Art in the Park Turns 40 + a $700 Water Bill

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What's up, neighbors!

Art in the Park hits its 40th year this weekend. It takes over Marietta Square from Saturday morning through Labor Day Monday, and it's free all three days.

More than 200 juried artists set up through Glover Park and the streets around it. Saturday is the day to go if you want the anniversary piece. Graffiti artist Rich Dennard is building an 8 by 16 foot mural right on the Square, and anybody walking by can grab a brush and help paint it.

We're going Saturday morning, and going early. It’s supposed to be in the 90s both Saturday and Sunday, so the plan is coffee, a slow lap through the booths, then lunch somewhere on the Square before the heat runs us off. If that sounds rough, Monday only gets to about 83 and the festival is still open.

Kids get their own setup. The Chalk Spot on Saturday hands them a three-foot square of closed-off street for ten bucks, chalk included, plus two tickets to the State Fair.

Sunday the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art is free like it is every first Sunday, and it's right at the south end of the Square. Metro Montage closes September 13, so that's the last free look at it.

Planner's below, along with a rezoning fight on Lower Roswell and a $700 water bill.

- Andrew

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Marietta Square
50 N. Park Square, Marietta GA 30060
Saturday to Monday, September 5 to 7
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
Free admission

Forty years. Same weekend, same Square, four decades running.

Art in the Park is still the only fine art festival in Cobb County, and it takes over Marietta Square from Saturday morning through Labor Day Monday. More than 200 juried artists come in from around the country and set up through Glover Park and the streets around it. Admission is free all three days.

Juried is the part that matters. Every artist here had to submit work and get selected, which is why you're looking at real painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, and jewelry instead of the same mass-produced stuff that shows up at every fall festival. The artists stay on-site all weekend running demonstrations, so if you buy something, you can ask the person who made it how they made it.

Kids have their own thing going. Children's Art Alley runs all three days with make-and-take stations, most of them free (face painting and sand art run a small fee). On Saturday the Chalk Spot gives them a 3-foot square of closed-off street to draw on for ten bucks, and that includes the chalk plus two tickets to the North Georgia State Fair while supplies last. Their square stays up all weekend.

One more Saturday-only thing, and it's the 40th-anniversary piece: graffiti artist Rich Dennard is building an 8-by-16-foot Art in the Park mural right there on the Square, and festival-goers can help paint it. It stays on display through the weekend. If you want one photo out of this whole thing, that's the one.

We're going Saturday morning before the heat sets in, walking the booths, then eating lunch at one of the restaurants right there on the Square. Whole afternoon, almost no planning required.

Some nights you want a real dinner. Other nights you want wings, a cold beer, and a screen with the game on it. This is for the second one.

The Wing Cafe and Tap House sits on Roswell Road, and the outdoor tiki bar is the whole draw. Craft beer on tap, live music on weekends, high energy inside, plenty of TVs. Nobody is trying to turn your table.

Wings are the point, and the reviews back it up: more than 1,900 of them, holding at 4.4 stars. Nobody is driving over there for the decor. Order wings, get something on tap, let the afternoon go sideways.

Open every single day, 11am to 11pm. So there's basically no wrong time to show up.

Restaurant | 4.4★
Hours:
Mon - Sun 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Visit The Wing Cafe & Tap House

🚗 See directions to The Wing Cafe & Tap House on Google Maps

Fifty-two years is a long run for any shop, let alone an art gallery in a strip of storefronts.

Two sisters, Diane Spencer and Sunny Walker, opened Frameworks in 1974, and Diane still runs it today with her son heading up the framing side. The shop has anchored Woodlawn Square, at Johnson Ferry and Roswell Road, for about two decades of that run.

Custom framing is the workhorse: wedding portraits, diplomas, the kid art that earned a real frame. Longtime customers say they trust the shop with pieces they would not hand to anyone else, and several have been coming back for more than twenty years. The gallery side rewards a slow lap too, with original work from established and emerging Atlanta artists, custom mirrors, and a set of Audubon Birds of America prints.

