M2R TrailFest + Cobb Garden Tour

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What's up, neighbors!

It's Mother's Day weekend, which means the calendar is stacked. The Savannah Bananas have a three-night run at Truist Park, the Atlanta Ballet is opening Frida at Cobb Energy Centre, and the Cobb Master Gardeners are opening four East Cobb gardens for their tour Saturday morning. Take your pick.

We're keeping it close to home this year. Saturday I'm headed to M2R TrailFest in downtown Marietta because it's free, you can wander it without a plan, and I’m a fan of the Fence Art Gallery. The Square is right there for a drink after. Sunday we're letting my wife sleep in and then heading out to the Chattahoochee Nature Center because moms get in free and the otters do most of the entertainment for us.

If you're scrambling for a Mother's Day dinner that isn't booked out two months ahead, Marlow's at Merchants Walk opens at 11 on Sunday and actually works for kids.

Scroll down for the full weekend lineup, this week's local news, a guess-the-price challenge for a new home listing we're watching, and a calico cat who needs a home.

- Andrew

Atherton Square
McNeel Alley NW, Marietta, GA 30060
11 AM-6 PM
Saturday, May 9
Free

If you've ever wandered Marietta Square on a spring Saturday with no real plan, hit a few shops, grabbed a beer at Glover Park, and watched your kid run around the lawn until they were toast, you already know the version of TrailFest that gets baked into Saturday memories.

Just bigger.

M2R TrailFest is the city's annual takeover of downtown Marietta.

Dancers and aerialists at Atherton Square, live music, a mile-long Fence Art Gallery (yes, an actual mile of local art lined up along a fence), scavenger hunts for the kids, and a pet parade that brings out every dog within a 10-mile radius.

Nearly 10 years running, and it gets bigger every year.

The best part? It's FREE.

Bring the dog, bring the kids.

The Square's bars and restaurants are right there, the whole thing wraps by 6, and Sunday's still wide open for Mother's Day. Just show up.

This is where my wife and I end up when nobody wants to cook and we still want everyone in the family to actually eat what's on the table. It's tucked into the back of Merchants Walk on Johnson Ferry, parking is easy, and it works just as well for a Tuesday family dinner as it does for grabbing a beer with friends out on the patio. Big screens flank the dining room too, so it's a sneaky-good spot to catch a Falcons or Braves game without going all the way down to the Battery.

The Tavern Burger is what most people order, and the truffle parm fries are worth getting on top of whatever else you're having. The shrimp and grits is the move if you want something Southern, they build it on a fried white cheddar grit cake under a tomato gravy and it's a real plate of food. Wings come up a lot in reviews too. Their kids menu actually works, which matters when you're dragging a 6-year-old out on a Tuesday.

It does get loud on weekends, which is part of the charm if you're with a group and not great if you're trying to have a quiet date night. Sunday brunch is a staple here, and they're open 11AM to 9:30PM on Sunday, so it's a no-fuss Mother's Day option that isn't booked out two months ahead.

Price: $$
Hours:
Sun 11am-9:30pm
Mon-Tue 11:30am-9:30pm
Wed-Thu 11:30am-10pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm

🚗 See directions to Marlow’s Tavern on Google Maps

A hardware store doesn't run for 93 years on a busy road in Marietta without doing something right. Cobb Hardware, now a True Value-affiliated store, has been in business since 1932, family-owned the whole way, and they're still the first place a lot of locals go when they have a busted Stihl trimmer or a yard project they don't want to ship off and wait three weeks for.

The reason people drive past the big-box stores to get to them is the staff. Whatever you bring in, somebody behind the counter has fixed one before, and they will tell you straight whether it's worth fixing or whether you actually need to start over. They have a Gold-level certified Stihl technician in-house, which is rare and which matters if you actually want the repair done right. The recommendations are personal, the answers are the right ones, and nobody is upselling you on a new tool when a $9 part will do the trick.

Right now, they need East Cobb to show up. The city took out their front parking lot last year for a Roswell Street widening project and the owner has been pretty open that the store may not survive it. There's a small lot on the east side next to Avery Gallery, and that's where you park. If you've been meaning to swing by, this is the spring to do it. Buy your spring yard tools here. Get your trimmer serviced here. Tell a neighbor.

Price: $$
Hours:
Mon-Fri 7:30am-6pm
Sat 8am-5pm
Closed Sunday

🚗 See directions to Cobb Hardware on Google Maps

7 beds
6 baths
6,357 sqft
0.31 acres lot

A) $1,325,000

B) $1,415,000

C) $1,675,000

D) $1,125,000

Advance voting for Georgia's May 19 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election is open through Friday, May 15. Cobb has 13 early voting locations open weekdays 7 AM to 7 PM, Saturdays 9 AM to 5 PM, and Sundays noon to 5 PM at select sites.

