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Peachtree Corners Festival Returns for 13th Year of Fun

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Image courtesy of Peachtree Corners Festival

The Peachtree Corners Festival, a beloved local event that brings together residents and visitors for a weekend of community spirit, entertainment and good vibes, is back for its 13th year.

Located in and around Town Center, the Peachtree Corners Festival will be hosted on September 21 through 22, with times on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Dave Huffman, Peachtree Corners Festival President, has been heavily involved in the festival for over a decade and got his start thanks to the late Debbie Mason, co-founder of the festival and wife to city mayor Mike Mason.

“Debbie Mason asked me to join the committee in 2013 when the festival was in its third year. I helped put our signs out and did whatever needed to be done,” Huffman told Peachtree Corners Magazine. “I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of what it took to put on a large event for our community. The next year, I became president of the committee and have served in that role since that time.  

Last year, the festival included a special dedication to Debbie Mason, whose contributions to the event and the community were immense. While there won’t be a formal ceremony this year, Huffman shared exciting plans for a lasting tribute. 

“We do have a long-term honor in her name coming this fall. I am on an ad-hoc committee composed of friends of Debbie, and we have been working on plans for a special garden in her honor which will be located in the new Peachtree Corners botanical garden on the south side of the Town Center property,” he said. 

The ribbon-cutting for the Debbie Mason Memorial Garden is scheduled for October 26.

“It will be a very special tribute to this lady who gave so much of herself to our city,” he stated.

A different kind of festival

First and foremost, the Peachtree Corners Festival is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) volunteer organization dedicated to putting on a safe and wholesome family-friendly event. The festival also has a positive cash flow, and funds support the education and beautification of the city. The best part? It is completely free to attend.

The Peachtree Corners Festival also stands out for its local pride while also attracting attendees from surrounding areas. 

“I think that our residents like to have a festival to call their own, although we do get many attendees from surrounding cities and communities outside of Peachtree Corners,” Huffman explained.

“It is fun to come out and see what kinds of crafts there for sale are, eat some food that you might not normally get a chance to sample, see some exotic cars and listen to music while doing all of these things in a convenient location. Hopefully, we have gained a reputation for being well-organized and enjoyable,” he added.

Fun for all ages
The Kid’s Corner at the Peachtree Corners Festival is always a hit with families, and this year promises to be no different. 

In May, the city unveiled new tot lot playgrounds for children under six years old that are themed around space exploration. The play area includes a rocket ship, a moon rover, a crashed UFO and other fun designs.

“Our tennis and pickleball nets for kids will be located there and Deborah Mosher, aka The Bubble Lady, will return with super-sized bubbles. There will also be kid-friendly vendors located around the periphery of the Green, including walking pet balloons, face painting, balloon twistin’ and a build-a-bear station,” said Huffman.  

Sweetacular Treats will return in case any kid (or adult) needs some sweets to keep that energy up!” he added.

Festival favorites
The classic car show is back again at the Peachtree Corners Festival. And this year, a special guest will be in attendance.

“The Classic Car Show is one of the aspects of our festival that sets us apart from other local craft festivals and is an attendee favorite each year. Our car show guru, Mike Thies, has been working with the Georgia Street Rod Association (GSRA) to exhibit cars at our show this year, so we are all looking forward to that.”

Trained judges will be on-site giving out awards for top car, top bike and top class on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Collector Car Hobby Celebration will take place on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with Sam Madahvi of Sam’s Garage TV show serving as grand marshall.

It costs $25 to enter your ride for consideration and includes a one-year full membership to the GSRA.

And while folks are admiring the cars in that area, across the way is another favorite attraction returning this year.

Get an up close and personal look at a surgical robot! Intuitive, the maker of the da Vinci robotic surgical system, calls Peachtree Corners the home of its east coast global hub and will have its All-Mobile Experience at the 13th Annual Peachtree Corners Festival.

An 18-wheel, 80,000-pound truck holding a roving laboratory, fully equipped with a mock operating room will give festivalgoers a chance to see and learn about robotic-assisted surgery.

The Peachtree Corners Festival is also known for having quality musical acts on the Town Green stage.

“We will continue that tradition with excellent bands and local youth ensembles who will show off their skills,” stated Huffman. 

The exact lineup is still in work as of the time of this publication.

The food scene
There will be many scrumptious treats for attendees to look forward to this year with more food vendors and food trucks on-site.

Tasty Yum Yum will be back serving delicious bites like jerk chicken, bang bang shrimp, Philly cheese steaks, funnel cakes and fried Oreos.

Sweetacular Treats is returning for the third consecutive year and will be set up near the Tot Lot playground with a large variety of sweets, cotton candy, popcorn and candy apples.

There will also be several new food trucks in the lineup including:

Urban Wings: Known for its delectable wings and a wide variety of sauces, Urban Wings also offers friendly Vegan wing options as well as sides, desserts, locally crafted beers and gourmet lemonades.

