Around Atlanta
Guide to Atlanta Holiday Fun
There are lots of holiday events and shows happening in and around Peachtree Corners this year. If you’re looking for even more seasonal celebrations, here is a sampling of some festive things to do around Atlanta.
Family Fun
The Roof at Ponce City Market has become a winter wonderland. Now through January 8, visitors can purchase tickets to get on the 3,500-square-foot ice rink and Skate the Sky.
Private, heated Sky Igloos are located alongside the skating rink and at 9 Mile Station. They can be reserved for all-age and 21+ parties of one to six. For skating and igloo details and reservations, click on poncecityroof.com.
The Yard at Ponce City Market is the place to go on Saturday, Dec. 17. Santa will be there ready to pose with guests during Selfie Saturdays with Santa, 12-4 p.m. If the weather is frightful, Santa will be on the second floor of Central Food Hall. Find out more at poncecitymarket.com.
Atlanta’s largest ice rink is at Atlantic Station. Skate the Station is open now through Jan. 16. It’s ready for action, weather permitting, on weekdays, 4-10 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sundays, 12-8 p.m.
The free Celebration at the Station is a light and snow show happening now through Jan. 3, every hour from 5 to 9 p.m. Go to the Events page at atlanticstation.com to find more.
Skaters can also glide along at Avalon on Ice on the Plaza in Avalon, now through Jan. 16. General admission is $18 for adults and $14 for children aged 9 and under. Tickets and more info are on the website, experienceavalon.com.
Reservations are open for select days now through Dec. 24 for Tea with Santa at The St. Regis Atlanta. The afternoon treat includes sweets and a visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus and a mischievous elf.
Polar Express at the Best Address is a Christmas Day brunch with live music, entertainment, delectable food and an open bar. Prepaid reservations are available for parties of 1 to 15.Visit exploretock.com/stregisatl for info and to make reservations for both events.
Lights and Decorations
The much-loved Garden Lights, Holiday Nights brings back favorite features and adds a few new twists at Atlanta Botanical Garden, now through Jan. 14. Most dates sell out quickly, so visit the website for tickets soon.
Holiday songs will fill the air with Carols in the Garden when the Tinseltones visit on Dec. 10 and 17, 10:45 and 11:45 a.m. Keep up with all the events at atlantabg.org.
The historic home of author Joel Chandler Harris in Atlanta’s West End will host special Home for the Holidays tours on Dec. 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Wren’s Nest’s iconic front porch and interior rooms will be festooned with period-inspired decorations. Tickets run $14 to $18 and can be purchased through wrensnest.org.
Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World is back at Fernbank for its 13th year as a special exhibit, now through Jan. 6. It spans two floors of the museum and showcases different decorated trees and displays that recognize various celebrations, events and cultural traditions from around the world. Learn more at FernbankMuseum.org.
This year, World of Illumination brings Reindeer Road, a larger-than-life holiday light event, to the parking area of Six Flags White Water in Marietta. The spectacular drive-through light show runs now through Jan. 1, nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. Pricing starts at $39.99 per vehicle. For details and tickets, visit worldofillumination.com.
Menorah Lightings
On the first night of Hanukkah, Dec. 18, Avalon and Chabad of North Fulton will hold the Menorah Lighting at Avalon on Boulevard East, 5-6 p.m. Guests will also enjoy some special goodies. Visit experienceavalon.com for details.
Chabad Intown has scheduled free events featuring Menorah Lightings at North Highland Park in Virginia Highland on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. and Atlantic Station on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. There’s another at Decatur Square on Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. Find more events at atlantajewishconnector.com/organization/chabad-intown-atlanta.
Ponce City Market joins with Chabad Intown to present a traditional Menorah Lighting ceremony to celebrate the Festival of Lights on Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. at The Yard. There will be music, live entertainment and refreshments. Get details at poncecitymarket.com.
