Candlelit Harvest Dinner + Go-Kart Bar

_{Welcome to the 50 new readers who joined 7,317 other East Cobb residents this week.}

What's up, neighbors!

If you got a table for the candlelit harvest dinner on the Root House grounds Saturday night, you moved faster than we did. The two-person tables are already gone. Private after-hours tour of the 1845 house, then supper out in the garden with your own bottle of wine. Its exactly the Saturday we wanted and we are a little bitter about missing it.

Everybody else, the weekend is still good. Friday night we're throwing camp chairs in the car and heading to Atherton Square for cryptid trivia, s'mores, and a shadow puppet show. Trivia at 6, costume contest at 7, puppets at 8. Free, properly strange, and the kids will bring it up for a week.

Saturday we do the farmers market first, then drive over to City Hall in Roswell for the 60th Roswell Arts Festival. No admission, food trucks, free parking on site, and spin art for the kids while you shop. If you'd rather not leave Marietta, the Strand closes out Parade this weekend. Heavy show, big score, true story that happened a few miles from the theater. Bring somebody you can talk it through with afterward.

Below you've got the full planner, county news worth five minutes (backyard cottages are back on the agenda), a seven-bedroom house on Saint Marys Lane, and a 64-pound hound named Bolton who invented his own version of tag.

- Andrew

If your home or auto insurance has been on autopilot for a while, this is a good reminder to take another look. Peachy Insurance is a local Atlanta agency, just a short drive from East Cobb. Our reader Carol took advantage of this offer and saved $2,100! Fill out their form online and complete a quote with a licensed agent and they’ll send you a $10 gift card to Chick-fil-A.

William Root House Museum & Garden
80 N Marietta Pkwy, NW, Marietta, GA
Saturday, September 19, 2026
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$360 per table of four (two-person tables are sold out)
Reservations required

You've driven past the William Root House. We all have. It sits right there on North Marietta Parkway, built in 1845, gardens and all, and most of us have never once walked through the front door. Saturday night is the excuse to fix that.

Cobb Landmarks opens the house after hours for a private tour before a candlelit supper on the grounds, catered by 1885 Grill. Sweet potato tartlets to start, then arugula salad, grilled chicken with pumpkin romesco, roasted root vegetables and broccoli rabe. Maple praline bread pudding to close it out. Iced tea and water are on the table, and you bring your own wine.

Tables are $360 for four, and the two-person tables are already gone, which tells you how fast this moves. Split four ways, that's $90 a head for a four-course catered dinner, in a candlelit garden, with a private museum tour attached. We have spent more than that on a forgettable Saturday at a chain steakhouse and felt nothing about it.

So grab three people you actually want to talk to for three hours, bring a bottle, and go. Marietta doesn't put this on every weekend.

Kids with too much energy, or a group that needs more than dinner and a movie. Andretti on Roswell Road covers both. Go-karts, a wall of arcade games, and a full bar under one roof, which matters if you're usually the parent standing by the exit holding everybody's jackets. We went on a busy weekend and it was packed. Loud, fast, a little chaotic. Thats the whole product.

Here's the move when the kart line is 30 deep: don't stand in it. Grab a game card, take a stool at the ground floor bar, order a drink, go back when it thins out. On the visit we heard the most about, a bartender named Khalia was running that bar and people would not stop talking about her. Slammed all night and still checking in on everybody. Service like that is why people come back to what is, at the end of the day, a very loud garage.

Birthday parties, team outings, a Friday when nobody can agree on a plan. And Fridays and Saturdays they're open until 1am, so it works as a late night too, not just an afternoon with the kids.

Amusement Center | 4.2★
Price: $$
Hours:
Mon – Thu 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Fri 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Sat 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Sun 10:00 AM – Midnight

🚗 See directions to Andretti Indoor Karting & Games on Google Maps

The hummingbirds are clearing out for the season and your cardinals and chickadees are about to get hungry. If there's an empty feeder hanging off your back porch right now, the little shop on Johnson Ferry is where East Cobb has been refilling them for decades.

