🌍 International Festival + Bee Census

_{Welcome to the 52 new readers who joined 7,128 other East Cobb residents this week.}

What's up, neighbors!

The Cobb County International Festival is back at Jim R. Miller Park on Saturday. Free admission, free parking, 11 to 4. Food from everywhere, live music, dance performances. Our plan is to skip lunch entirely and eat our way down the vendor rows, which is the only correct way to do a festival like this.

Saturday morning before that, the farmers market is on the Square from 9 to noon, and the artisan market sits right across Mill Street if you want to poke around after. You can hit both without moving your car.

If you've got kids, Smith-Gilbert Gardens is running the Great Southeast Pollinator Census Friday and Saturday. You spend fifteen minutes counting bees and butterflies on a sheet they hand you, and your numbers go into an actual UGA study. Ten bucks to get into the garden. The kids come out feeling like scientists, which is worth more than ten bucks.

Sunday evening we're driving over to Roswell for Sundays in the Park. Brass quintet on the Town Square, 5:30 to 7:00, free. Bring a blanket and let the weekend end quietly.

Scroll down for the full planner, the data center vote in Marietta, a bike shop that’s been family owned since 1978, and an eight-year-old Lab who just needs somebody to trust.

- 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 last week! Fill out their form online and complete a quote with a licensed agent and they’ll send you a $5 gift card to Chick-fil-A.

Jim R. Miller Park & Event Center
2245 Callaway Road SW, Marietta, GA 30008
Saturday, August 22
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Free admission and free parking

Free to get in. Free to park. Five hours of food from all over the world at Jim R. Miller Park.

The Cobb County International Festival runs Saturday from 11 to 4, built around the food vendors, visual artists, and performing groups that represent the heritages already living in this county. Cobb has been getting more diverse for twenty years, and once a year all of it shows up in the same park at the same time, cooking.

Here's my honest advice: skip lunch. Go hungry, walk the vendor rows once before you commit to anything, and let the kids pick one thing nobody at your table has ever heard of. The Cobb Elections team is also set up on site all day for registration and address updates, so you can knock that errand out while you're already there.

No tickets. No wristbands. Free parking, which at a festival this size is not a small thing.

This is my go-to when I want something filling and I don't feel like spending much time or money getting it. Jerusalem Bakery & Grill sits off Franklin Gateway, you order at the counter, and you're eating fast. Good for a quick lunch, a weeknight dinner nobody has to cook, or grabbing something on the drive home.

The shawarma is what most people order. It’s well seasoned, and they do not skimp on the portion. The falafel is the real deal too, not the dry crumbly pucks you get at places that treat it as an obligation. If you're vegetarian, you've got actual choices here instead of one sad side plate.

Over 5,000 reviews at 4.6 stars, so no, it’s not a hidden gem anymore. Still feels like a neighborhood spot though. Open 10 to 9, seven days a week, which means zero planning required.

Middle Eastern Restaurant | 4.6★
Hours:
Mon - Sun 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Visit Jerusalem Bakery & Grill Website

🚗 See directions to Jerusalem Bakery & Grill on Google Maps

If your kid outgrew their bike sometime around the Fourth of July and it's been leaning against the garage wall ever since, deal with it this week.

Free-Flite has been family owned since 1978. Dan Thornton started it with his dad, Jeff, and now Dan's son runs the day to day. Three generations, same shop. They sell across every price point and they take trade-ins, which matters when your kid grows four inches a year and you're not trying to buy a brand new bike every spring.

The service department is what people actually write reviews about. One customer credited a mechanic there with pulling a stuck valve extender out of a race wheel that other shops wouldn't even attempt. Others mention hard-to-find parts getting tracked down and work finished ahead of the promised date. Nobody mentions getting upsold.

First Saturday of every month they run a free maintenance class, 9 to 10 AM, no registration required. You learn to change a tube, pull a wheel, adjust your brakes, and clean a chain properly. Show up and you get a discount that day. There's also a no-drop Saturday group ride out of the Roswell Road store, all skill levels (beginners welcome), which means nobody gets dropped on the road and left to find their way back.

