5 Free Ways to Get into the Holiday Spirit this Weekend

Posted on | November 21, 2008 | No Comments

I confess: I’m a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to singing carols or decorating trees before Thanksgiving. But whether I like it or not, Atlanta’s holiday celebrations kick off this weekend. Ready to get into the holiday spirit? Check out one of these free events:

• It’s time for the 4th annual Lighting of Atlantic Station on Sat., Nov. 22. From noon-9:00 p.m., gather in Central Park for holiday music, including performances by the Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker Kids and the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde; street performers; children’s activities; and of course, the lighting of the 50-foot tree.
• Head to Cleveland, GA, on Sat., Nov. 22, for BabyLand’s Appalachian Christmas. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you can visit with Santa and meet Cabbage Patch Kids at their birthplace, which will be decked out for the holidays. Stick around for the tree lighting at 5:00p.m. BabyLand General Hospital is located at 73 W. Underwood St., Cleveland.
• Indulge with an evening of Cocoa and Candles at the Dunwoody Nature Center on Sun., Nov. 23, from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. After watching the tree lighting, hop aboard the trolley at the Shoppes of Dunwoody and head to the park to roast marshmallows, sip cocoa, roast marshmallows, and take a candle-lit stroll through the trails. Dunwoody Nature Center is located at 5343 Roberts Dr., Dunwoody.
• For an afternoon of carols and choral classics, visit the Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall on Sun., Nov. 23, at 4:00 p.m., to hear selections performed by Emory’s Mastersingers and Women’s Chorale. The Schwartz Center is located at 1700 North Decatur Road, Atlanta.
• The carols continue on Sun., Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. when the Georgia Festival Chorus performs at McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 4075 Macland Rd., Powder Springs.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Big Trouble in Little Five at the Star Bar

Posted on | November 19, 2008 | No Comments

Since it’s the third Thursday of the month, it’s time to head to the Star Bar for Big Trouble in Little Five, a free night of music presented by Pop Death Squad. This month, you’ll hear The Judies, How I Became the Bomb, and Tendaberry. The first band doesn’t take the stage until 9:00 p.m., so you’ll have plenty of time to head over to ESPN Zone to chat with Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan before you go.

The Star Bar is located in Little 5 Points at 437 Moreland Ave., Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Meet Falcons’ Quarterback Matt Ryan at ESPN Zone

Posted on | November 18, 2008 | No Comments

Given that he’s thrown for 2,159 yards and 11 touchdowns already, it’s hard to believe that Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback, is a rookie.

Want to get inside his head & find out what makes him tick? Head to ESPN Zone-Atlanta on Thursday, November 20. At 7:30 p.m., Ryan will be there taping his guest appearance for NBC 11’s “Falcons Face-to-Face” pre-game show. During the taping (which is open to the public), Ryan will talk football, sign autographs for fans, and give away free Falcons tickets and gear.

ESPN Zone is located at 3030 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Photo courtesy of NBC 11.

Feed the Poor & Your Soul at Ain’t Misbehavin’

Posted on | November 17, 2008 | No Comments

From November 18-23, head to the Fox Theatre to see the 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony award-winning musical Ain’t Misbehavin,’ starring 2003 American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. Considered one of Broadway’s most well-crafted reviews, Fats Waller, the prodigious comic & musical soul of 1930s Harlem, lives on in this finger-snappin’ show.

To see it on the cheap & help a good cause at the same time, take advantage of this deal: Once you click “find tickets” and select the number of tickets, select “Charity Offer–$10 off regular price” and enter the password “Ruben.”  You’ll save $5 off your ticket price and an additional $5 will be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. While you’re at the Fox, help out even more by dropping off a non-perishable food item in the collection bin during the hour before each show.

The Fox Theatre is located at 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Cheap Eats in Midtown during Shop & Dine Week

Posted on | November 17, 2008 | No Comments

Through November 21, indulge in cheap eats during Midtown Atlanta Shop & Dine week.

Tight on money? $25 feeds two at restaurants like The Original el Taco (two appetizers and two entrees), Cypress Street Pint & Plate (1 appetizer & two entrees), and Vickery’s Crescent Avenue Bar & Grill (Caesar salad, choice of jerk chicken or Vickery’s trout, and bread pudding), among others.

Want to splurge without breaking the bank? Opt for a 3-course prix-fixe feast for $25 per person at restaurants like The Real Chow Baby, La Tavola, Atmosphere French Restaurant, Ecco, Lobby at Twelve, Murphy’s, Park 75, Spice Market, & more.

While you’re in Midtown, take advantage of some of the other deals: You’ll get half-off admission to Roy Blount, Jr.’s “Alphabet Juice” on Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, as well as $2 off regular admission to the museum and 10% off items in the gift shop. The Margaret Mitchell House & Museum is located at 990 Peachtree St., Atlanta. And you’ll receive a 20% discount on regularly priced books and gifts at the High Museum of Art, located at 1280 Peachtree St., N.E., Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Meet Dora the Explorer & Diego

Posted on | November 14, 2008 | No Comments

Are your preschoolers obsessed with Dora & Diego? Bring them to a free meet & greet at the Mall of Stonecrest on Saturday, November 15. From noon to 3:00 p.m., the stars of Dora the Explorer and Go Diego! Go will greet fans in 20-minute intervals on the upper level of the mall, near Kohl’s. Dora & Diego will pose for pictures, so don’t forget your camera. The Mall of Stonecrest is located at 2929 Turner Hill Road, Lithonia.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

An Enchantingly Good Deal: Cinderella

Posted on | November 14, 2008 | 1 Comment

Introducing kids to theater is hard enough, but opera? That can seem impossible. But with its production of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, the Atlanta Opera makes it easy.