Inside: Cole's seed in bags from 5 pounds up to 40, tube feeders, platform feeders, suet cages, birdbaths, and more birdhouses than you knew were manufactured. Ask the staff which seed brings in which bird and you get a real answer, including an actual strategy for the squirrels, a war most of us have been quietly losing for years. They've also grown into a full gift and garden shop with feeders, seed, and home decor, so it doubles as a stop for a hostess gift or a fall wreath.

The shop opened in 1988. Julia Voelker and Karen Theodorou were customers first, then employees, then bought the place outright in 2015. Nearly 60 years between them behind that counter, and you can hear it about 90 seconds into any conversation.

One heads up before you drive over: they just went to closed on Sundays. Weekday or Saturday now.

Hours:
Mon - Sat 10 AM - 6 PM
Sun Closed (new as of Sept 13)

🚗 Get directions to Bird Watcher Supply Company on Google Maps

7 Beds
5.5 Baths
6,886 sq ft
0.69 acre lot

A) $1,650,000

B) $1,725,000

C) $1,775,000

D) $1,950,000

Somebody has been working their way through Cobb's Flock Safety cameras, the license plate readers police use to track stolen cars and close out break-ins. At least five hit in one stretch: two spray-painted at Oregon Park, one taken off the pole at Due West Elementary, another tagged, and one set on fire.

Here's the part most people miss: some of those cameras belong to the county and some belong to private owners, so neighborhoods and HOAs are eating part of the replacement cost themselves. Police have identified three suspects and the main one is facing nine charges. If you spot a camera near you that's damaged or just gone, call Cobb Police so it gets documented and replaced.

Source: WSB-TV

Cobb is rewriting a chunk of the county code, and the piece most of us will care about is accessory dwelling units. In-law suite. Backyard cottage. Garage apartment for the kid who moved home after graduation. The proposal caps them at 850 square feet or half the size of the main house, and stacks on conditions: single story only, the owner has to live on the property, no short-term rentals, one extra parking space.

The same package writes Cobb's first real rules for data centers, holding them to sites between 5 and 30 acres with off-site power and closed-loop cooling. Expect pushback on the ADU half of it. The East Cobb Civic Association fought a similar proposal back in 2024, so this is not sailing through quietly. Hearings are October 6 and October 13 at 9 AM, and the final vote is October 27 at 7 PM. If you have an opinion about what goes up behind your neighbor's house, those are the three dates that matter.

Source: East Cobb News

Walton put up 25 of them. Wheeler had 16, Lassiter 5, Pope 2. That's 48 East Cobb kids out of roughly 16,000 semifinalists nationwide, all of them in line for a share of about $24 million in scholarship money.

Finalists don't get named until spring, so there's a long wait sitting in front of these families. If one of the 48 is your kid, or the kid across the street, send the text this week. It lands bigger than a teenager will ever let on.

Source: East Cobb News

Nine years old, 64 pounds, and nobody told him senior dogs are supposed to slow down. Bolton is a Hound/Boxer mix who came into Mostly Mutts underweight and rough, and you would not guess a single bit of that looking at him now. He got through the Prison Pups immersive training program, landed a foster home, and his foster family's description is short and pretty convincing: a sweet guy who lights up every room he walks into.

He's got a move. He runs full speed straight at another dog, cuts hard, and takes off the other way hoping they'll chase him. Tag. He invented it. When he's not doing that, his nose is in the grass reconstructing everything that happened in your backyard over the last 48 hours. And when the running and the sniffing are done, he'll drop next to you on the floor and do absolutely nothing for an hour. Plenty of dogs do one of those three things well. Not many do all three.

Straight talk on fit, because it matters more than the cute stuff: he's great with dogs who want to play, and good with kids around 8 to 12. No cats. And skip him if you've got toddlers, not because he's aggressive but because 64 pounds of excited hound will knock a two-year-old flat without meaning anything by it.

He had a hard start. He's earned a soft landing. Mostly Mutts is in Kennesaw, and you can submit an adoption inquiry for Bolton on their site to get it moving.

Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue
2685 Shallowford Rd, Marietta, GA 30066
(770) 422-0072 | [email protected]
Please check mostlymutts.org for current hours

🎖️ POW/MIA Table Dedication - Aviation History & Technology Center | 555 Perrin Rd, Marietta, GA 30060 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Free | More: visitmariettaga.com
For National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the aviation museum dedicates a Missing Man table at Legacy Plaza with remarks from former prisoners of war and local veterans, then a reception around 11. Arrive by 9:45.