Price: $$
Hours:
Mon - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sun 12:00 - 4:00 PM
🚗 Get directions to Free-Flite Bicycles on Google Maps

5 Beds
6.5 Baths
5,643 sq ft
0.27 acre lot

A) $2,300,000

B) $2,375,000

C) $2,450,000

D) $2,699,000

The council voted 5 to 2 on Wednesday, August 12 to rezone 11 acres at 1155 Powers Ferry Place, off Delk Road, letting Prime Storage convert part of a storage building into an 18-megawatt data center. Residents packed City Hall and it passed anyway. The six-month moratorium the council passed back on July 8 never covered this project, because the application was filed before the freeze took effect.

The approval did come with strings: constant site monitoring, an independent sound study, city noise limits enforced, coolers and generators silenced, and Prime Storage agreeing not to build a second one at its other Marietta property. This vote is finished. The data center ordinance the council has to write before December 31 is what sets buffers and megawatt limits for every application after it, and that's the one to show up for.

Sources: atlantanewsfirst.com | eastcobbnews.com

A plan to expand Cobb County's on-demand microtransit service is running into resistance. Early coverage doesn't spell out what the specific objections are, which is frustrating if you're trying to figure out whether you agree with them. The service works as a flexible, on-demand alternative to fixed bus routes, and expansion would push it into more of the county.

If you use Cobb transit, or you just care where transportation dollars land, track this one. Public comment windows usually open at this stage. Check the county site for comment periods and upcoming commission meeting dates.

Source: wsbradio.com

New Atlanta Regional Commission numbers put Cobb at 799,349 people as of April, up about 3,600 over the year. That works out to 0.5 percent growth. The 11-county metro grew twice as fast at 1 percent. Fulton came in at 1.9, Forsyth at 1.5.

Cobb's rate is roughly what it was last year, so nothing fell off a cliff. But growth numbers are the pitch developers make and the argument the county carries into regional funding talks. Half a percent is a weaker hand than Fulton's. Less pressure on roads and school seats in the near term, less pull in the long one.

Source: cobbcountycourier.com

A Sprayberry kid is playing in Tuscaloosa. Jorden Edmonds enrolled at Alabama this fall as a freshman cornerback, ranked the No. 20 overall prospect in the Class of 2026 nationally. He's dealing with a lower-body injury early in camp and may miss a few weeks.

His junior season at Sprayberry: 35 tackles and three pass breakups on defense, plus 35 catches for 670 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. Playing both sides of the ball at that level, out of a program that doesn't usually produce top-20 national recruits. Worth following this fall.

Source: si.com

MARTA's board named Jonathan Hunt permanent general manager and CEO on August 13. He'd been running the agency on an interim basis since Collie Greenwood left last August, and he joined MARTA back in 2014 as a lawyer. He got the job over transit executives from Jacksonville and Washington, D.C., out of a national search that touched more than 250 candidates.

He wasn't the expected pick. A year ago the board said it wanted an outsider, and Hunt said he didn't want the job. Then MARTA held up under World Cup crowds this summer and both positions changed. Cobb has drifted in and out of regional transit conversations for years, usually without resolution. Those talks go differently with someone who has a real runway instead of a caretaker counting down.

Source: atlantanewsfirst.com

Yasmeen's foster mom says whoever adopts her is going to hit the jackpot. That's a big claim for an eight-year-old Lab-Terrier mix who came in guarded, so here's the evidence: one day into the Prison Pups training program, she had completely settled. She just needed to know she could trust somebody. Once she does, she's loyal and steady in the way older dogs get when they've stopped auditioning for you.

She's done well with other dogs, including a Boxer she stayed with while her foster was on vacation. She's fine with cats. She met kids as young as seven and gave them kisses.

