🎭 Free Shakespeare + a Comic Shop Gem

_{Welcome to the 102 new readers who joined 6,717 other East Cobb residents this week.}

What's up, neighbors!

If you need a reason to get off the couch Friday night, Theatre in the Square has one. They're putting on Annie in Marietta, 8:00 curtain, close enough to the Square that you can grab dinner first and make a real night of it. The songs get stuck in your head whether you want them there or not. Fair warning.

Saturday we're keeping it simple. Farmers market on the Square first thing, coffee in hand, before the heat turns the parking lot into a griddle. Sixty-four vendors on a good week, heirloom tomatoes, cut flowers, and breads you won't find at the grocery store.

Saturday night we're headed to Scene on the Green. Cobb Parks is putting on Shakespeare's The Tempest out at the Art Place at Mountain View, off Sandy Plains, and it's free. No tickets, no admission, just bring a blanket and pack a picnic. Doors at 6, show at 7, which gives the kids time to run around during the preshow before it gets dark. Shipwreck, a sorcerer stuck on an island, a little magic. It runs Thursday through Saturday, so you've got three shots at it.

Scroll down for the full planner, some local news worth knowing, a Brazilian bakery we can't stop going to, and Loafer, a tuxedo kitten who's going to make you earn his trust.

- Andrew

This issue is sponsored by Peachy Insurance.

Look, Peachy pays to be in this newsletter. You already know that. So instead of the usual ad copy, here's what I'd tell you if you asked me over the fence who to use for home and auto insurance.

Peachy is an Atlanta agency that's been at it since 2018, and their office is over by the Galleria, a short drive from East Cobb. They're sitting at 4.9 stars on Google with more than 1,000 reviews, and the same words keep showing up in them. Patient. Explained everything. Never felt rushed or pushed into anything.

If you haven't looked at your home or auto coverage since the day you set it up, ask them to review it. It's free, and worst case, they tell you you're fine. Best case, they catch a hole in your coverage before a summer storm or a fender bender does.

Tell them Andrew sent you.

Check them out here or text/call (770) 520-7095. Weekdays only, they're closed on weekends.

Theatre in the Square
11 Whitlock Ave NW, Marietta, GA 30064
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Friday, July 17
Varies
Get Tickets

Annie has been running in some form or another for decades. There's a reason it keeps coming back. The songs get stuck in your head whether you want them there or not, and the story still lands. Live theater, especially local theater done well, hits different than whatever you've got queued up at home.

Theatre in the Square is putting it on Friday night at 8:30 in Marietta, so it's easy to grab dinner on the Square first and make a real night of it. Good call if you've got teens who've never seen it live. Also a good call if you just want a night out that doesn't involve picking a restaurant and then staring at your phone for two hours. Let the show do the work.

Something worth leaving the house for on a Friday night. Hard to argue with that.

This has turned into a regular stop for me on weekday mornings. Brazilian Bakery Cafe on Powers Ferry is one of those places you walk into and immediately feel like you found something. Cheery, colorful, busy in the best way.

The Brazilian light bites are what keep people coming back. Traditional cakes, cookies, and savory baked goods you won't find at your average coffee shop. My wife is all about the sweet stuff here, the cookies especially. And it's cheap enough that grabbing a few things to bring home doesn't feel like a decision you have to talk yourself into.

They're open seven days a week, early morning until 10pm, so it works whether you're grabbing breakfast before work or ducking in after dinner because you want something sweet.

Bakery | 4.5★
Hours:
Mon - Sat 6:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Sun 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Visit Brazilian Bakery Cafe Website

🚗 See directions to Brazilian Bakery Cafe on Google Maps

A little local history just changed hands on Canton Road. Dr. No's opened in 1977, Georgia's first comic shop by their own count, and Cliff Biggers ran it for over 40 years. He retired this spring, and two longtime customers bought the store to keep it going. The name comes from the first James Bond movie, back when the original owner sold Bond collectibles.

Inside you'll find new issues, back issue bins, manga, board games, miniatures, and Magic and Pokémon cards. They say they carry the largest graphic novel selection in the Southeast, and one reviewer called it one of the best stocked comic stores in the country.

