and more!

Sunday, March 7:

• Head over to The State Botanical Garden this Sunday for the opening reception of Claire Clements' paintings exhibition Bottlebrush Buckeye and Beyond! Participate in a fun art critique exercise and interpret artworks currently on display. Claire's process, cut paintings, involves cutting mixed media painting on paper. Free to the public.

Ongoing Events:

• Do not miss your opportunity to view a colorful display of late winter flowers at the 18th Annual Hellebore Days at Piccadilly Farm in Bishop, Georgia! The public is invited to stroll the gardens and view thousands of Lenten Roses in full bloom in the 2.5 acre display garden. Hellebore Days has been featured in the New York Times and numerous other publications. For those unable to attend the event, the gardens will be open on Fridays and Saturdays during the spring season.

• Athens Creative Theatre presents "Bull in a China Shop," a Women's Repertoire Show and Dessert Theatre. When a houseful of sweet little old ladies discovers that a handsome bachelor lives across the street, they are delighted! When they learn that he is none other than Detective Dennis O'Finn, of Homicide, they are faced with the problem of how to attract his attention. The answer is simplicity itself: a nice, genteel homicide with a cup of tea as the murder weapon! Patrons will enjoy a dessert buffet at intermission.

• Paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media, large and small sculpture, works in clay and in fiber, jewelry, photographs, drawings, prints, and other works! The 35th Juried Exhibition at Lyndon House Arts Center showcases a wealth of Athens area talent. Over 740 art works by 291 artists were entered in the competition this year and 142 pieces were selected by this year's juror Ron Platt, the Hugh Kaul Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Win Family Admission to Exotic Birds and Reptiles on Planet Earth

One lucky Facebook winner will win family admission to Exotic Birds and Animals on Planet Earth: Family Day, this Saturday, March 6 at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia! Special guest Roy Hodge from Exotic Paradise, Atlanta will educate and entertain family members with his menagerie of exotic forest animals in a live animal presentation.

Families will discover amazing facts and adaptations of exotic animals including cockatoos, exotic parrots, spectacled owls, monitor lizards, anacondas, boa constrictors and more. After the presentation, children and their parents can pet and take pictures with the exotic animals! There will also be several hands-on discovery stations focusing on forests and their importance in our lives.

How to participate in the Facebook contest:

Log in to Facebook and type in "Visit Athens, Georgia" or use this link. Become a fan! (You must be a fan of Visit Athens, Georgia on Facebook to win.)

Reply to my post with a comment about your favorite family activity in Athens and let us know why is it your favorite? Perhaps you have a favorite memory or you attend an event annually with your family- let us know!

After midnight on Wednesday, March 3, a random number generator will select the winner.

For official contest rules, click here.

Good luck!

Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy- Athens Success by Six Program

Did you know that 61 percent of low-income families do not have a single piece of reading material suitable for a child? Or that one-third of Georgia children go to school unprepared to learn?

I did not realize what a vital issue literacy is in Georgia until last August, when I started working with a program called Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy. Ferst Foundation is a public non-profit with the mission to "provide books for local communities to prepare all Georgia preschool children for reading and learning success."

Children registered for the Ferst Foundation program receive a free book at his/her home every month until five-years-old. If registered at birth, each child will receive up to 60 free books for his/her own personal library! The children's classic The Little Engine That Could is the first book each child receives, and Look Out Kindergarten, Here I come! is the final "graduation" book that is received when the child turns five.

The local Clarke County partnership with Ferst Foundation, Success By Six/Wee Read, has a similar message: "to ensure that all children in our community receive the early experiences necessary for success in school and in life." This program also provides a newsletter with effective reading techniques, parenting information, local events and activities for children, and a book activity page.

If you have a child under five-years-old, I highly recommend registering your child for Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.

I have had the honor of volunteering with this truly inspirational program for five months. I am the Account Executive for this account through Creative Consultants, the student-run PR firm at UGA. My team (five other students) and I have planned and executed PR strategies to increase public awareness of the program and recruit registered families. One of our most exciting projects for the semester is to film and edit a promotional video for the program. We hope to release the video on the Ferst Foundation Web site, YouTube and other social media outlets. Please contact me at emilyekittle@gmail.com if your child is enrolled in the program and you would like to volunteer for filming.

Below are photos and testimonials from local Clarke County families registered with the program. I hope the testimonials will encourage you to register your child for Ferst Foundation. Stay tuned for the final production video which will be released in mid-to-late April!

Reading isn't just a pre-bedtime activity in the Dutcher household. They read (and occasionally re-read) a few different books daily. In this photo, Leslie Dutcher reads a current favorite from Ferst Foundation, Pip and Squeak, to her son soon after they arrive home from work and school. Leslie, a primary school teacher, recognizes the importance of early childhood learning and highly recommends this program.

"He is excited to receive the book each month. When I take the book out of the mailbox, and before we even get to the house, he wants me to open the book." -Leslie Dutcher

"Ferst Foundation is a great program and it's really exciting. Tristan receives books that are his own and he has thoroughly enjoyed getting them. It is something that really excites him every month- something to look forward to and make him excited about reading. I tell anybody that has kids to definitely join Ferst Foundation." -Beth Lowery, mother of Tristan (photo).

Calling all We Let the Dawgs Out Artists

Anyone who lives in Athens or has visited is familiar with the bulldog statues around town, right? The "We Let the Dawgs Out" public art project hasn't come and left town like cow statues and other exhibits that travel around the country-- the bulldog statues, painted by local Athens artists, have remained installed in locations around town and continue to provide smiles and great photo ops.

One of the artists, Robin, is seeking out other We Let the Dawgs Out artists for a brief video documentary project, and I wanted to help spread the word. See her post at the AthensWorld blog for her contact info and more details on her project. Check out the We Let the Dawgs Out website for photos and locations of the statues -- it's a great activity for the kids while they're on vacation, or any time!