The honest part: she has protective instincts around her people when strangers come into the home. She's worked on it in training and it's improved a lot, but a family with dog-savvy kids 15 and up is the smoothest fit. Her trainer will handle a proper introduction either way.

If you want a calm, devoted dog who's already through the chewing-and-chaos years, go meet her. She's in a foster home now through Mostly Mutts in Kennesaw.

Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue
3238 Cherokee St NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
(770) 272-6888
Mon–Sat 10 AM–3 PM
mostlymutts.org

🎵 All Shook Up: The Elvis Presley Musical - Marietta Theatre Company | 11 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed Price $27.44 - $46.75 | More: mariettatheatre.com
A Shakespeare-meets-Elvis mashup with Twelfth Night as the backbone and Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, and Heartbreak Hotel as the soundtrack; rated PG, and it gets kids into live theater without them noticing that's what happened.

🎤 Cobb Idol 2026 - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM (lobby opens 7:00 PM, auditorium 7:30 PM) | Ticketed $24.40 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
Local singers perform with a live band in a competition format judged by both a panel and the audience vote, a fundraiser for the nonprofit Strand Theatre; the 7:30 auditorium opening gives you time to settle in before the 8 PM start.

🦋 Count with CNC (Great Southeast Pollinator Census) - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Included with admission: $20 adults, $16 seniors and students, $14 ages 3-12, free for members | More: chattnaturecenter.org
CNC is counting pollinators in the Butterfly Garden on Friday as part of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census; bring a sunhat, bring curious kids, and spend an hour actually looking at what's buzzing around the flowers.

🦋 Documentary Series: The Extraordinary Caterpillar - South Cobb Regional Library area | 662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA 30060 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
A nature documentary screening about caterpillars and the natural world they inhabit, running 90 minutes on Friday evening at the South Cobb Drive location; good low-key Friday pick for families with younger nature-curious kids.

👴 Grandparents Day Celebration - Fair Oaks Recreation Center | 1465 West Booth Rd Ext, Marietta, GA 30008 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Register with activity code 50698; Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Cobb County Parks puts together a Grandparents Day event at Fair Oaks Rec Center on Friday evening with a variety of activities; a nice one for multi-generational families or grandparents looking for something to do with the grandkids.

🦋 Great Southeast Pollinator Census - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Included with garden admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors 65+, $5 students, military and ages 3-17, free for members | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Spend 15 minutes counting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators at Smith-Gilbert Gardens and your observations go directly into a UGA-led conservation study covering the whole Southeast; the gardens provide the counting sheets.

🏀 Open Play: Basketball - Kennesaw Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Drive, Kennesaw, GA | 2:30 PM – 8:45 PM | Rec Center membership required: $20/year residents, $30 non-residents, $10 students | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Drop-in open gym basketball at the Kennesaw Rec Center, with a Friday window that runs from mid-afternoon straight through the evening; kids under 15 need a guardian, so it works as a parent-kid outing or for older teens on their own.

🐾 Paint Your Pet at Muse Paintbar - Muse Paintbar | 925 Battery Ave. Ste. 1120, Atlanta, GA | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | $62 per painter | More: musepaintbar.com
Paint a portrait of your pet at Muse Paintbar on Friday evening, a laid-back last-summer-hurrah outing that works for families wanting to squeeze one more fun night out before schedules tighten up.

🎭 Quilters, A Musical - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest Street, Roswell, GA 30075 | Fri 7:00 PM, Sat 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM, Sun 2:00 PM | From $36.75 | More: roswellcac.showare.com
Roswell Cultural Arts presents Quilters as part of their Broadway in the Burbs series honoring America's 250th, a musical built around stories of pioneer women stitched together through song.

🐕 Watch PAWty Presented by Boehringer Ingelheim - The Plaza at Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA | 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Free; RSVP for a free dog bandana while supplies last | More: batteryatl.com
Bring your dog to The Battery plaza to watch the Braves take on the Brewers on the outdoor screen, shop local pet boutiques, and grab a free branded bandana if you RSVP ahead; all dogs must stay leashed and bring your own seating.