Reviews keep repeating the same two things: the staff knows the inventory, and nobody makes you feel dumb for being new. Parents bring in kids who've never touched a comic and walk out with a stack. They host game nights and card tournaments too, so if your teenager needs a place to play Magic that isn't your kitchen table, this is where the players are.

Open 363 days a year. They only close for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Price:
$ to $$ (single issues run a few bucks, board games and boxes more)
Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 AM - 8 PM
Sun 12 PM - 6 PM

🚗 Get directions to Dr. No's Comics & Games on Google Maps

6 Beds
9 Baths
12,551 sq ft
0.56 acre lot

A) $2,975,000

B) $3,250,000

C) $3,500,000

D) $3,875,000

More than 70 Cobb County School District educators just earned doctoral degrees through Georgia's BEST program, a partnership with the University of West Georgia. Here's the part that gets me. These are teachers and staff who were already in the classroom full-time, doing the actual job, while grinding through graduate-level research and defenses on top of it.

If you've got kids in Cobb schools, that tells you something real about who's standing at the front of the room. Teachers who chase advanced degrees bring deeper knowledge and better methods back to their students. Worth knowing about.

Source: cobbk12.org

A fire broke out Thursday morning, July 9 at the Orient Express Restaurant on Paces Ferry Road in Vinings, damaging the roof of the well-known train-themed spot. Cobb County firefighters knocked it down. One person was evaluated at the scene, and the cause is still under investigation.

Orient Express has been around here for years, famous for those railroad-car dining rooms. Nobody's said yet whether it reopens or when. If you had a reservation or were planning to go, check their social pages before you make the drive.

Source: fox5atlanta.com | wsbtv.com

The Cobb Courier put together a plain-language explainer on how zoning actually works in Cobb County: how the decisions get made, who gets a say, and what all those zone classifications mean for your neighborhood.

With development talk heating up across East Cobb, this is genuinely useful. Ever sat in a community meeting nodding along while somebody throws around RE-15 or NS zoning, and had no clue what they meant? Bookmark this one before the next meeting.

Source: cobbcountycourier.com

Loafer is a tiny tuxedo kitten with a very specific policy on meeting new people. He's going to watch you from across the room, decide whether you're worth his time, and then slowly, entirely on his own schedule, come around and decide you're actually pretty great. His foster mom calls him and his siblings "a great group of kittens," and Loafer is the curious one. He wants to know everything that's going on. He'd just rather learn about it from a safe spot first.

Once he warms up, you get a playful, adventurous little guy who chases toys, wrestles his siblings, and climbs anything his paws can reach. His foster home has a ferret, and Loafer takes the whole thing in stride. So if your house runs a little chaotic, he'll probably fit right in.

He does best with gentle kids who won't rush him, and he'd love another cat around. He's litter trained, microchipped, and up to date on his shots. Mostly Mutts is in Kennesaw. Visit in person or start with his profile at mostlymutts.org. Adoption fee is $175.

Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue
P.O. Box 2213, Kennesaw, GA 30156
(770) 966-9197

Please check mostlymutts.org for current visiting hours

🎬 $3.00 Summer Family Flicks - Aurora Cineplex | Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | $3.00 | More: visitroswellga.com
Aurora Cineplex runs classic family movies every Friday for $3 per ticket, a genuinely cheap option for beating the July heat with the kids.

🖨️ 3D Printing for Kids (FULL) - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Note this session is listed as full, kids ages 8 and up design their own 3D object in Tinkercad and pick it up later; worth checking the library's site if you want to get on a waitlist.

🖨️ 3D Printing for Kids (Limited Space) - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Same Tinkercad 3D design program as the full session (candidate 50), but listed with limited space still available, ages 8 and up, parents need to be present, and you pick up the printed item later.

📚 Book Buddies - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw, GA | 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Book club for ages 8-12 at North Cobb Regional Library, join the mailing list to stay connected to the reading community over the summer.

🫧 Chalk & Bubbles - Sewell Mill Library | 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Music, bubbles, and outdoor chalk art for kids with a participating adult at Sewell Mill Library, simple, free, and a solid Friday morning for the under-5 crowd.