If something has been rolled up in a closet since spring, this is your nudge. They're open Monday through Saturday, 10 to 5, and you can talk through a design without committing to anything.

Art Gallery and Custom Framing | $$$
Hours:
Mon - Sat 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🚗 Get directions to Frameworks Gallery on Google Maps

8 Beds
7.5 Baths
7,891 sq ft
0.5 acre lot

A) $1,775,000

B) $1,900,000

C) $2,000,000

D) $2,250,000

The Cobb Planning Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday to recommend denying Eastside Church's request to rezone part of its Lower Roswell Road campus. The project, The Haven at Eastside, would put a 95-unit assisted living building and eight independent cottages on 8.65 acres. Vice chairwoman Deborah Dance, who covers most of East Cobb, made the motion, calling it "not a fit for a low-density, walkable residential neighborhood."

Turnout was heavy. 57 people spoke against it Tuesday and 21 spoke in support, with another 45 objections filed online. A Red Oak Park neighbor's petition has 232 signatures. Neighbors point to density, traffic and stormwater. The church's attorney argues the project fits the area and cites Sterling Estates, a larger facility further east on Lower Roswell that also sits beside a single-family neighborhood.

This is a recommendation, not a decision. The Cobb Board of Commissioners hears the case Sept. 15, and written comments still reach decision-makers before then.

Source: East Cobb News

The Lloyd family opened their August Cobb County Water System bill expecting the usual $120 and found a charge of nearly $700, after their usage spiked by about 39,000 gallons. Aimee Lloyd called the water department immediately, which is the right first move.

Then it got complicated. The family had the house assessed for leaks and put air in the line. No leak turned up. A county technician came out and didn't find a problem either. But the county says staff verified the meter reading and believes there is an intermittent leak on the property, and officials haven't said whether they'll adjust the bill.

So if yours comes in strange, don't just pay it and move on. Call and ask for a meter check, and know that Cobb's customer portal takes leak credit adjustment requests online. One note: Cobb County Water System serves unincorporated Cobb, which is most of East Cobb. Inside Marietta city limits, you're on Marietta Power & Water instead.

Sources: FOX 5 Atlanta | Cobb County Water System

The vacant former SunTrust building at 2674 Sandy Plains Road, across from Kinjac Road, is finally getting demolished after sitting empty for roughly a decade. An excavation vehicle has been parked out front in recent days, following Cobb Code Enforcement visits and citations against the owner. The 3,600-square-foot building sits on 0.85 acres that a Florida leasing company bought in February for $1.75 million.

A Chipotle is going in once it's gone. Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said the proposal doesn't need rezoning and is in site plan review, with most departments signed off and a land-disturbance permit already issued. A court date on the citations was set for Sept. 3. It's been more than three years since redevelopment began on the old shopping center site, which now holds the EVOQ East Cobb senior apartments and the East Cobb Walk townhomes. This was the last piece.

Source: East Cobb News

Sidelines Grille has been sold two and a half years after opening. The space at Stonewood Village, 4719 Lower Roswell Road, will reopen in November as Scoreboard Social, a Naples, Florida sports bar that filed as Scoreboard Social East Cobb, LLC with the Georgia Secretary of State on Aug. 4. Similar menu, similar concept. Sidelines still runs locations in Canton, Woodstock, Hickory Flat, Cartersville and Jasper.

Over at Woodlawn Square, Urthy is closing. Owner Jen Rotondo announced last week that she's shutting down both the shop and her online store, nearly three years after opening, and said she'd reached the point where she knew it was time to end it. Sales are underway on both inventories and she hasn't named a final day yet, so if you want something, go this week.

Source: East Cobb News

The Power-Jackson Cabin is ready for reconstruction after a long expert analysis. Cobb Landmarks believes the one-room log house predates the Cherokee Land Lottery, which could make it the oldest existing structure in Cobb County, and it's one of the last single-pen log houses left here. It sat on Post Oak Tritt Road for close to 200 years before leaving on trucks in numbered pieces in 2024.