🐾 Atlanta Humane Society Open Crafting Pop-Up - Red Seal Craft Studio | 1140 Alpharetta Street, Suite 400, Roswell, GA | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Prices vary by project; Paw Print Charm Keychain $15, with $5 per craft donated to Atlanta Humane | More: redsealcraftstudio.com
A rescue dog from Atlanta Humane Society will be on-site while you pick from candle pouring, resin art, jewelry making, and more, with dedicated kid projects and a $15 paw print keychain as a quick drop-in add-on.

🌱 Carnivorous Plant Sale - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free to browse; plants run $5 to $35, members get a discount | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Venus flytraps, sundews, pitcher plants, and bog associate orchids from multiple vendors and local growers, all in the CNC greenhouse; it's legitimately weird and wonderful and kids love the carnivorous stuff.

📚 Healthy Relationships for Teens: Conflict Resolution - Vinings Library | 4290 Paces Ferry Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
A two-hour library program teaching teens practical conflict resolution skills and healthy communication strategies; worth flagging for East Cobb parents who have teens headed back into school schedules.

🌿 Living Classroom Garden Grand Opening - UGA Extension Living Classroom and Pollinator Garden | 678 South Cobb Drive, Suite 200, Marietta, GA 30060 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Cobb County celebrates the opening of a new living classroom garden on Saturday, timed to coincide with the Great Southeast Pollinator Census; a nice community moment to bring younger kids to learn about plants and pollinators together.

🌱 Marietta Square Farmers Market - Marietta Square Farmers Market | 41 Mill Street, Marietta, GA | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Free to attend | More: mariettasquarefarmersmarket.com
Sixty-plus vendors every Saturday morning with heirloom tomatoes, fresh cut flowers, local honey, whole grain breads, and produce you genuinely cannot find at the grocery store; get there by 10 before the good stuff goes.

🎨 Mini Canvas Painting for Teens - Vinings Library | 4290 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Teens get a full hour of guided mini canvas painting at the Vinings Library on Saturday afternoon, no experience required and no cost; if you've got a teen who needs something to do post-summer, this is easy.

🦋 Pollinator Workshop for Jr Citizen Scientists - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Included with admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors 65+, $5 students and ages 3-17, free for members; pre-registration required | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Smith-Gilbert Gardens partners with UGA for an interactive workshop on insect pollinators followed by an actual census count, making kids real contributors to scientific research for one Saturday morning.

🚂 Stay & Play Saturday - Southern Museum | 2829 Cherokee Street NW, Kennesaw, GA | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Free with museum admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors 65+, $5 students, military and ages 3-17 | More: southernmuseum.org
August's theme is trains and comics, and kids get to create their own train-inspired comic book alongside the owners of Prime Vice Studios; it's the Southern Museum's monthly programming series and it runs all morning.

🚀 Talking Tech: Reliving Apollo 11 with John Baumbusch - Mimms Museum of Technology and Art | 5000 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Free, reservation requested | More: mimmsmuseum.org
A one-hour presentation on the story of Apollo 11 from someone who lived through it, a solid Saturday afternoon pick for space-curious kids and the parents who never get tired of hearing about the Moon landing.

🎨 You Are Loved Workshop - The Art Station - Big Shanty | 2050 Kennesaw Due West Rd., Kennesaw, GA 30152 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Cobb County Parks brings the community together for a public art project honoring Suicide Awareness Month through creativity and connection; a meaningful Saturday morning outing that's good for teens and adults alike.

🌱 Farmers Market Presented by Kaiser Permanente - The Plaza at Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Avenue Southeast, Atlanta, GA | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free to attend; parking free for first 2 hours on non-event days | More: batteryatl.com
The Battery's Sunday farmers market brings fresh produce, artisanal food, a petting zoo, and a Bark Market for dog lovers, all on the plaza in one free afternoon outing.