🌊 Family Creek Stomp - 3322 Roswell Road | 3322 Roswell Road, Marietta, GA | 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Wade into the creek and discover what lives between the banks, bugs, fish, and whatever else is lurking in there, a hands-on Friday morning nature activity right on Roswell Road.

⚽ Friendship Groups with Social Skills for All - Groveway Community Park | 160 Frank Lewis Dr, Roswell, GA | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM | $45/session | More: visitroswellga.com
Sports-themed social skills group for kids with kickball, dodgeball, soccer, relay races, and obstacle courses, a Friday evening activity that builds friendships through play.

🍽️ Happy Helpings Summer Meal Program - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw, GA | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free (meals for 18 & under; movie for all ages) | More: cobbcounty.gov
Free breakfast and lunch for kids 18 and under at North Cobb Regional Library, plus a free movie for all ages and a dinosaur figurine for the first 25 breakfast guests, collect all 8 across the summer.

📷 Historic Roswell Photography Competition & Exhibit - Roswell History Museum | 950 Forrest St, 2nd Floor, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: visitroswellga.com
The Roswell Photographic Society and Historical Society teamed up to showcase images of the city's historic sites, timed to America's 250th anniversary, worth a stop while you're already at the Cultural Arts Center.

📖 Junior Book Club - Gritters Library | 880 Shaw Park Road, Marietta, GA | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Interactive read-aloud book club for K-3rd graders with discussion, crafts, snacks, and prizes at Gritters Library, a low-key Friday afternoon win for early elementary kids.

🎨 Let's Make: Friendship Bracelets - Sibley Library | 1539 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop in and make friendship bracelets at Sibley Library, simple, free, and the kind of Friday afternoon craft that keeps kids occupied without a screen.

🎬 Movie & Craft: Night at the Museum (2006) - Mountain View Regional Library | 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Watch Night at the Museum (PG) with a scavenger hunt running alongside the film, then do a craft afterward, two hours of free, structured fun at Mountain View Library on a Friday morning.

🦕 Passive: Guess How Many! - Sibley Library | 1539 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop in and guess how many dinos are in the jar at Sibley Library, low-key, free, and the kind of thing that makes a library visit actually fun for kids.

👶 Playtime for Littles - East Cobb Library | 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop-in play and socialization for ages 1-5 with a caregiver at the East Cobb Library, right in the heart of the coverage area and a great Friday morning option for parents of toddlers.

🎭 Strand Academy: Swords & Soliloquies: A Shakespeare Tabletop Camp - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM | Tickets from $310 (early bird) or $350 | More: visitmariettaga.com
One-day summer camp for rising 6th-12th graders combining Macbeth, improvisation, character design, and a D&D-style tabletop campaign, a genuinely cool creative day for theater and gaming kids.

🎬 Stratton Movie Time - Stratton Library | 1100 Powder Springs Road, Marietta, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Free G or PG family movie in Stratton Library's renovated multipurpose room, a legitimate way to cool off in July without spending anything.

🧸 Stuffed Animal Sleepover! - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA | 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop off your kid's stuffed animal for an overnight stay at the library, there's an afternoon storytime, then the animals 'experience the library at night' while the kids go home and wonder what happens after dark.

🦁 The Zany Zoo - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest Street, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | General Admission tickets $9 Groups (10 or more) $8 Children under age 2 get in free | More: visitroswellga.com
That Puppet Guy Productions brings zoo animals, circus tricks, and puppetry together in a one-hour show built specifically for little ones, think controlled chaos in the best possible way.

⚾ Atlanta Braves Block Party - The Battery Atlanta | 800 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
Free pre-game party in The Battery before the 4:10 first pitch, kids batting cage, chalk art on the streets, base running challenge, tailgate games, and live entertainment from the Braves Heavy Hitters.

🎒 Back-2-School Summer Block Party - 277 Fairground St SE | 277 Fairground St SE, Marietta, GA | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
District Attorney Sonya F. Allen's community block party focused on helping students head back to school prepared, free supplies, community resources, and an afternoon of family fun in Marietta.