Since then the logs have been in Tennessee with restoration firm Leatherwood, where specialists checked every board. Some originals couldn't be saved after years of exposure, so craftspeople cut replacements by hand with axes using early techniques. The cabin is being trial-assembled there now so every piece can be fitted and numbered before it heads back. Commissioners funded the work at $354,000 from the 2011 Parks SPLOST. Cobb County to reconstruct historic Power-Jackson Cabin after expert analysis.

Once it's rebuilt at Hyde Farm off Lower Roswell Road, it joins two other Power family cabins on a working 1840s farm that stayed in the family until the 1990s. The plan is to open it to the public.

Sources: Marietta Daily Journal | Cobb Landmarks

Her buddy Dom already got adopted. Pupcake is still waiting, and that math needs fixing.

The two of them landed at Cobb County Animal Services at the end of June after their owner couldn't care for them anymore. She's a shepherd mix, about 41 pounds, tricolor, which is right in that sweet spot: past the tiny-puppy chaos, still young enough to grow up alongside your family.

The volunteers who work with her call her a sweetheart. She already knows sit when you ask, and playtime is her favorite part of the day. Bring a ball to the meet and greet and you'll see it within a minute.

Because she came in with just her buddy, the shelter hasn't tested her with kids, cats, or other dogs yet. That's not a red flag, just an unknown. You can bring your dog in for a meet and greet before committing.

She's microchipped, heartworm negative, and her spay is already scheduled as part of the adoption. Dog adoptions at Cobb County Animal Services run $115 and include vaccinations, deworming, and heartworm testing. The shelter is on Al Bishop Drive in Marietta, open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30 to 4:30. Ask for ID #20359, Run 47.

Cobb County Animal Services
1060 Al Bishop Dr, Marietta, GA 30008
(770) 499-4136
Tuesday through Sunday 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM, closed Mondays

🧱 Lego Free Play - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Free drop-in LEGO building at Switzer Library for kids ages 5–12, an easy Friday afternoon stop that requires nothing more than showing up.

🏀 Open Play: Basketball - Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Drive, Kennesaw, GA | 2:30 PM – 8:45 PM | Rec center membership ($20/yr Cobb residents) | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Drop-in open gym basketball at the Kennesaw Rec Center with a long afternoon window, great for older kids and teens to burn off some energy over Labor Day weekend; call ahead to confirm the schedule.

🐕 Paws to Read with Tucker - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Kids read out loud to Tucker, a certified therapy dog who never corrects anybody. Works better on a reluctant reader than a classroom ever will.

👶 Playtime for Littles - East Cobb Library | 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop-in free play and socialization at the East Cobb Library for young children, right in the neighborhood and no registration needed.

🐍 Snakes of Cobb County - Freeman Poole Senior Center | 4025 South Hurt Road, Smyrna, GA 30082 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free; registration required | More: cobbcounty.gov
A Friday morning talk on the 40-plus snake species living in Cobb County, covering why they're actually important to the local ecosystem, and wrapping up with a live corn snake encounter.

🚒 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Registration required | More: eventbrite.com
The climb honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on 9/11, landing on the 25th anniversary year, with first responders coming in from the UK and Ireland

🖍️ The Chalk Spot - Glover Park on the Marietta Square | 65 Atlanta St SE, Marietta, GA | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM | $10; kids receive chalk and two North Georgia State Fair tickets | More: artparkmarietta.com
Part of Art in the Park, kids claim a 3-foot square section of closed street and create their own chalk masterpiece that stays on display through the weekend, no pre-registration needed and each participant gets sidewalk chalk plus two State Fair tickets.

🛶 Family Canoe Day - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | $25 ($12.50 members); register by today | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Guided intro to canoeing on Beaver Pond with CNC naturalists teaching paddle technique and running fun on-water activities, perfect for first-timers of any age and a solid Labor Day weekend outdoor plan.

🌙 Family Night Hike - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | $15 ($12 members); register by Sep 3 | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Naturalist-led evening hike with a live animal encounter, nighttime wildlife listening, stargazing, and s'mores around the campfire to close it out; great for kids who can handle a late evening outdoors.