Everyone is invited to celebrate Hanukkah at Light Up the JCC on Dec. 20, 5-5:30 p.m., in the courtyard at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Dunwoody. There’ll be a menorah lighting, Hanukkah songs, performances and free hot chocolate and doughnuts. Go to atlantajcc.org for more info.
Seasonal Shows
A Christmas Carol will be staged by the Alliance Theatre for the 34th time. The Alliance production features new costumes, live music and puppetry. The play runs through Dec. 24 on the theatre’s Coca-Cola Stage. Tickets, show times, cast list and more is available at alliancetheatre.org/christmas.
Two Nutcracker shows will grace the stage at Fox Theatre this December. Hip Hop Nutcracker, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., is a contemporary dance spectacle set to Tchaikovsky’s music. Tickets start at $49. The more traditional Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet features puppets, acrobatics and stars of the Ukraine ballet. There’ll be two showings on Dec. 23, 3 and 7 p.m.; tickets start at $34. Visit foxtheatre.org for tickets and details.
The cast at Dad’s Garage has rehearsed the traditional Scrooge play, but Invasion: Christmas Carol brings a surprise guest to disrupt everything. Past invaders include Young Frankenstein and The Harlem Globetrotters. The show runs Dec. 2-30. Go to dadsgarage.com/ixc for info and tickets.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, based on the classic holiday TV show, is recreated at the Center for Puppetry Arts now through Dec. 31. Tickets include the show, admission to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum and a Create-a-Puppet workshop. Go to puppet.org to find out more.
The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse transports its audience to Scrooge’s London counting house for Dicken’s classic A Christmas Carol, presented Dec. 3-23. Food and drink are available 75 minutes before every show. For info on special performances and to get tickets, click on shakespearetavern.com.
See something different this season at State Farm Arena. Holiday Hoopsgiving, Dec. 10-18, is a Thanksgiving basketball showcase that features five college neutral-court games, and Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland, a show with acrobats, aerialists and hijinks, will be at the arena on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
The WWE Holiday Tour Supershow, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m., features fan-favorite smackdown superstars. Show info and tickets are at statefarmarena.com.
Holiday Concerts and Music
On Dec. 18, Christmas on Clairemont: Keyboards and Choir will be presented at First Baptist Church Decatur at 6 p.m. It features four grand pianos and organ, a festival chorus of 100 local singers and special guest soloists and conductors. The concert is free to attend with an opportunity to support Ukraine. Find details at christmasonclairemont.com.
Spend Christmas with the ASO for a musical evening filled with holiday carols, hymns and more. It’ll be presented Dec. 15, 16 and 18. On Dec. 17 at 8 p.m., the voices of Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony will ring through Symphony Hall with arrangements from the Irish all-female group’s holiday album “The Magic of Christmas.”
The ASO and Chamber Chorus perform Handel’s Messiah (Part I) on Dec. 22, 8 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall. If you prefer to watch it at home, an ASO performance of Handel’s Messiah will be aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting on Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Get info on these and more concerts at aso.org.
On Dec. 18 at 4 p.m., A Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols will be presented at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. The choral service is the church’s most popular. Admission is free. Find out more at cathedralatl.org/worship/music/concerts.
Holiday concerts at State Farm Arena include IHeartRadio Power 96.1’s Jingle Ball 2022, a star-studded musical event on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m., and the V-103 Winterfest 2022 on Dec. 16, 8 p.m., with Grammy-award winner Maxwell as headliner. Get details and tickets at statefarmarena.com.
New Year’s Celebrations
The annual Noon Year’s Eve Celebration on the Roof will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Ponce City Market. Skyline Park will host an all-ages celebration centered around a countdown to noon. All-access tickets of $25 include admission and gameplay; ages 3 and under are free. Go to poncecitymarket.com to pre-order tickets and learn more.
Another family-friendly celebration will be held at Avalon on Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., to ring in the new year at Noon Year’s Eve. The daytime event includes a DJ, face painting, complimentary snacks and plenty of photo ops. Admission is $15 each for kids and adults, ages 2 and under are free. Find all the info at experienceavalon.com.