🦋 Members Only Butterfly Bon Voyage - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Members only | More: chattnaturecenter.org
CNC members get to say goodbye to the Butterfly Encounter as the season wraps up, with crafts and butterfly-approved sweet treats at the Lakeside Pavilion; if your family has a CNC membership, this is a sweet Sunday send-off.

🎶 Sundays in the Park - Town Square | 610 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA 30075 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Free | More: roswellnewhorizonsband.org
The Dogwood Brass Quintet brings an evening of live brass music to Roswell Town Square, part of the Roswell New Horizons Band's summer series; grab a blanket and a spot on the lawn.

❤️ American Red Cross Blood Drive - North Cobb Regional Library | 3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw, GA 30144 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
The Red Cross is at North Cobb Regional Library on Friday from 11 to 4; if you've been meaning to donate, this is a convenient local option with a five-hour window.

🎶 Ammy Virk at Coca-Cola Roxy - The Coca-Cola Roxy | 800 Battery Avenue SE #500, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM | Ticketed; resale seats running around $107 and up at press time | More: cocacolaroxy.com
Ammy Virk is one of the biggest names in Punjabi pop and Bollywood, and he's playing The Roxy on Friday night; check the venue's Know Before You Go page for parking and road closure info before you head over.

🍺 Behind the Bar at Blue Moon Brewery Grill - Blue Moon Brewery & Grill | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | $65 per person, includes 4 beer cocktails, small bites, and a souvenir glass | More: bluemoonbreweryandgrill.com
Go behind the scenes of the ballpark brewery, learn the brewing process, then mix three beer-based cocktails with paired bites and create your own signature recipe before the night is done.

😂 Comedy on the Square - The Alley Stage | 11 Anderson Street, Marietta, GA | 8:00 PM, doors 7:30 PM | Ticketed; 18+ $27.60 with a two-item minimum per person | More: alleystage.org
Stand-up on the Alley Stage right off Marietta Square, Friday night, rotating lineup of local and regional comedians; easy to pair with dinner on the Square beforehand.

🎾 Friday Night Round Robin - Terrell Mill Tennis Center | 480 Terrell Mill Road, Marietta, GA 30067 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Cobb court fees apply: $3/hour adult residents, $4.50 non-residents | More: cobbcounty.gov
Drop-in round robin tennis on Friday evening at Terrell Mill Tennis Center, two hours of rotating play with whoever shows up; a solid active-social Friday night that doesn't require a partner or a full team.

👂 Hearing Screening - Freeman Poole Senior Center | 4025 South Hurt Road, Smyrna, GA 30082 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Wellstar's Brittany Hightower leads free hearing screenings and ear health checks on Friday morning at Freeman Poole Senior Center; if you're a hearing aid user, you can also get a complimentary listening check and basic cleaning.

🏛️ Historic Preservation Commission - Kennesaw City Hall, Council Chambers | 2529 J.O. Stephenson Avenue, Kennesaw, GA | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Free; open to the public | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
The Kennesaw Historic Preservation Commission meets Friday morning at City Hall; the agenda is posted at kennesaw-ga.gov/publicmeetings for anyone interested in local preservation decisions.

📸 Historic Roswell Photography Competition & Exhibit - Roswell History Museum | 950 Forrest St, 2nd Floor, Roswell, GA 30075 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Free | More: roswellhistoricalsociety.org
The Roswell Photographic Society and Roswell Historical Society teamed up to mark America's 250th with a showcase of historic sites around the city, in a gallery format that rewards a slow Friday browse.

🥃 Infusions 101 at ASW - ASW Distillery | 900 Battery Ave SE Suite 1035, Atlanta, GA | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Starting at $75 | More: aswdistillery.com
You taste three liqueurs (limoncello, coffee, elderflower and orange), pick one, build your own infusion jar to finish at home with a liter of Bustletown Vodka, then tour the distillery; it's a genuinely fun Friday skill-builder.