If you're voting on Election Day instead, double-check your polling place. Cobb moved 13 precincts ahead of the primary, including several in East Cobb (Bells Ferry 02, Eastside 02, Hightower 01, Marietta 4B, Roswell 01, Terrell Mill 01, and Willeo 01). Affected voters should receive a new precinct card by mail, and signage will be posted at old sites. Changes do not affect early voting.

Sources: East Cobb News | Cobb County

The Joanne P. Stratton Library reopened to the public Monday, May 4 after a months-long, $500,000 interior renovation funded by the 2022 SPLOST. The work added two new private study rooms, refreshed the entire interior with new carpeting, paint, and contemporary furniture, and upgraded the community meeting room and staff workspaces.

The Stratton, named for library system director Joanne P. Stratton. If you've been driving past the closed building wondering when it would come back, this weekend is a good excuse to stop in.

Sources: Cobb County | East Cobber

Twenty-six Cobb County School District seniors were named 2026 Georgia Scholars by the Georgia Department of Education, including students from Lassiter, Walton, Pope, and Wheeler high schools. Statewide, only 162 students earned the distinction this year, which honors graduating seniors for excellence in academics and community life.

Cobb's selection rate is well above its share of the statewide student population, which is one of the reasons families keep moving to (and staying in) East Cobb for the schools.

Source: East Cobb News

She spent her first weeks at her foster home hiding in the sink. Not under the couch, not behind the dryer. The sink. That's Peaches, an adult calico who came to Good Mews after a rough stretch and needed a minute to figure out humans before she'd let one near her.

Her foster mom won her over slowly, petting her in the sink while Peaches figured out the world wasn't out to get her. Now she's more confident, comes up for pets on her own, has a sweet little chirp, and basically purrs nonstop. The chirp alone is worth the trip. Not a fan of wand toys (she finds them a little alarming), but she loves chasing balls and toy mice around.

She's not a cat who'll be on your lap five minutes after you walk in the door. She'll need a few weeks to settle into a new place. The good news is she's already proven she can live with another laid-back cat without drama, so she'd do well in a quiet home that gives her space to come out of her shell. If you're patient and don't need a cat to be the loudest one in the room, Peaches is a great match.

Good Mews is a no-kill, cage-free shelter on Robinson Road in Marietta. To meet Peaches, submit an inquiry through her Petfinder listing. They'll review and set up a visit if she's a good fit.

Good Mews Animal Foundation
3805 Robinson Road, Marietta, GA 30068
(770) 499-2287

🍌 Savannah Bananas vs Party Animals - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta | 7:00 PM | Tickets via lottery, check resale | More: batteryatl.com
This is a drive, but worth it. The Banana Ball circus opens a three-night stand at Truist Park. Choreographed dances, four-pitch innings, the Party Animals as the heel team. Primary lottery is closed, so check the resale market and arrive early for the pre-game routine.

🍖 Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival - Logan Farm Park | 4405 Cherokee St, Acworth | 5:00-10:00 PM | Free | More: smokeonthelake.org
Twenty-plus backyard BBQ teams cook wings on Friday night under string lights at Logan Farm Park, with the 293 Band playing classic hits 8-10 PM. Bring lawn chairs and a blanket. Friday is the lower-key kid night before Saturday's competition.

🦋 Friday at the Chattahoochee Nature Center - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM | $20 adults / $16 seniors+students / $14 children, kids 2 and under free | More: chattnaturecenter.org
The Wildlife Walk and the River Boardwalk Trail are easy half-day hits with toddlers, and the center is quieter on Fridays than the weekend Mother's Day crowds. Mom is free Sunday, so a Friday recon trip plus a Sunday return could work.

🪔 Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Closing Weekend) - Marietta's New Theatre in the Square | 11 Whitlock Ave, Marietta | Showtime varies, evening | Tickets via venue | More: mariettatheatresquare.com
Final weekend of this modern jukebox-musical take on the Aladdin story. Family-friendly and right off the Square, so you can pair it with dinner.

🎨 M2R TrailFest - Atherton Square, Downtown Marietta | 4 Depot St NE, Marietta | 11:00 AM-6:00 PM | Free | More: m2rtrailfest.com
The big Marietta day. Live music at Atherton Square, dancers and aerialists at the Marietta Station Stage, the mile-long Fence Art Gallery, scavenger hunts, and a pet parade. The kind of neighborhood afternoon where you just wander and see what you stumble into.

🌱 Cobb Master Gardeners 23rd Annual Garden Tour - Four gardens across East Cobb | Marietta | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM | $15 adults, kids 17 and under free | More: cobbmastergardeners.com
Self-guided tour of three private home gardens plus a Master Gardener demonstration garden, all in East Cobb. Volunteers are on site to answer questions, and kids are free, so it's an easy half-day outing. Rain or shine.