Starring Grammy Award winner & Atlantan Jennifer Laramore, this funny fairy tale will enchant audiences of all ages on November 15, 18, 21, and 23, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Need a primer? Get there an hour early to attend a pre-opera lecture in the John A. Williams Theatre at the Cobb Energy Centre. You’ll learn about the setting, plot, characters, composer and music.

To see it on the cheap, call 404-881-8885 to pick up a family 4-pack of tickets for $99 for the Sunday, November 23, matinee show. Or pick the performance that matches your schedule and buy same-day tickets for half-price at AtlanTIX booths or online. 

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Looking for Cheap Drinks?

Posted on | November 13, 2008 | No Comments

Whether you’re looking for cheap drinks for game day or a girls’ night out, Atlanta’s restaurants & sports bars deliver. Don’t miss these two deals:

You’ll find $1 drafts of Miller Lite and Icehouse all day, every day during the month of November at Jocks & Jills. Jocks & Jills is located at the Galleria on Cobb Pkwy, 1 Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta.

Prefer wine? Stop by the Woodfire Grill for half-price wine every Thursday during November and December. The 50% discount applies to every wine on their extensive wine list–which features selections from 11 countries–both by the glass and by the bottle. Woodfire Grill is located at 1782 Cheshire Bridge Rd., Atlanta.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

Book it to the Book Festival of the MJCCA

Posted on | November 12, 2008 | No Comments

While some of the author readings and events at the 17th annual Book Festival of the MJCAA require paid admission, quite a few meet-and-greets are free and open to the public. Here’s a look at this year’s freebies:

Thursday, November 13

• Margot Singer, author of The Pale of Settlement: Stories and winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and Stephen Bluestone, author of The Flagrant Dead, will share their tales at Books for Breakfast.  MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, November 16

• Harvard professor and renowned Jewish Bible scholar James L. Kugel, author of How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now, will speak at Number One on God’s Bestseller List. MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 1:00 p.m.
• During Make You Laugh…, Benyamin Cohen, author of My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His own Faith, will have an enlightening and amusing conversation with Atlanta radio’s Jimmy Baron. MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 3:00 p.m.
• The conversation will continue during …Make You Cry as Tosia Schneider, author of Someone Must Survive to Tell the World, engages in a heart-wrenching discussion with Melvin Konner, The Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of anthropology and associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Emory University. MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 4:45 p.m.

Wednesday, November 19

• Brad Hirschfeld, author of You Don’t Have to Be Wrong for Me to be Right: Finding Faith without Fanaticism, will share his experiences of growing up in a secular home and becoming an Orthodox Rabbi during 2008 Esther G. Levine Community Read. MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 20

• Become an informed health care consumer while listening to Dr. Charles Banov, author of Office Upstairs: A Doctor’s Journey, and Robert J. Davis, Ph. D., author of The Healthy Skeptic: Cutting through the Hype about your Health speak at Books for Breakfast.  MJCCA’s Zaban Park, 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

MJCCA’s Zaban Park is located at 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

March Downtown for Atlanta’s Veteran’s Day Parade

Posted on | November 10, 2008 | No Comments

Want to honor those who have served, fought, died, or are missing in action in defense of freedom? Head to Atlanta for the 27th annual Veteran’s Day Parade, grand marshaled by Major General William T. Nesbitt, Adjutant General of Georgia. The parade kicks off on Tuesday, November 11, at 11:11 a.m. on West Peachtree Street near Pine Street, heads south on Peachtree Street, and winds down at Centennial Olympic Park.

To skip the traffic, take MARTA downtown. You’ll have easy access to the parade route from Peachtree Center Station, Five Points Station, and World Congress Center Station.

Whether you make it to the parade or not, remember to thank any servicemen and women you know (or even just pass in the street) for their courage & sacrifice. I’ll be doing the same, starting now: Thank you & Godspeed.

–Jennifer Maciejewski

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Recently Written

• 5 Free Ways to Get into the Holiday Spirit this Weekend
• Big Trouble in Little Five at the Star Bar
• Meet Falcons’ Quarterback Matt Ryan at ESPN Zone
• Feed the Poor & Your Soul at Ain’t Misbehavin’
• Cheap Eats in Midtown during Shop & Dine Week
• Meet Dora the Explorer & Diego
• An Enchantingly Good Deal: Cinderella
• Looking for Cheap Drinks?
• Book it to the Book Festival of the MJCCA
• March Downtown for Atlanta’s Veteran’s Day Parade

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Looking for free things to do in Atlanta? Want to sample the city’s attractions, hotels, restaurants and bars without breaking the bank? Me, too. At Atlanta on the Cheap, you’ll find out how to get the best of the best for less. Come back often to check out the latest discounts, deals and steals. You--and your budget--will thank me.

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