Pico’s Hot Dogs: Along with more traditional hotdogs, you can discover new favorites, like a specialty dog wrapped in crispy bacon, and topped with the zesty flavors of pico de gallo.

Egg Roll Boyz: Inspired by travels across the globe, Egg Roll Boyz serves over 20 different giant gourmet “eggrollz” bursting with unique and sometimes exotic flavors.

Tacos El Kohuich: Specializing in authentic street food tacos, Tacos El Kohuich aims to expand the horizons of every customer by sharing many Nayarit dishes and beverages not often found in the area.

And for some special desserts at the end of the evening, check out Double E Sweets’ frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecake.

Vendor mania
The festival’s vendor lineup features a mix of new and returning favorites, offering a wide array of arts, homemade goods and crafts.

“Although much of this year’s festival will look familiar, about half of our arts and crafts vendors are new to us and are exhibiting in Peachtree Corners for the first time,” said Huffman. “We will be presenting over 60 arts and crafts vendors lining both sides of Peachtree Corners Circle from the roundabout down to DaVinci Court.”

Some of the vendors include:

(New) Bae N Bunnies: This local small business specializes in highly detailed crochet animals, toys and decor. Find everything from crocheted unicorns, turtles, dragons, dreamcatchers and much more. Find Bae N Bunnies at tiktok.com/@baenbunnie.

(New) Miller Made Woodworking: Explore custom fine furniture and woodworking straight from the North Georgia Mountains. All products are handcrafted in Dahlonega, Ga., by owner and operator Trevor Miller, meaning everything is made by hand and made in the USA. Miller MadeWoodworking is passionate about high-quality work and treating customers with care and respect. That means no shortcuts in craftsmanship. Learn more at millermadeww.com.

(New) Home Fields: Looking for the latest and greatest sports accessories? A Home Fields replica stadium is the perfect gift for your favorite (or inner) sports fan. Choose a modern stadium or a favorite of years past. The layered design, combined with the glow of LED lights creates an awesome 3D effect, yet they’re small enough to fit on your shelf, mantle or bookcase. Get a sneak peek at homefields.com.

(New) Built By Bees: Founded by Tim Haratine in 2015, Built by Bees is a gourmet honey company whose products include raw, infused and whipped honeys, honey butters, honey shrubs, honey vinegars, honey elixirs, well-being honeys and honey mustards. The majority of the products use organic or kosher ingredients that are non-GMO. They’re also free from additives, preservatives, sulfites and raw sugars. Learn more at builtbybees.com.

(New) Bethany Plonski Photography: Bethany Plonski is a nature photographer who loves it all, from birds to botanicals and intimate landscapes. For Bethany, photography is as much about connecting with the natural world as it is about the images themselves. She then uses her photos to create photo art products and gift items such as notebooks and greeting cards, coasters, magnets and jigsaw puzzles. Find out more about her process at bethanyplonski.com.

(New) Forever Bows Boutique: This business makes bright, fun and colorful hair accessories, legwarmers, tutus, customer shoes, hats and diaper covers. Find them at instagram.com/foreverbowsboutique.

(New) Jen Schwartz Pottery: Jen Schwartz’s handmade pottery is thrown on the wheel and built from scratch the whole way through. Jen’s expertly crafted mugs, dishes, vases, bowls, platters and planters come in many different themes as well. Check out Jen’s colorful textures and patterns at jenschwartzpottery.com.

(New) Portabakes Cakes and Confections:  Located in Decatur Ga., Portabakes is a small but expanding homegrown business that provides a variety of cakes and pastries including American delights like bundt cake, brownies, snickerdoodles, and bourbon bread pudding. Portabakes makes sure every creation is made from the freshest wholesome products to elevate your special occasion. See the full menu at portabakes.com.

(New) The Raffia Boutique: A local Georgia brand that specializes in wide-brim hats, handbags and other fashion accessories crafted by hand by master artisans on the island of Madagascar. Browse their designs at facebook.com/theraffiaboutique.

(New) Whatnot Bear Mobile: This family-owned and operated business is on a mission to support children while making them smile with a mobile Build-a-Bear party setup. Learn more atwhatnotbearmobile.com.

Bare Naked Farm Goods: Prioritizing nourishing ingredients, Bare Naked Farm Goods offers soaps, lotions and body scrubs that are 100% all-natural, using goat’s milk and essential oils. See the latest scents at barenakedfarmgoods.com.

(New) Brown Girl Mixers: Discover handcrafted syrups, shrubs and bitters, designed to elevate cocktails, mocktails, water, tea and more. Brown Girl Mixers prides itself on using no extracts, added juices or purees, ensuring that every drink is delicious and beneficial for your health. Explore their products at browngirlmixers.com.

(Returning) Cosa Linda Pottery: Meaning “pretty thing” in Spanish, Cosa Linda pottery features hand-built and wheel-thrown, ceramic items for home and garden use. Check the beautiful and unique artistic forms from Cosa Linda at facebook.com/cosalindapottery.