🧸 Playtime for Littles - East Cobb Library | 4880 Lower Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30068 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
A low-key drop-in play hour for ages 1 to 5 and their grownups at the East Cobb branch. Toys out, kids mingle, parents get to chat with other parents.

📖 Senior Book Club - Ben Robertson Community Center | 2753 Watts Dr, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Kennesaw's senior book club meets the third Friday of every month to talk through the current pick with volunteer discussion leaders. A friendly, no-pressure way to meet fellow readers.

💳 Library Card Sign-Up Month - Tim D. Lee Senior Center | 3332 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta, GA 30066 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Mountain View Library staff set up in the senior center lobby to sign you up for (or renew) a library card and walk you through e-readers, tablets, and everything else your card unlocks.

🧱 Lego Free Play - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St, Marietta, GA 30060 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Kids ages 5 to 12 get an hour to dig into bins of Legos and see what they can dream up. Drop in after school, no registration needed.

🐕 Paws to Read with Tucker - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Hwy, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Kids in grades 1 to 5 get a one-on-one slot to read aloud to Tucker the therapy dog, who is a very patient listener. Registration is required, so call 770-801-5322 or stop by the children's desk.

🪅 Teen Piñata Workshop - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Teens 12 to 17 build their own piñata to take home, and the library supplies the candy to stuff it with. All materials provided; register online to hold a spot.

🔥 Coffee, Campfires, and Cryptids - Atherton Square Park | 4 Depot St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Free | More: mariettaga.gov
Grab a camp chair and a hot drink for a night of Georgia folklore on the Square: cryptid trivia at 6, a costume contest at 7, s'mores, a drop-in puppet-making craft, and a shadow puppet show at 8. Free, family friendly, and delightfully weird.

🎭 Parade - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060 | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | $35 – $47 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
The Tony-winning Jason Robert Brown musical about the 1913 Leo Frank trial, staged a few miles from where it actually happened. Big score, heavy subject, and this is the final weekend of the run. Best for teens and up.

🩰 Passion & Pride: Atlanta Ballet - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 8:00 PM – 10:15 PM | From $40 | More: atlantaballet.com
Atlanta Ballet opens its season with a triple bill, including a world premiere from Melissa Hough and Balanchine's flag-waving Stars and Stripes set to Sousa marches. About two hours with two intermissions; recommended for ages 10 and up.

🏃 St. Jude Walk/Run Atlanta - The Battery Atlanta | 800 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Free registration (fundraising encouraged) | More: fundraising.stjude.org
A family-friendly 5K walk around The Battery for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Celebration Village opens at 7, the opening ceremony is at 8:05, and the walk steps off at 8:25. Strollers, kids, and dogs welcome.

🍂 Harvest Hustle 5K - Downtown Kennesaw | Main St, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 7:30 AM – 9:15 AM | 5K $35 ($45 race day), 1 Mile Fun Run $20, Tot Trot $5 | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Part of the Kennesaw Grand Prix series, this flat and fast certified 5K loops through downtown and Swift-Cantrell Park. Fun run at 7:30, 5K at 8:05, Tot Trot at 8:55.

🌊 Rivers Alive Roswell Cleanup - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Free (register by Sept 16) | More: keeproswellbeautiful.org
Grab gloves and join Keep Roswell Beautiful for Georgia's statewide river cleanup: small teams pull litter and invasive plants along the Chattahoochee and its creeks, then regroup at the Nature Center to celebrate. Ages 5 and up, coffee provided.

🍅 Marietta Square Farmers Market - Marietta Square | 41 Mill St, Marietta, GA 30060 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquarefarmersmarket.com
Around 64 Georgia Grown vendors fill the Square every Saturday morning with late-summer produce, fresh bread, local honey, cut flowers, and preserves. Go early for the best tomatoes.

🛍️ Marietta Square Artisan Market - Mill Street at Marietta Square | Mill St, Marietta, GA 30060 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquareartisanmarket.com
About 35 local artists set up on Mill Street right across from the farmers market with handmade jewelry, pottery, art, and gifts. Make it a two-for-one morning.