🏓 Open Play: Pickleball - Kennesaw Recreation Center | 2737 Watts Drive, Kennesaw, GA | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Rec Center membership required: $20/year residents, $30 non-residents, $10 students | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Five hours of drop-in pickleball Friday, 9 to 2, at the Kennesaw Rec Center; call ahead at 678-385-0165 to confirm court availability before you show up.

🍺 So Long Summer Music Bingo - Atlanta Hard Cider | 1010 Roswell Street NE, Marietta, GA | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Free; Reservation needed | More: atlantahardcider.com
Atlanta Hard Cider sends off summer with music bingo, cold cider, and a crowd that's ready to argue about song titles in the most fun way possible; a low-key Friday night in Marietta that doesn't require a big commitment.

🌮 Marg & Taco Fest - Live! at The Battery Atlanta | 825 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Ticketed, GA and VIP tiers; GA starts at $31.86, includes 2 drink tickets | More: liveatthebatteryatlanta.com
Local taco trucks, a live mariachi band, outdoor games, DJ beats, and a vendor market on the patio at Live! from 4 to 8 PM Saturday; the margaritas are for the adults but the whole setup works for families.

💃 After Dark Latin Hits at Punch Bowl Social - Punch Bowl Social | 875 Battery Ave SE Ste 720, Atlanta, Georgia | 9:00 PM – 11:30 PM | Free with RSVP; 21+ | More: eventbrite.com
Bad Bunny to Shakira to Enrique to J Balvin on the speakers, prize giveaways including themed karaoke sets and loteria, and late-night energy at Punch Bowl Social; grab your friends and get there ready to move.

🔨 Bladesmithing 101: Railroad Spike Knife Workshop - The Forge at Art Center West | 1355 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA 30075 | Starts 10:00 AM | Ticketed $188.58 | More: eventbrite.com
You show up, you forge a knife from an actual railroad spike, you leave with it; six hours at The Forge at Art Center West covering the foundational basics of bladesmithing from start to finished edge.

🧶 Crochet Meetup - Switzer Library | 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
Bring a project you're already working on or show up knowing nothing; all skill levels are welcome at this weekly Switzer Library meetup, and it runs every Saturday in a no-pressure, drop-in format.

🌳 Forest Bathing - Smith-Gilbert Gardens | 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, GA | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | $15 adults; $5 members; pre-registration required; ages 18+ | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Not a hike, not a walk, just a slow, intentional immersion in the garden environment at Smith-Gilbert; 90 minutes of getting off your phone and back into your senses, and it's only $15.

🎸 Kennesaw Concert Series: Rumours ATL (Fleetwood Mac Tribute) - Depot Park | 2828 Cherokee Street NW, Kennesaw, GA | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Free | More: kennesaw-ga.gov
Rumours ATL is one of the most well-regarded Fleetwood Mac tributes in the region, and hearing "Rhiannon" and "Go Your Own Way" live outdoors on a Saturday night at Depot Park, for free, is hard to argue with.

🎭 Mamma Mia! and Margaritas! - Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Square, Marietta, GA | 3:00 & 8:00 PM | $18.80 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
The Strand is screening Mamma Mia on the big screen with a full margarita bar and a live pre-show organ concert; wear a boa if you have one, no judgment if you don't.

🎨 Marietta Square Artisan Market - Marietta Square | Mill Street, across from the Farmers Market, Marietta, GA | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free to browse | More: mariettasquareartisanmarket.com
Locally made art in an open-air format on Mill Street every Saturday, right next door to the Farmers Market; easy to hit both in the same morning without moving your car.

🎧 Silent Disco at Punch Bowl Social - Punch Bowl Social | 875 Battery Ave SE Ste 720, Atlanta, Georgia | 9:00 PM – 11:30 PM | $10; grab tickets early, headphones are limited | More: eventbrite.com
Three DJs spinning at once on separate channels, you pick your vibe through the headphones and dance to whichever one you landed on. Sounds strange. Works better than it should.