🎒 Back-to-School Bash - United Church | 1775 Water Place SE, Atlanta, GA | Check website | Free | More: travelcobb.org
Free community event with backpacks, school supplies, food, health screenings, free haircuts, and access to a care closet for clothing, practical help for K-12 families heading into the new school year.

📚 Graphic Novel Trivia - East Cobb Library | 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Test your graphic novel knowledge and win prizes at the East Cobb Library, right in the heart of the coverage area and a good option for comic-loving teens and their parents.

💃 History Seek Saturdays: American Waltz Family Workshop - Mimosa Hall & Gardens | 127 Bulloch Ave, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM or 1:30 PM | $10 | More: roswell365.com
Learn the basic steps of the American waltz at gorgeous Mimosa Hall while instructors walk you through the scandalous history of how this dance went from shocking to beloved, good for adults and kids 12 and up.

🧱 LEGO Club - Lewis A. Ray Library | 4500 Oakdale Road, Smyrna, GA | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
The library provides the LEGOs, your kid provides the imagination, one hour of free-build with friends and a show-and-tell at the end.

🏛️ Marietta History Center Family Fun - Marietta History Center | 1 Depot Street, Marietta, GA | 11 AM - 2 PM | Free | More: travelcobb.org
Third Saturday Pop-In at the Marietta History Center with crafts and activities themed around Revolutionary America and the country's upcoming 250th anniversary, hands-on enough to actually hold a kid's attention.

🎨 Marietta Square Artisan Market - Marietta Square | Marietta, GA | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: visitmariettaga.com
Open-air showcase of locally made art on Mill Street every Saturday, runs alongside the Farmers Market so you can knock out both in one morning on the Square.

🌱 Marietta Square Farmers Market - Marietta Square Farmers Market | 41 Mill Street, Marietta, Georgia | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: visitmariettaga.com
64 vendors on a good Saturday, heirloom tomatoes, cut flowers, local honey, whole grain breads, herb plants, and stuff you genuinely won't find at the grocery store.

🦕 Prehistoric Dino Prism Power - Vinings Library | 4290 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Kids design their own dinosaur prism using a CD and colored paint, the light hits it and creates a shimmer effect, which is genuinely cool even for skeptical older siblings.

🎨 RobertKent Galleries Artisan Market - RobertKent Galleries | 145 Church Street, Suite 100, Marietta | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: visitmariettaga.com
About 15-20 local makers selling jewelry, ceramics, glasswork, woodwork, and small paintings inside a gallery, free parking next door at Lemon St and Church St.

📖 Saturday Storytime - Lewis A. Ray Library | 4500 Oakdale Road, Smyrna, GA | 10:15 AM or 11:00 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Stories, singing, dancing, and fingerplays for kids of all ages followed by playtime, pick the 10:15 or 11 AM session at the Ray Library.

⚽ Smyrna Cup Daze - Village Green Park | 1250 Powder Springs St SE, Smyrna, GA | Check website | Free | More: travelcobb.org
Smyrna's outdoor World Cup watch party with big screens, music, food, giveaways, and games at Village Green Park, bring chairs and jerseys, the city handles the rest.

📓 Zine Workshop - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street Northeast, Marietta, GA | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Learn to fold a single sheet of paper into an 8-page mini booklet and fill it however you want, a two-hour creative workshop that works for teens and adults alike.

🎭 Annie the Musical - Marietta's Theatre in the Square | Marietta, GA | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | $24.50 - $41.75 | More: visitmariettaga.com
Sunday matinee of Annie at Marietta's Theatre in the Square, Tomorrow, Hard Knock Life, and a story about optimism that holds up for every age in the room.

⚾ Atlanta Braves vs Texas Rangers - Truist Park | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA | 1:35 PM – 4:35 PM | Starting at $18 (Kids Giveaway: ATL Clear Purse) | More: batteryatl.com
Alumni Sunday day game with a kids giveaway, ATL Clear Purse for the little ones, and a 1:35 first pitch that gets you home at a reasonable hour on a Sunday.

⚽ FIFA World Cup Final Watch Party - Roswell City Hall | 38 Hill St, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM (kickoff 3:00 PM) | Free | More: roswell365.com
Free outdoor watch party on the back lawn of City Hall with a giant screen, plus soccer balls and goals set up so the kids can play while the adults watch the most-viewed sporting event on the planet.