🎾 Open Play: Pickleball - Kennesaw Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Dr, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free with Rec Center membership ($20/yr Cobb residents) | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Bring a paddle and jump into open pickleball at the rec center gym all morning. Under 15 needs a guardian present, and hours can flex around city programs, so call 678-385-0165 to confirm.

🚶 History Seek Saturdays: Mill Village Walking Tour - Roswell Town Square | 610 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA 30075 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | $12 (advance purchase required) | More: app.amilia.com
A 90-minute guided walk from Town Square down Sloan Street to Founders' Cemetery and Old Mill Park, tracing daily life for Roswell mill workers and the 1864 arrest and deportation of nearly 400 mill villagers.

🪘 A Musical Tour Through Latin America (Havana Son) - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest St, Roswell, GA 30075 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | $9 | More: roswellcac.showare.com
Havana Son kicks off Roswell's Hispanic Heritage Month series with an interactive family show that hops from Cuba to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. Kids sing, clap, dance, and play percussion along the way.

🏮 Fall Lantern Shadow Box Workshop - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Rd, Kennesaw, GA 30152 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | $40 | More: smithgilbertgardens.com
Build a little 5x5 autumn shadow box lantern with instructor Jeanette Folkes, all supplies included. Ages 12 and up, no crafting experience needed, and you get to wander the gardens afterward.

🎨 Roswell Arts Festival (60th Annual) - Roswell City Hall grounds | 38 Hill St, Roswell, GA 30075 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: roswellartsfestival.com
Roswell's 60th annual arts festival fills the City Hall lawn with juried artists, food trucks, and a free entertainment stage (Roswell High orchestra and chorus at noon, live bands through the afternoon). Kids get free painting and spin art, leashed dogs are welcome, and parking on site is free.

📚 Saturday Storytime - Vinings Library | 4290 Paces Ferry Rd, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
A quick half hour of stories, rhymes, and songs at the Vinings branch, pitched at ages 3 to 5 but open to anyone with a little one in tow.

🌿 Georgia's Prehistoric Native Plants - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Free (registration required) | More: cobbcounty.gov
Former Tellus Science Museum director Jose Santamaria walks through the giant, strange swamp forests that covered Georgia 300 million years ago and which of today's native plants descend from them. Hosted by the Georgia Native Plant Society.

👨‍👩‍👧 It Takes a Village: Parent Support Group - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
A monthly third-Saturday circle for parents (and parents-to-be) to swap wins, vent about the hard stuff, and pick up local resources. Kids can come along, with supervised activities while the grown-ups talk.

🪡 Monthly Makers: Kinusaiga (Japanese No-Sew Fabric Art) - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Hwy NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free (registration required) | More: cobbcounty.gov
The library's 50th Monthly Makers session tries kinusaiga, a Japanese technique where you press fabric into carved foam to make a quilt-like picture with zero sewing. Ages 14 and up, materials provided, space is very limited.

🎺 Pop-In for Family Fun: Music of Marietta - Marietta History Center | 1 Depot St, Marietta, GA 30060 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free | More: mariettahistory.org
Third-Saturday family day at the History Center goes musical, with hands-on activities from Metro Music Makers and Music Memory Lane, local musician Deb Gerace, and author Danny Schnitzlein reading Gnu and Shrew. Museum admission is free all day.

🎷 Jazz Brunch at C. Ellet's - C. Ellet's | 2605 Circle 75 Pkwy Ste 400, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | No cover, brunch menu prices apply | More: batteryatl.com
A live jazz duo plays through brunch service at the Battery steakhouse while you dig into Southern fried chicken, sticky buns, and Pancake Paloozas. Reservations recommended.

🐾 Paws for Justice Community Event - RedBud Blossom Family Justice Center | 277 Fairground St SE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
The Cobb DA's office celebrates comfort dog Rose's five years on the job and introduces two new pups, Lexi and Justice, with free pet adoptions, free nail trims, pet portraits, snow cones, and cupcakes. Bring your own dog along.