🗳️ Voter Education & Outreach: International Festival - Jim R. Miller Park & Event Center | 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta, GA 30008 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Free | More: cobbcounty.gov
The Cobb County Elections team will be on-site at the International Festival all day Saturday to help with voter registration, education, and election worker recruitment; easy to stop by while you're already at the festival.

🚶 Bird Walk with Birds Georgia - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Included with admission: $20 adults, $16 seniors and students, $14 ages 3-12, free for members; capped at 20, reservations required | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Birds Georgia leads a guided Sunday morning walk along CNC's accessible trails, geared toward beginners and anyone who wants to slow down, look up, and actually notice what's living in the trees around them.

🥃 Cocktail Class at ASW Distillery - ASW Distillery | 900 Battery Ave SE Suite 1035, Atlanta, GA | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Starting at $50; charcuterie board add-on available | More: aswdistillery.com
Your own bar station, three cocktails using ASW's whiskey, vodka, and gin, and a lead mixologist walking you through the how and why; add a charcuterie board at checkout if you want to make it a proper Sunday afternoon.

🎨 Fight To Flourish Art Exhibit - BURN | 900 Battery Avenue SE, Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Admission not published; BURN's other events are drop-in | More: burnbyrockypatel.com
An art exhibition celebrating the work of artist Alicia at BURN in The Battery, with live entertainment from DJ Knotts running through the evening; it's a creative Sunday outing that mixes gallery browsing with a real vibe.

🎨 Open Draw: Still Life - Marietta Cobb Museum of Art | 30 Atlanta Street, Marietta, GA | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | $12 in advance online; $17 at the door (pending availability); online registration closes 4 PM Friday | More: mariettacobbartmuseum.org
A low-key Sunday evening at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art where you draw from a curated still life scene at your own pace; register online before Friday at 4 PM to lock in the lower rate.

Thursday evening in Roswell has its own thing going, and if you've never been to Alive in Roswell, tonight fixes that. Free monthly street festival on Historic Canton Street, third Thursday of the month, April through October. No tickets, no wristbands, no registration.

What it is: Alive in Roswell runs on two footprints at once, Historic Canton Street and the Roswell Antique and Interiors Lot, 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Local food, drinks, live entertainment, and vendors spread down one of the prettiest stretches of street in the metro. You show up planning to stay 45 minutes and it's suddenly 8:45.

Plan it (Thursday after work): Built for the after-work crowd. Five o'clock is a completely reasonable time to head over and you've got four hours of runway. Park downtown and expect a short walk in. Two locations means give yourself time to cover Canton Street and the Antique lot both, not just whichever one you land closest to. Bring a little cash for food and drinks. Browsing costs nothing.

At the festival (2-3 hours): Canton Street already has energy on a regular Thursday. This turns it up. Entertainment runs all evening, vendors line the street, and the restaurants along Canton stay open and part of the action. Graze between booths, grab a drink, catch whatever's playing, walk a historic Southern street on a warm August night.

Logistics: Free admission. Canton Street closes to traffic at 5 PM. Street and public parking downtown, and free parking at Roswell City Hall with a free trolley to Town Square. Dogs welcome on a leash at the event but not on the trolley. No registration necessary.

Heads up: August in Georgia is still August at 5 PM. If heat gets to you, roll in closer to 6:30 or 7:00 when it starts to break.

🚗 Get directions to the Historic Canton Street

August and September are the busiest stretch of Atlantic hurricane season. Georgia isn't the coast, but the remnants of these storms come inland every year and drop water and wind all over Cobb County.

Here's what most people don't know. Once a named storm is in the forecast for your area, insurers can put binding restrictions in place. That means no new policies and no changes to the one you already have until the threat clears. So the window to fix anything is now, before there's a name on the map.

Two things worth checking:

Those are two separate policies and you want both lined up before you need either one.

Not sure what your deductible actually is, or whether you have flood? A Peachy agent can pull up your declarations page and walk both questions with you. Ten minutes, usually.