🎭 Jukebox Giants: Disco Fever! - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Starting at $31.12 | More: visitmariettaga.com
Sunday matinee of the disco song-and-dance revue at Marietta's Strand Theatre, early enough for families with older kids who want a real theater outing without a late night.

🎶 Sundays in the Park: Dixieland Music: America's Southern Heritage - Town Square | 610 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA | Check website | Free | More: roswell365.com
The 40-member Roswell New Horizons Pops Band brings a free evening of Dixieland classics to the Town Square; bring a blanket and make a night of it on the lawn.

⚾ Atlanta Braves vs. Texas Rangers - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 7:15 PM | Tickets from $22.65 | More: travelcobb.org
Friday night Braves game under the lights at Truist Park, 7:15 first pitch means you can get there from East Cobb without fighting rush hour if you leave by 6.

⚾ Bats & Bites at Truist Park - Truist Park | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA | 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM | $150/person ($125 – A-List Members) | More: batteryatl.com
Early ballpark access with a guided Truist Park tour, a meet-and-greet with a former Braves player, new food samples, a signature beer or cocktail, and batting practice from the outfield, a very solid way to spend a Friday afternoon.

🎵 The Beach Boys - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $76 | More: travelcobb.org
The Beach Boys on their Sounds of Summer tour, celebrating 60 years of Pet Sounds, Surfin' USA, Good Vibrations, Wouldn't It Be Nice, at Cobb Energy, which is about as close to East Cobb as a major venue gets.

🎤 Comedy on the Square - The Alley Stage | 11 Anderson St, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM | $27.60 | More: travelcobb.org
Cobb County's weekly professional comedy show in an intimate venue right on Marietta Square, rotating lineup of touring headliners and rising regional talent, small enough that every seat feels close.

🍺 Drag Bingo - Schoolhouse Brewing | 840 Franklin Ct SE, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM | No reservations needed, but seats fill up fast—arrive early | More: travelcobb.org
Drag Bingo hosted by Brent Star at Schoolhouse Brewing, no reservations, but seats fill fast so get there before 8, grab a pint, and be ready to yell Bingo.

🍽️ Freeman Foodies #55239 - Freeman Poole Senior Center | 4025 South Hurt Road, Smyrna, GA | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Lunch on your own; registration required | More: cobbcounty.gov
Senior center lunch outing to Capers in Kennesaw, registration required, and you cover your own meal, but it's a social lunch group worth knowing about if you or an older family member is looking to connect.

🏛️ Historic Preservation Commission - City Hall, Council Chambers | 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue, Kennesaw, GA | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Public meeting of the Kennesaw Historic Preservation Commission, open to residents who want to follow local historic preservation decisions.

🌸 Make Dried Flower Resin Art - Red Seal Craft Studio | 1140 Alpharetta Street, Suite 400, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Register for a Crafting Session | More: visitroswellga.com
Arrange real dried flowers and botanicals into resin to create something you'd actually display, a two-hour guided workshop at Red Seal in Roswell that's a nice Friday afternoon treat.

💃 Noche Tropical at El Super Pan - El Super Pan | 455 Legends Place SE Suite #862, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
DJ Luis Trevino takes over El Super Pan in The Battery with salsa, bachata, and high-energy Latin beats running until 2 AM, late night after the Braves game if you're not ready to call it.

🏥 Osteoarthritis Awareness #55259 - Freeman Poole Senior Center | 4025 South Hurt Road, Smyrna, GA | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Educational presentation on osteoarthritis, risk factors, symptoms, and evidence-based treatment options, presented by a retired Nurse Practitioner through the B.E.S.T. program at the senior center.

✂️ Ribbon Cutting for Frock Stars - Frock Stars | 435 Jones Dr, Roswell, GA | 4:00 - 5:00 PM | Free | More: roswell365.com
Grand opening of a new creative studio where you get professionally styled, dressed up from a curated vintage closet, and photographed, a fun Friday stop if you're curious about a new local business.