📚 Family Storytime - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Monthly all-ages storytime at Switzer Library with books, songs, and games, a low-key Saturday morning option that works for a wide range of ages.

🧱 Little Builders Workshop - Milford Recreation Center | 675 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30060 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM | Registration required (activity code 56212) | More: cobbcounty.gov
LEGO building and problem-solving session for kids ages 9–12 at Milford Rec Center, ninety minutes of structured creative play on a Saturday afternoon.

🌱 Little Sprouts - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA | 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM | Included with garden admission; members free; $3 adults with SNAP/EBT | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Garden staff-led Saturday morning class exploring creepy crawlies for young kids, covering what makes a bug an insect and then turning the lesson into wax-resistant critter art to take home.

🎨 Marietta Square Artisan Market - Marietta Square | 41 Mill Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquareartisanmarket.com
Weekly outdoor showcase of locally handmade art on Mill Street at Marietta Square, runs the same morning as the Farmers Market so you can hit both in one trip.

🌾 Marietta Square Farmers Market - Marietta Square Farmers Market | 41 Mill Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquarefarmersmarket.com
64-vendor market on Marietta Square every Saturday with heirloom tomatoes, fresh produce, cut flowers, local honey, whole grain bread, and plants, a solid Labor Day Saturday morning tradition.

📚 Saturday Storytime - Vinings Library | 4290 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Every-other-Saturday stories, rhymes, and songs for young kids at Vinings Library, a quick 30-minute morning program that pairs well with a Square or park visit after.

🐾 Watch PAWty Presented by Boehringer Ingelheim - The Plaza at Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
Bring your leashed dog to the Battery's outdoor pavilion to watch the Braves vs. Phillies game on the big screen while browsing pet boutique vendors, and RSVP in advance for a free branded dog bandana.

🌾 Farmers Market Presented by Kaiser Permanente - The Plaza at Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
Free Sunday market at The Battery with local produce vendors, artisan food, a petting zoo, and a Bark Market for dog owners, all set up outside while the Braves away game plays on the big pavilion screen.

🎨 First Free Sundays - Marietta Cobb Museum of Art | 30 Atlanta Street, Marietta, GA | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: mariettacobbartmuseum.org
Free admission to the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art on the first Sunday of the month, with a take-home art project tied to the current exhibition so kids leave with something they actually made.

🎉 Tiny Ravers Glow and Grove: A Toddler DJ Dance Party - We Rock The Spectrum Kids Gym Atlanta | 614 W Crossville Rd, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | $25 per child (ages 1–5) | More: werockthespectrumatlanta.com
Sensory-safe gym with DJ beats, glow lights, and bubbles for kids ages 1–5, designed to welcome all abilities so every little raver feels at home on the dance floor.

🎰 Bingo - North Cobb Senior Center | 3900 South Main Street (inside Kennworth Park), Acworth, GA 30101 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $3; includes 2 Bingo cards and a snack | More: cobbcounty.gov
12 rounds of pattern bingo at the North Cobb Senior Center with gift cards from local businesses as prizes, entry includes two cards and a snack, sponsored by Edward Jones and Wellcare.

🏛️ Board of Commissioners Agenda Work Session - David Hankerson Building | 100 Cherokee Street, 3rd Floor, Marietta, GA 30090 | 9:00 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Routine Cobb County Board of Commissioners work session to discuss upcoming agenda items; one of several scheduled throughout the year and open to residents who want to observe local government in action.

🎵 Circle Song - Tim D. Lee Senior Center | 3332 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA 30066 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $5, payable to the instructor | More: cobbcounty.gov
Guided group singing session led by vocalist Diane Eaton where participants layer improvised vocal harmonies together, drawn from ancient choral traditions and open to anyone from seasoned singers to total beginners.

🎤 Comedy on the Square - The Alley Stage | 11 Anderson Street, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed (18+, two-drink minimum) | More: alleystage.org
Friday night stand-up at The Alley Stage, an intimate venue on Marietta Square where the lineup rotates weekly with Atlanta-based and touring comedians doing real sets, not open mic stuff.