🥬 Marietta Square Farmers Market - North Park Square on Marietta Square | 65 Church St, Marietta | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquarefarmersmarket.com
Around 65 vendors most weekends, with produce, baked goods, plants, prepared food, and pet treats. Easy walk-around with a stroller and a perfect pre-TrailFest stop.

🌻 Roswell Farmers Market - Roswell City Hall | 38 Hill St, Roswell | 8:00 AM-12:00 PM | Free | More: roswellfarmersmarket.com
Local farms, artisan bakers, flowers, and live music in the lot beside City Hall. Park here, walk over to Canton Street for coffee, hit the market, head home before the day heats up.

☕ Mother's Day Tea Party at the William Root House - William Root House | 80 N. Marietta Pkwy NW, Marietta | Two seatings, 11 AM and 1 PM | $180 per table of 4 (about $45/person), reservations required | More: roothousemuseum.com
Finger sandwiches, pastries, and tea in the gardens of an 1840s house museum two blocks off the Square. Dress up encouraged. Tables go fast and walk-ins aren't accepted.

🎨 Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art Free Admission - 30 Atlanta St SE, Marietta | 11 AM-4 PM | Free | More: mariettacobbartmuseum.org
The museum opens its galleries free during TrailFest. Quick indoor break a block off the Square when the kids need air conditioning.

🌷 Art Blooms at Smith-Gilbert Gardens - 2382 Pine Mountain Rd, Kennesaw | 9 AM-4 PM | Regular Garden admission | More: smithgilbertgardens.com
Final weeks of the two-month outdoor sculpture exhibit running through May, set among 17 acres of spring blooms. Twenty minutes from East Cobb and far quieter than Atlanta Botanical.

🦋 Mother's Day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell | 12:00-5:00 PM | Moms and grandmas free, regular admission for everyone else; $20 adults / $16 seniors+students / $14 children, kids 2 and under free | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Bring a picnic, walk the Wildlife Walk and the River Boardwalk Trail, and put mom in front of the otters. Easiest Mother's Day plan in town.

🍌 Savannah Bananas Sunday Matinee - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta | 3:00 PM | Tickets via lottery, check resale | More: batteryatl.com
The afternoon game closes the three-night Banana Ball stand. Lower energy than the night shows but still all the choreographed bits, and a 3 PM start means everyone's home for dinner.

🌷 Marietta Square Farmers Market Sunday Hours - North Park Square on Marietta Square | 65 Church St, Marietta | 12:00-3:00 PM | Free | More: mariettasquarefarmersmarket.com
Smaller than Saturday's market, but the Sunday afternoon set runs May through October. Pick up flowers for mom or just wander the square with a coffee.

🩰 Atlanta Ballet: Frida - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $83 | More: atlantaballet.com
The east coast premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's full-length ballet on Frida Kahlo. Cobb Energy is right next door, easy parking, and the show runs about two and a half hours. A real night out.

🎸 Leftover Salmon at the Back Porch Concert Series - From the Earth Brewing Company | 1570 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Roswell | 6:30 PM | Tickets from $46 | More: ftebrewing.com
The Colorado bluegrass-meets-cajun outfit lands at FTE's outdoor stage with special guests. Get there early, eat at the brewery, then drift back to the porch.

🎤 Comedy at the Strand: Fred Klett - Earl Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Sq NE, Marietta | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $30 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
Klett is the clean-but-sharp guy with 100 million views online. The Strand is intimate (531 seats), Marietta Square is right outside the door, and a post-show drink at any of the Square spots is a five-minute walk.

🍻 Pints for Preservation Kickoff - Glover Park Brewery | 65 Atlanta St SE, Marietta | Open till 10:00 PM | Pay-as-you-go | More: cobblandmarks.com
Cobb Landmarks' May fundraiser splits proceeds across five participating taprooms (Glover Park is the closest). Order anything on the menu and a portion goes to preservation work in Cobb. Pick up the Preservation Passport while you are there.

🎬 Movies at the Strand: Twister (1996) - Earl Smith Strand Theatre | 117 N Park Sq NE, Marietta | 8:00 PM | Tickets from $10 | More: earlsmithstrand.org
Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton chasing tornadoes across Oklahoma on the big screen. Strand classic-movie nights are a date-night sweet spot. Pre-game at any of the Marietta Square spots.

🪔 Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Final Show) - Marietta's New Theatre in the Square | 11 Whitlock Ave, Marietta | Showtime varies, evening | Tickets via venue | More: mariettatheatresquare.com
Last performance of the run. If Mean Girls in Sandy Springs is off the table, this is the local musical option.