🔨 Bladesmithing 101: Two Day Workshop: 3-Piece Knife (Day 1) - Art Center West | 1355 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM | $260 | More: roswell365.com
Hands-on intro to blade forging and handle making at The Forge, you'll work with hammer, heat, and iron to build a three-piece knife under instructor guidance.

🧶 Crochet Meetup - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Weekly crochet meetup at Switzer Library, bring your own project or learn from scratch; all skill levels welcome and it's free.

🧘 Energy in Motion: A Unique Tai Chi Gung Experience with Brian Early - Many Paths Wellness & Yoga Studio | 27 Oak Street, Roswell, GA | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Single class for a non-member: $25 | More: visitroswellga.com
Gentle Tibetan movement practice focused on restoring balance and calming the mind, a good midday reset on a busy Saturday, led by Brian Early in a small studio setting.

🌳 Habitat Restoration - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Roll up your sleeves and spend a Saturday morning pulling invasive English Ivy and Privet from the woodlands and wetlands at CNC, physical work, fresh air, and you'll actually leave having done something.

👩‍👧 It Takes a Village: Parent Support Group - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street Northeast, Marietta, GA | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Monthly parent support group at Switzer Library, a real conversation about challenges and wins, not a lecture, with resource-sharing and a chance to meet other parents in the area.

🍳 Jazz Brunch at C. Ellet's - C. Ellet's | 2605 Circle 75 Parkway Ste 400, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Reservation required | More: batteryatl.com
Live jazz duo, Southern Fried Chicken, Pancake Paloozas, and mimosas at C. Ellet's inside The Battery, a proper Sunday brunch before or after the Braves game.

🚶 Kennesaw City Cemetery Walking Tour - Kennesaw City Cemetery | Kennesaw City Cemetery, Kennesaw, GA | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | From $31.80 | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Guided walking tour of a cemetery that's been operating since 1863, covering Kennesaw residents who shaped the modern community, genuinely interesting local history, not morbid.

🏛️ Kennesaw Connected Public Engagement Session - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
The City of Kennesaw is updating its Comprehensive Plan through 2047 and wants your input on land use, housing, parks, and transportation, held at Smith-Gilbert Gardens, which is a beautiful spot in its own right.

👒 Make a Summer Straw Hat Workshop - Red Seal Craft Studio | 1140 Alpharetta Street, Suite 400, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Register for a Crafting Session | More: visitroswellga.com
Pick a hat base, customize it your way, and walk out with a one-of-a-kind summer straw hat, Red Seal's guided craft sessions run about two hours and are a solid afternoon activity.

🧘 Mat Pilates at Milford - Milford Recreation Center | 675 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd SW, Marietta, GA | 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Two-hour mat Pilates session at Milford Rec Center, stretch, strengthen, and reset before the rest of your Saturday gets going.

🎸 Rock 'n' Roll Reignited - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest Street, Roswell, GA | 7:00 PM | Tickets from $39.75 | More: roswell365.com
Not Fade Away does one night of Buddy Holly, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Ritchie Valens, and Jerry Lee Lewis in a proper theater setting, the kind of show you can actually hear yourself think at.

🧘 Town Center Community's Yoga in Aviation Park - Aviation Park | 2659 Barrett Lakes Blvd, Kennesaw, GA | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Free | More: travelcobb.org
Free outdoor yoga in Aviation Park led by an experienced instructor, part of an eight-week summer series from Town Center Community and Kaiser Permanente, limited to 100 participants so arrive a bit early.

🌳 Volunteer Orientation - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Free | More: chattnaturecenter.org
If you've been thinking about volunteering at CNC, this is the on-ramp, guided campus tour showing exactly where volunteers plug in and what the work looks like.

🧘 Yoga for Cancer - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Gentle yoga class designed for the cancer community at Switzer Library, free, welcoming, and worth knowing about if you or someone you love is navigating a diagnosis.

🔨 Bladesmithing 101: Two Day Workshop: 3-Piece Knife (Day 2) - Art Center West | 1355 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | $260 | More: visitroswellga.com
Day two of the bladesmithing workshop where you finish your three-piece knife, heat treating, finishing methods, and walking out with something you actually made.