🏈 Big Game Day - United Bankshares Amphitheater at Depot Park | 2828 Cherokee St NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 12:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Downtown Kennesaw turns the amphitheater's giant LED screen into a college football tailgate: Georgia at 12:30, Alabama at 3:30, and Kennesaw State at 7:45. Bring lawn chairs and a cooler of snacks.

🌵 Garden Learning Series: Cactus Dish Workshop - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Rd, Kennesaw, GA 30152 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | $45 | More: smithgilbertgardens.com
Garden Manager Hanna Young and horticulturist Zack Aulbach teach cactus and succulent care basics, then you pick your plants and arrange your own dish garden to take home. Beginners welcome.

🎂 Birthday Week Open Crafting - Red Seal Craft Studio | 1140 Alpharetta St Ste 400, Roswell, GA 30075 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Regular project pricing, second project 50% off | More: redsealcraftstudio.com
The studio owner is celebrating her birthday week, so book a session, pick any studio project, and get a second one half off (plus a birthday cupcake). Reserve by Sept 18.

🧵 Crochet Meetup - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Grab your hooks and yarn (or come learn from scratch) for a relaxed weekly crochet circle at Switzer. All skill levels welcome.

🖌️ dk Gallery: Jeff Surace Painting Demo - dk Gallery | 25 West Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: dkgallery.us
Watch oil painter Jeff Surace work live on the Square, mixing his own pigments and showing how different tools create different textures. Drop in anytime and browse the gallery while you're there.

⛹️ Open Play: Basketball - Kennesaw Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Dr, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 2:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Free with Rec Center membership ($20/yr Cobb residents) | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Drop in for pickup hoops at the rec center gym Saturday afternoon and evening. Kids under 15 need a guardian on hand.

🍽️ Root House Harvest Dinner - William Root House Museum & Garden | 80 N Marietta Pkwy NW, Marietta, GA 30060 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | $360 per 4-person table | More: roothousemuseum.com
Our Event of the Week: a private after-hours tour of the 1845 Root House, then a candlelit harvest supper on the grounds catered by 1885 Grill. BYOB, reservations required.

🐐 Back to Your Roots Farm Fair - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Included with admission ($20 adults, $16 seniors/students, $14 kids 3-12, members free) | More: chattnaturecenter.org
A harvest party at the nature center with live farm animals to meet, Unity Garden tours, a scavenger hunt, games and crafts, plus the opening of the new Naturally Artistic exhibit. Advance registration required.

🦉 Weekend Activities at Chattahoochee Nature Center - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 12:30 PM film, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM trail walks, 2:00 PM Creature Feature | Included with admission | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Every Sunday the nature center runs a short film about the river, naturalist-led trail walks, and a live animal Creature Feature, all included with your ticket. Pairs nicely with the Farm Fair the same afternoon.

🥕 Farmers Market at The Battery Atlanta - The Plaza at Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
About two dozen local vendors set up on the Plaza with produce, baked goods, honey, jewelry, and pet treats, plus a petting zoo and a Bark Market for the dog.

🕺 Don't Be Cruel: The Elvis Experience - Jennie T. Anderson Theatre | 548 S Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Ticketed through Cobb PARKS | More: cobbcounty.gov
A live Elvis tribute covering the music, the moves, and the jumpsuit era of the King inside the county's Anderson Theatre. An easy Sunday matinee for anyone who grew up on Presley records (or their grandkids).

🎙️ Art Around Sessions: Luke Harnish - Mimosa Hall & Gardens | 127 Bulloch Ave, Roswell, GA 30075 | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM | $38.31 | More: roswellartsfund.org
An intimate afternoon recital in historic Mimosa Hall with baritone Luke Harnish, who sings with The Atlanta Opera. Small room, big voice, and the gardens are right outside for a stroll after.

📜 Roswell Historical Society Book Club: The Women Will Howl - Roswell History Museum | 950 Forrest St, 2nd Floor, Roswell, GA 30075 | 4:15 PM – 5:45 PM | Free | More: roswellhistoricalsociety.org
The book club digs into The Women Will Howl by Mary Deborah Petite, the story of the Roswell mill women deported by Sherman's army in 1864. Email [email protected] to RSVP.