🩰 Atlanta Ballet: Frida (Sunday Matinee) - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta | 2:00 PM | Tickets from $83 | More: my.atlantaballet.com
The Sunday matinee closes the four-show run with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra in the pit. A lower-key way to see Frida than the Friday opening, and you are out by 5.

Old Mill Park, 95 Mill St, Roswell, GA 30075

Civil War history, a 30-foot waterfall, and a covered bridge on the same trail, less than 10 miles from East Cobb. And the whole thing is free.

Vickery Creek Old Mill Park is a 30-acre park in Roswell with about five miles of connected trails along the creek and through hardwood forest. Three things make it worth the drive: the 19th-century Roswell Mill ruins (the textile mill General Sherman burned during the Civil War), a covered wooden bridge over the creek, and the falls, where water spills over a historic spillway dam built in 1836. There's a 2.3-mile short loop and a 3.6-mile main loop with about 380 feet of elevation. You can chain longer routes if you want to make it a 6-mile morning, or keep it short and still see everything that matters.

Show up by 9 AM if you want easy parking and quieter trails. Park at Old Mill Park on Mill Street or the Oxbo Trail lot, both free. Skip the Riverside Vickery Creek lot unless you don't mind the $5 fee. Bring water, real shoes (no sandals), and a camera. The covered bridge in morning light is the kind of shot that ends up framed on somebody's wall.

Start at the Mill Street trailhead and take the wooden stairs down toward the creek. You'll hit the falls overlook in about 10 minutes, then cross the covered bridge for a closer look at the spillway. The mill ruins sit right at the trailhead, so you can wander the brick walls and read the historical markers on your way in or your way out. Watch your footing on the wooden stairs after rain. They get slick.

Free parking at Old Mill Park and Oxbo Trail lots. $5 at Riverside Vickery Creek Unit. Restrooms at the trailhead. Dogs welcome on leash. No registration needed.

One thing to know going in: as of August 2024, the city closed water access at the falls because too many visitors were tearing up the creek bed, and Roswell will fine you up to $250 if you ignore the signs. The trails and overlooks are still open, the views are all still there, you just can't wade. Trails also get muddy after rain, so save it for a clear day.

Hours: Open daily, sunrise to sunset

Hail, straight-line wind, and the 2 AM tornado warning. That's the metro Atlanta spring tradition nobody asks for. Most homeowners only learn what their policy covers after a storm, which is the worst possible time.

Two things to check this week:

1. Replacement Cost Value (RCV) vs. Actual Cash Value (ACV) on your roof. RCV pays the full cost to replace your roof. ACV deducts depreciation, which on a 12-year-old roof can mean tens of thousands of dollars less coming back to you on a claim. A lot of Georgia carriers have quietly moved older roofs to ACV at renewal over the last two years. Most homeowners never noticed, because nothing on the dec page screams about it. Check now, not after the next storm.

2. Your wind/hail deductible. On a lot of Georgia policies, this gets broken out separately from your standard deductible. It's priced as a percentage of your dwelling coverage (1% to 5%) instead of a flat dollar amount. On a $600,000 East Cobb home, a 2% wind/hail deductible is $12,000 out of pocket before the carrier pays a dime. If that number surprises you, your policy needs a review.

If you haven't reviewed your homeowners policy in the last 12 months, this is the week.

Avenue East Cobb (Luga + Giulia Bakery) is staffing up for two newer concepts at the shopping center. Luga, the modern Italian spot, needs line cooks, prep cooks, bussers, bartenders, and servers. Giulia Bakery, the Italian café, is hiring cashiers, baristas, pastry chefs, and sandwich makers. Both are great fits for anyone who wants to work close to home.

👉 Browse openings

McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA is in full summer hiring mode with openings for lifeguards, swim instructors, and day camp staff. Pool season opens Memorial Day weekend, so the timing is right if you've got a teen looking for a first job or a college student home for the summer.

👉 Browse openings

Cobb County School District is hiring across the board for the 2026-27 school year. Paraprofessionals, bus drivers, food service, and administrative roles are posted alongside teaching positions. The district also just approved $2,000 one-time bonuses for non-temporary employees thanks to state funding, which sweetens the offer if you've been considering it.

👉 Browse openings

Cobb County Public Library System has openings ranging from part-time library assistants to full-time specialists. Summer is peak season with summer reading programs ramping up at every branch. Full-time roles come with benefits and a pension.

👉 Browse openings

Cobb County Sheriff's Office is hiring deputies with a starting salary of $54,000 and a $4,000 hiring incentive currently posted. Lateral applicants with prior sworn experience can qualify for $8,000. Civilian roles in communications, detention support, and admin are also open.

👉 Browse openings

Bonus help (free): WorkSource Cobb offers free career coaching, resume help, and job matching for Cobb County residents. Walk-ins welcome at their Marietta office.

👉 Visit WorkSource Cobb