Ring in 2023 at the New Year’s Eve Swingin’ Party at the Byer’s Theatre in the City of Sandy Springs on Dec. 31, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40 to enjoy the music of Georgia Music Hall of Famer Francine Reed and Sandy Springs native Joe Gransden and his 16-piece band.
The Swing in the New Afterparty moves to the Studio Theatre for dancing, light bites, desserts and a toast at midnight. Afterparty tickets are $55 and sold separately from the concert. Purchase tickets through sandyspringsga.gov/events.
On Dec. 31, Georgia Aquarium will host an adults-only New Year’s Celebration, starting at 8:30 p.m. Attendees enjoy after-hours access to the main galleries, cocktails and food, live entertainment and a midnight champagne toast. General admission tickets are $125; VIP tickets are $195. All proceeds benefit the aquarium’s research and conservation efforts.
After a three-year hiatus, the annual Peach Drop returns to Underground Atlanta on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. The festivities are free to the public typically draw crowds of 65,000 to 100,000. Watch the website undergroundatl.com to keep informed.
New Armored Animals exhibit will be on view from October 5, 2024 to January 5, 2025
This fall, Fernbank Museum invites guests to experience an immersive tour through the last 500 million years of armor evolution in its newest exhibit, Armored Animals. Opening October 5, the exhibit tells a story of protection and defense through impressive artifacts, spiny displays and a variety of animal casts — from the skeletons of rare, early armored dinosaurs and ancient armored fish to giant sea scorpions and more.
Visitors will come face to face with fearsome carnivores, including tyrannosaurs and the Utahraptor — a large, predatory dinosaur known for its prominent toe claws — and will see for themselves the important role that armor played for many species.
Other highlights include the skull of the “super croc” Sarcosuchus and a 30-foot skeletal replica of the giant crocodilian Deinosuchus. Large insect sculptures, a giant ice age tortoise and one of the largest collections of ankylosaur skull and skeletal casts ever assembled will also be on display.
Man-made armor
The exhibit also explores the use of man-made armor, underscoring how humans have historically emulated the animal world in their armor construction. From simple defensive plates and helmets to the mimicking of the design and beauty of animals’ natural armor, there’s a distinct connection between natural evolution and human adaptations of defensive techniques.
Replicas of eight helmets and a crocodile armor suit demonstrate the ways early warriors and hunters sought to capture the incredible defensive power that animals possess.
“When looking at armor, it is incredibly fascinating to see the common connections between creatures as diverse as insects and dinosaurs and how humans have adopted those same defensive techniques,” said Robert Gaston, exhibit curator.
The details
Developed by Gaston Design and sponsored locally in part by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Armored Animals will open on October 5. A special viewing will be offered at Fernbank’s A Timeless Affair fundraising event that evening.
The exhibit will be included with all of the museum’s general admission tickets and is free with CityPASS.
For more information, visit fernbankmuseum.org.
The museum’s fundraiser gala returns on October 5
Fernbank Museum will once again host its annual black-tie gala, A Timeless Affair, on Saturday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. This special evening of fun and fundraising will highlight Fernbank’s fascinating new Armored Animals exhibit and raise money to support the museum’s ongoing work. All proceeds from the event will help fund the world-class exhibitions, impressive giant-screen movies, family activities and immersive nature programs for which Fernbank is known.
This year’s Timeless Affair will feature a lovely sunset cocktail hour on Dinosaur Plaza, followed by a seated dinner among the dinosaurs in the Great Hall. Live music and dancing, a private viewing of Armored Animals and a silent auction will round out the evening. Guests will have the chance to bid on a showcase of exclusive items generously donated by local businesses and supporters.
There will also be a paddle raise to support Fernbank’s Museum Access scholarship initiative. More than 50,000 students throughout the state visit Fernbank on a school field trip each year — made possible, in part, by the success of A Timeless Affair.