🛶 River Canoe Trip on the Chattahoochee - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | $39 ($34 members), ages 8+ | More: chattnaturecenter.org
A guided evening paddle with a CNC naturalist pointing out herons, turtles, and the wetlands as the light goes golden. All gear provided and first timers welcome, but register by Thursday Sept 17.

🪕 Sundays in the Park: Roswell New Horizons Red Hot Jazz Band - Roswell Town Square | 610 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA 30075 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Free | More: roswellnewhorizonsband.org
Bring a chair and a picnic to the Town Square gazebo for a free country and classic songs set, with the Stayin' Alive Crew sitting in as special guests. Neighbors, blankets, sunset. That's the whole vibe.

🍷 Bricoleur Vineyards Luncheon at Mac's Chophouse - Mac's Chophouse | 19 North Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | $75 per person | More: macschophouse.com
A long Friday lunch on the Square: Chef Michael Fuller pairs four courses with four wines from Sonoma's Bricoleur Vineyards. Reservations through OpenTable, and it's the kind of thing that sells out.

🍸 Moonlight & Martinis - Bulloch Hall | 180 Bulloch Ave, Roswell, GA 30075 | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | $65 per person | More: bullochhallroswell.org
Sip handcrafted martinis, stroll the grounds, and listen to live music under the stars at one of Roswell's prettiest historic homes. Proceeds go to Friends of Bulloch for preservation of the house.

🕵️ Murder Mystery Co. Dinner Theater at Hudson Grille - Hudson Grille Kennesaw | 2500 Cobb Place Ln NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | $69 per person plus fees | More: murdermysteryco.com
This month's theme is a 1920s Mafia Wedding: professional actors run a comedic whodunit around your table while you work through a three-course dinner and try to crack the case. Arrive at 7, show starts at 7:30.

👑 Drag Bingo - Schoolhouse Brewing | 840 Franklin Ct SE, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30067 | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Free | More: schoolhousebeer.com
Brent Star hosts a rowdy night of bingo, drag performances, and surprise antics in the taproom. No reservations, so get there early for a seat and grab a pint before the 8 PM start.

🎤 Comedy on the Square - The Alley Stage | 11 Anderson St, Marietta, GA 30060 | 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Ticketed, two-drink minimum | More: alleystage.org
A rotating lineup of Atlanta and Southeast comics in an intimate room just off the Square. Doors open 30 minutes before the show, seating is first come first served, 18+.

🎹 Dueling Pianos at Park Bench - Park Bench at The Battery Atlanta | 900 Battery Ave SE, Ste 1060, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM | No cover | More: batteryatl.com
Two pianos, one stage, and a crowd shouting requests. Doors open at 5 and seating is first come, so grab a table reservation if you're bringing a group. 21+.

🎵 Karaoke Night at Punch Bowl Social - Punch Bowl Social at The Battery Atlanta | 875 Battery Ave SE, Ste 720, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
Luke Smart's Karaoke takes over Punch Bowl Social for open-mic singing, drinks, and arcade games, and you get a free arcade card with your first drink purchase. Bring your worst power ballad.

🎃 Fused Glass Halloween Workshop - Roswell Visual Arts Center | 10495 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | $34 resident / $51 non-resident | More: app.amilia.com
Cut and layer glass into your own ghost, pumpkin, or bat with instructor Emily Harrison-Ach, then pick up the kiln-fired piece a week later. Ages 18 and up, all materials included. Register by Sept 17.

🍺 College Football Game Day at Glover Park Brewery - Glover Park Brewery | 65 Atlanta St SE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 12:00 PM – 11:59 PM | Free entry | More: gloverparkbrewery.com
The taproom has both the Georgia at Arkansas and Mercer at Georgia Tech noon kickoffs on the screens, and Fusco's food truck rolls up at 2 with pizza to go with your pint. Easy Saturday hang a block off the Square.

💻 Build Your Personal Website with AI, No Coding Required - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Free (registration required) | More: cobbcounty.gov
Bring your resume and leave with a live personal website you built just by describing what you want to an AI tool. A 90-minute hands-on workshop for adults 18 and up.