Cobb County Parks is putting on a live outdoor production of The Tempest at The Art Place at Mountain View on Sandy Plains Road, and it won't cost you a dime. No tickets. No admission. Bring a blanket and show up.

What it is: Scene on the Green is in its second year as a Cobb County summer tradition, and this run is a live performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest by Mad Artists' Entertainment. If you're newer to the Bard, The Tempest is one of the easiest ones to just sit back and enjoy: magic, a shipwreck, a sorcerer stuck on an island, revenge, forgiveness, and a love story running through all of it. Runtime is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, rated PG.

Plan it (get there by 6pm): Doors open at 6 PM and preshow activities start before the main performance at 7. Roll in around 6 or 6:15 and you'll have time to spread out a blanket, get settled, and let the kids burn off some energy first. Parking is free on site. Bring chairs or a blanket, and pack a picnic if you want, there's no restriction on outside food. But just know that alcohol is prohibited.

At the performance (2 hours 45 minutes): Once it starts, you're in for a full outdoor production. Mad Artists' Entertainment is a professional company, so expect real costuming, staging, and live performance energy, not a read-through.

Logistics: Free parking on site. Free admission. No registration, just show up. If it rains or the weather turns, the show moves inside to the Black Box Theater, where seating is limited and first come, first served.

Heads up: Same production runs Thursday July 16, Friday July 17, and Saturday July 18, same place, same time. If tonight doesn't work, you've got two more shots at it this weekend.

Somewhere in East Cobb right now, a 15-year-old is easing down a driveway at 4 mph while a parent white-knuckles the door handle. Summer is peak permit season. It's also what AAA calls the 100 Deadliest Days, the stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day when about a third of deadly teen-driver crashes happen. We're smack in the middle of it, and the school lots at Walton and Lassiter fill back up in a few weeks. If your kid is anywhere near driving age, get these three things right now.

1.) Put them on the policy. Once your teen has a real license and lives at home, your insurance company expects to know. Leaving them off keeps the bill down, but you're betting nothing ever happens. If something does, the claim can fall apart right when you need it. Permits are easier. Most companies cover a permit driver under the parent at no extra charge, but rules vary, so ask.

2.) The bill jumps. The discounts fight back. Good grades earn a real discount at most companies, usually a B average, so save that report card. Georgia already makes every 16 and 17 year old finish a 30-hour driver's ed course under Joshua's Law, and completing it can knock money off too. The car matters more than people think. A teen on the 2014 Camry in the driveway costs a lot less than a teen on your new SUV.

3.) Check your liability limits while you're in there. A new driver in the house changes your risk more than anything since you bought the place. If your limits haven't moved in ten years, look now. Ask about an umbrella policy too. For a lot of East Cobb families, that's the missing piece.

And when the renewal shows up with your teen on it, don't just pay the number. Peachy quotes teen drivers all day. They'll run yours in about ten minutes and tell you straight whether your setup makes sense or you're overpaying.

👉 peachyinsurance.com or text/call (770) 520-7095

PruittHealth is hiring a Housekeeper at one of their Atlanta-area care facilities. It's the work that keeps a place livable for residents and staff, mopping floors, keeping the common areas up to standard, all of it. Good fit if you want steady work somewhere that actually matters.

Apply: pruitthealth.dejobs.org

Kroger is hiring a Store/Night Clerk at the Sandy Plains location. It's customer-facing, plus stocking and keeping the department in shape. Worth a look if you want something close to home with a name you already know.

Apply: eluq.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com

Highland Rivers Health is hiring a Case Manager for their Bright Changes Clubhouse program in Smyrna, right here in Cobb County. The role supports the ROC Resiliency Support Clubhouse, which helps youth with mental health challenges build life skills and confidence in a safe place. If you've got a case management or behavioral health background and want work that means something close to home, this one stands out.

Apply: secure5.entertimeonline.com

Pulse Healthcare Services needs a travel OR (Operating Room) RN for a 13-week contract in Atlanta, paying $2,440 a week. Shifts are 3x12-hour nights, start date ASAP. If you're a traveling nurse who knows the surgical world, or you know one, that's solid money for a short-term gig.

Apply: cmp.jobs