“The annual gala plays an important role each year as it helps fund programming for Fernbank, allowing the museum to spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of human history and the planet’s rich biodiversity,” said Jennifer Grant Warner, president and CEO of Fernbank. “The funds from this event help bring innovative exhibits, dynamic programs, captivating films and essential school programs to our community.”
Event organizers and sponsors
The honorary chair of this year’s fundraiser is philanthropist Margaret Hodgson Ellis Langford, whose dedication to Fernbank continues her family’s environmental legacy. Langford’s mother grew up in a house located in Fernbank Forest, which the Hodgson family, alongside Atlanta civic leaders, had the remarkable foresight to preserve as “a school in the woods for nature studies.” Established as a non-profit in 1939 — making it one of the oldest conservation-focused nonprofits in the United States – Fernbank has continued to preserve and restore the 65 acres of old-growth forest as part of its ongoing mission.
Event chairs, Robin and Neale Fisher, Stewart and Crawford Jones and Mary Clancy and Kevin Peak generously support Fernbank’s mission to ignite a passion for science, nature and human culture through exploration and discovery.
The planning committee for A Timeless Affair includes corporate chair, Wab Kadaba, as well as patron chairs, Stacy and Sachin Shailendra. The event’s scholarship chairs, Elizabeth and Shane Hornbuckle and Cherie and Ed Van Winkle, along with auction chairs, Abby England, Jean Harvey Johnson and Juan Johnson and Holly and Townsend Young are also recognized — and appreciated — by the museum.
A Timeless Affair 2024 is sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Georgia Natural Gas and Romanoff Renovations. The patron party hosts are Susannah Frost and Jeff Yost. And the advisory chairs are Michelle Davis and Honorable Walter W. Davis and Drs. Kalinda and Kevin E. Woods.
The details
The fundraiser takes place on Saturday, October 5, starting at 7:00 p.m. and promises to be an enchanting night of glamour, connection and generosity. Fernbank’s fall exhibit, Armored Animals, opens the same day and will run through January 8, 2025.
For more information on A Timeless Affair, including how to purchase tickets or make an online donation, visit fernbankmuseum.org/atimelessaffair.
Fernbank Museum is embracing a new golden opportunity starting in late August with the opening of Golden Opportunity: Botanical Illustration, a special artistic exhibit showcasing the science of the color yellow — how it occurs naturally in plants, how pollinators see yellow and how the color is used as a pigment — through a collection of art pieces and other objects.
Created by the Denver Botanic Gardens’ School of Botanical Art & Illustration, Golden Opportunity includes 15 botanical art works of yellow plants that were created with colored pencils, watercolors, graphite, ink and mixed media, including the daffodil, Buddha’s hand, sunflower, pansy and more.
Art and nature
“Art and nature are natural companions,” said Jen Tobias, associate director of exhibitions & art collections; curator of art, Denver Botanic Gardens. “We love talking about nature as both material for artists and aesthetic inspiration, and we thought that color would be a fun way to explore the relationship between those two ideas. Showcasing the different ways that plants, natural dyes, and colors are interconnected is also such an interesting way to think about all the different ways the natural world influences our daily life.”
Along with the artwork on display, visitors also have the opportunity to learn how different yellow-based pigments, made from plants such as turmeric, saffron, Dyer’s rocket and marigold, are used in textiles. Guests can admire the natural wonder that goes into creating and coloring everyday objects and appreciate the science and artistic inspiration that comes from botanical sources.
Additionally, visitors will learn more about the daffodil (which has an estimated 18,000 different variations); play a game with flip panels to match dye colors to the plant or animal it comes from; watch a short video explaining how certain insects see the color yellow and how flower color helps aid in the pollination of plants; and view bowls of dye powder that have surprising appearances and origins — such as henna or powder made from cochineal bugs.
Sponsored locally in part by the Francis Wood Wilson Foundation, “Golden Opportunity” is presented in both English and Spanish and will run from August 31, 2024 to January 1, 2025.
For more information about Fernbank or to purchase tickets, visit fernbankmuseum.org.
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