🎨 DK Gallery: Back to School Opening Reception - dk gallery | 25 West Park Square, Marietta, GA | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Free | More: dkgallery.us
Opening night demos from Steve Dininno and Lorra Kurtz covering monotype printmaking and encaustic painting, timed to coincide with the Marietta Square Art Walk so you can pair it with the rest of the galleries.

🍺 Drag Bingo - Schoolhouse Brewing | 840 Franklin Ct SE, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Free | More: schoolhousebeer.com
Friday night bingo with a full drag hosting performance from Brent Star at Schoolhouse Brewing, no reservations needed but arrive early to grab a seat before it fills up.

🎸 First Friday Concert Series - Downtown Kennesaw | Downtown Kennesaw | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
September's First Friday at the Main Street Plaza features Sons N Britch, one of eight acts rotating through the 2026 series, free outdoor concert with local food and drinks in downtown Kennesaw.

🧵 Heritage Craft Circle | Embroidery - Marietta Cobb Museum of Art | 30 Atlanta Street, Marietta, GA | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Museum admission ($10; members free) | More: mariettacobbartmuseum.org
Drop-in Friday craft session at MCMA where you bring your own needlework project and work alongside other crafters, with an experienced host on hand for the monthly featured craft (embroidery this month).

💻 Internet Basics for Adults - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street Northeast, Marietta, GA 30060 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Beginner-friendly one-hour class at Switzer Library covering website navigation, search engines, online safety, and finding reliable information, a solid resource for adults or seniors getting more comfortable online.

🎤 Jack Harlow at Coca-Cola Roxy - The Coca Cola Roxy | 800 Battery Avenue Southeast #500, Atlanta, GA | 7:30 PM – 11:30 PM | Ticketed (Ticketmaster) | More: batteryatl.com
Jack Harlow plays the Coca-Cola Roxy at The Battery on Friday night; check the venue's Know Before You Go page because road closures go into effect before the show and event-day parking info is posted separately.

🍳 K-BBQ & Banchan: The Art of the Korean Table - Mise en Place Cooking Studio | 603 Atlanta Street, Roswell, GA | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | $115 per person; register by Sep 2 | More: misenplacestudio.com
Hands-on Friday night cooking class where you work in groups of four to grill bulgogi, throw together spicy cucumber salad, and build your own ssambap wraps, plus two glasses of wine included with the meal.

🚶 Marietta Square Art Walk - Marietta Square | Marietta, GA | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquareartwalk.com
Free self-guided walking tour through Marietta Square on the first Friday of the month, with local artists showcased in shops and galleries throughout, grab a drink and wander at your own pace.

🏓 Open Play: Pickleball - Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Drive, Kennesaw, GA | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Rec center membership ($20/yr Cobb residents) | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Friday morning open play pickleball at the Kennesaw Rec Center, call 678-385-0165 to confirm court availability before heading over.

🎭 Parade - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | $35 to $47 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
Tony Award-winning musical about Leo Frank's 1913 Georgia trial, written by Alfred Uhry with a score by Jason Robert Brown, opening at the Strand on Marietta Square during Art Walk weekend.

🧶 Crochet Meetup - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop in to learn crochet basics or work on your own project at this weekly Saturday meetup at Switzer Library, all skill levels welcome and no sign-up required.

🧘 Energy in Motion: A Unique Tai Chi Gung Experience with Brian Early - Many Paths Wellness & Yoga Studio | 27 Oak Street, Roswell, GA 30075 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | $25 drop-in | More: manypathswellness.com
A one-hour session of gentle Tibetan-rooted Tai Chi Gung movements led by Brian Early in Roswell, focused on restoring energy and calming the mind, solid Saturday afternoon reset before the evening picks up.

🧵 Intro to Cross-Stitch (2 parts) - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street Northeast, Marietta, GA 30060 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Two-part beginner cross-stitch class at Switzer Library covering the basics over a two-hour Saturday morning session, first session of the series.