🎸 Guns N' Roses at Truist Park - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 6:25 PM | Tickets from about $31 (resale) | More: batteryatl.com
Axl, Slash, and Duff bring the World Tour 2026 to the ballpark for a stadium-sized night of Welcome to the Jungle and November Rain. Expect road closures around The Battery and event-day parking rates, so get there early.

🥊 UFC 331 Watch Party at Live! - Live! at The Battery Atlanta | 825 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 9:00 PM – 11:30 PM | Free entry | More: batteryatl.com
Catch every fight on Live!'s 36-foot screen with wall-to-wall TVs and surround sound, plus $5 Jager shots and bucket specials. Grab a table reservation if you want a guaranteed seat.

🪩 After Dark at Punch Bowl Social - Punch Bowl Social | 875 Battery Ave SE Ste 720, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
Punch Bowl flips to late-night mode with a DJ, drink specials, throwback board games, and a raffle every hour. 21 and up after 10 PM.

🍹 Cocktail Class at ASW Distillery - ASW Distillery at The Battery Atlanta | 900 Battery Ave SE Ste 1035, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | $50 per person | More: batteryatl.com
You get your own fully stocked bar station and build three cocktails (whiskey, vodka, and gin) while an ASW mixologist walks you through balance and technique. Add a charcuterie board at checkout if you want snacks with your shaking.

🃏 Level 1 & 2 Improv Graduation Showcase - The Alley Stage | 11 Anderson St, Marietta, GA 30064 | 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM) | Ticketed, two-drink minimum | More: alleystage.org
Six weeks of improv students hit the stage and build a whole show out of audience suggestions, nothing scripted, nothing rehearsed. Tickets are limited and usually sell out. 18 and up.

Once a year Marietta Parks and Rec clears out Atherton Square, hands out s'mores, and spends a Friday night on Bigfoot, Mothman, and the Skunk Ape. It is free, it is a little strange, and it is one of the few kids' events in town that adults actually enjoy on their own terms. Bring a camp chair.

What it is: An evening of Georgia folklore and cryptid lore on the Square. Cryptid trivia kicks off at 6, the costume contest goes at 7, and at 8 puppeteer Damon Young performs a shadow puppet show called Cabinet of Curious Cryptids. In between there are s'mores, local vendors, and a drop-in puppet-making craft so the kids can build their own creature before the show. Sasquatch sightings in North Georgia, sea monster tales off the coast, and a little Wendigo lore for the older crowd.

Plan it (get there by 5:45): Seating is whatever you carry in, so claim a patch of grass with a view of the stage before trivia starts. Grab a hot drink from Cool Beans on the Square on your way in, and if the kids want a shot at the costume contest, dress them before you leave the house. Nothing to sign up for.

At the event (about 2.5 hours): Play trivia as a family, let the kids hit the puppet craft table while you wander the vendors, then settle in for the 8 PM shadow puppet show. It runs until 8:30, so you are home at a reasonable hour on a school night weekend.

Logistics: Free admission, no tickets, no registration. Park in the free decks and lots around Marietta Square and walk over; Atherton Square sits between Depot Street and the railroad tracks. Adults can bring a drink from a Square restaurant in a cup within the city's Open Container District. Hosted by the City of Marietta.

Heads up: This one is a single night, not a series. If it rains, watch the city's parks page for a call before you load the car.

🚗 Get directions to the Atherton Square

Fall means watch parties, backyard hangs, and a lot more people walking through your front door than in July. Almost every homeowner knows there's liability coverage on the policy somewhere. Very few could tell you what actually happens when somebody goes down on the back steps at halftime.

Here's the short version. Personal liability pays the medical bills and the legal costs when a guest gets hurt and you're found responsible, up to whatever number is printed on your declarations page. That number was almost certainly picked the week you bought the house and never looked at again. Your equity has moved a lot since then. Your limit probably hasn't moved at all.

Standard policies start at $100,000. The Insurance Information Institute recommends at least $300,000 to $500,000 for most households. That's a three to five times spread between the default setting and the actual recommendation, and nobody sends you a letter about it. If your house is where everyone ends up on Saturdays, that spread is worth five minutes of your time.

Don't know what limit you're carrying right now? Most people don't. Ask your Peachy agent to pull up your liability limit and tell you straight whether it still matches what you've got to lose.