🍳 Jazz Brunch at C. Ellet's - C. Ellet's | 2605 Circle 75 Parkway Ste 400, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | À la carte menu | More: batteryatl.com
Southern fried chicken and Pancake Paloozas with live jazz duo from 11 to 3 every Saturday and Sunday at C. Ellet's inside the Battery, make a reservation ahead of the long weekend.

🎨 Marietta Artists Guild First Saturday – Art in Action - Artisan Resource Center | 585 Cobb Pkwy S, Suite G-1, Marietta | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: mariettaartistguild.com
Free open studio afternoon at the Artisan Resource Center where you can walk through working artist spaces, watch paintings and mixed media in progress, and actually talk to the people making the work.

🎶 Jesse & Joy - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA | 7:00 PM | Ticketed (Ticketmaster) | More: cobbenergycentre.com
Grammy-winning Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy bring their El Despecho Tour to Cobb Energy on Sunday, coming off sold-out Latin American dates, this is a real concert in a proper performing arts venue.

🎨 Metro Montage XXVI - Marietta Cobb Museum of Art | 30 Atlanta Street, SE, Marietta, GA | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Free (First Free Sunday on 9/6) | More: mariettacobbartmuseum.org
The 26th edition of MCMA's national juried exhibition with work selected from 800-plus entries across painting, photography, sculpture, and more, free to visit on First Free Sunday with a bonus look at the America's 250th anniversary collection.

🍺 Pints and Pistons - Schoolhouse Brewing | 840 Franklin Ct SE, Marietta, GA | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Free to attend | More: schoolhousebeer.com
Monthly car show at Schoolhouse Brewing where all makes and models show up, show car owners flash their key fob at the bar for 25% off the tab, and beer flows all afternoon.

Museum admission in Cobb County costs money most Sundays of the year. Not this one.

The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art opens free on the first Sunday of every month, and September's lands right in the middle of Art in the Park weekend, about thirty steps from the festival booths. You're already going to be on the Square. This is the easiest add-on of the entire weekend.

What it is: MCMA is the only art museum in Cobb County, and it lives in the columned 1909 former post office building on Atlanta Street at the south end of the Square. The headliner right now is Metro Montage XXVI, the museum's national juried exhibition, with work pulled from more than 800 entries across painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. There's also a bonus collection up marking America's 250th anniversary.

Plan it (late morning works best): Doors open at 11. Get there before the festival hits its afternoon peak and parking around the Square is much less of a fight. Street spots and the nearby decks both work. Kids are welcome, and the museum sets out a take-home art project tied to the current exhibition, so they walk out with something they made themselves.

Inside the museum (60 to 90 minutes): Metro Montage rewards a slow lap. It's a national juried show, so the range of work is wide, and an hour gets you through all of it without rushing anybody. Walk the festival booths before or after and you've built a full art day out of one parking spot.

Logistics: Free admission all day on First Free Sunday. Regular admission runs $10 for adults, $5 to $8 for students and seniors, free for members and for kids six and under. Parking on site is free. Restrooms on site. The museum sits at 30 Atlanta Street SE, corner of Anderson Street, on the south end of Marietta Square

Heads up: Metro Montage XXVI closes September 13, so Sunday is your last free look at it. Art in the Park crowds will be heavy all weekend too, so give yourself a few extra minutes for parking.

🚗 Get directions to the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art

Here's something homeowners find out the hard way. If your roof was already worn down or poorly maintained before a storm rolled through, your homeowners policy may not cover the water damage that follows. Coverage is built for damage that's sudden and accidental. Not damage that developed slowly because a structure wasn't kept up.

That matters right now, with late summer storm season still going in north Georgia. A roof in rough shape isn't only a maintenance problem. It's a coverage problem.

So go look at it before a storm gives you a reason to. A quick visual check and knowing roughly how old your roof is puts you way ahead of most people.

Not sure how condition or age affects what your policy covers? A Peachy agent can walk you through what your policy actually says. Quicker conversation than you'd expect.