(Returning) My Little World: Located in Duluth, My Little World Plant & Flowers is a family-owned business that sells live plants, colorful flowers and do-it-yourself custom terrarium kits. Stretch out your green thumb with new plants like string of pearls, succulents, string of hearts, and burrow’s tail. More information can be found at mylittleworldplantsflowers.com.

(Returning) Piece Love Soul: Owner Joy Woodson is a journalist by trade but in 2021, reeling from the pandemic and social unrest, she turned to puzzles. Piece Love Soul’s mission is to create puzzles that illustrate and celebrate unity, compassion and cultural diversity while amplifying women artists of color. Check out the business at piecelovesoul.com.

All in all, this year’s Peachtree Corners Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet. We hope to see you and your families there!

Anna is a contributor to Peachtree Corners Magazine. She graduated with a B.A. in English Composition from Georgia State University and has five years of experience performing multimedia writing, editing, and publishing for automotive, small business, and general assignment media.

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Community

The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event

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A group of people standing together at a business event, holding a large check made out for $500 to Light Up the Corners

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) awarded a check for $500 to Light Up the Corners at their May 2025 Business After Hours event.

Light Up the Corners, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, organizes the annual Glow Run and Twilight Trot — a nighttime, community celebration that’s equal parts race, fun run, party and fundraiser.

This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at The Forum in Peachtree Corners. The 1K Twilight Trot will start at 8 p.m., and the four-mile Glow Run will begin at 8:30 p.m. After the runners have crossed the finish line, a fun, post-race party will follow.

All proceeds from the Light Up the Corners event go to benefit less fortunate children and families in the community by giving them the chance to participate in life-enhancing programs and activities at the Fowler YMCA

A history of charitable donations

PCBA’s donation to Light Up the Corners will help the organization meet its goal of assisting struggling families through their Why It Matters campaign. It’s the latest in a series of donations that PCBA has made over the years through their community outreach program.

“We are so proud that the PCBA has awarded 20 scholarships to outstanding future business leaders and donated in excess of $173,500 into our metro Atlanta community over the last 13 years,” said Lisa Proctor, PCBA board president.

Funds for PCBA’s community outreach program are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorships and Tailgates and Touchdowns, an annual charity event they hold each August. Donations and scholarships are awarded at their Business After Hours events so that their members have the opportunity to learn more about the community organizations.

About Peachtree Corners Business Association

The Peachtree Corners Business Association is a business membership organization that focuses on innovative approaches, programs, shared resources, community outreach and opportunities for member businesses and professionals to connect, develop, grow and prosper.  

The PCBA is made up of businesses of all sizes and types that want to expand their reach and grow their business within Peachtree Corners and the greater metro Atlanta area. 

For more information call 678-969-3385, email membership@peachtreecornersba.com or visit peachtreecornersba.com.

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Around Atlanta

“Geek Culture” Shines at 2025 MomoCon

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MomoCon 2025 entrance with colorful anime-style illustration and logo

Annual multi-genre convention celebrating Japanese anime, American animation, comics and gaming sets new record with 59,222 attendees

— Article updated May 29, 2025

Atlanta welcomed nearly 60,000 fans of cosplay, comics, gaming, anime and music over the four-day Memorial Day weekend — all meeting up at the Georgia World Congress Center to celebrate MomoCon 2025 and its 20th year in the city.

One of the fastest growing, all-ages conventions in the country, this year’s numbers topped the 56,000 guests that attended in 2024, and was estimated by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau to have a $42.2 million impact on the metro area.

Three young Black women wearing cosplay and standing at the entrance of MomoCon 2025
Photo courtesy of MomoCon

Equally important, the buzzing enthusiasm and pure joy of the weekend, from both attendees and featured guests, was unmatched. Everyone seemed to be having an incredible time. And plans are already in the works for an even more impressive — and expanded — MomoCon experience in 2026.

Organizers say they are expanding into both Hall A and Hall B next year, increasing the total space to a massive 1,045,178 square feet for exhibits and gaming. The team is already hard at work planning amazing new guests and activities for MomoCon’s 21st year.

Registration for next year’s event is already open, with early-bird discounts for fans who want to lock their passes in early.

Giving back to the community

In addition to the money brought into the city and to the convention itself, MomoCon chooses a charity each year in which to support with donations. Funds are raised through sales of specialty merchandise and custom events that have donation elements built in.

Booths with items for sale at MomoCon 2025 in Atlanta
Photo courtesy of MomoCon

The 2025 official charity was the Johnson STEM Activity Center. MomoCon raised more than $5,000 for the center and contributed an additional $7,500 in matching funds, bringing the total donation to $12,500. MomoCon organizers also worked with 11 Atlanta-area, youth-serving nonprofits to give back by bringing more than 900 kids in need to the convention.

Nonprofits receiving tickets this year included Scouting America, Horizons Atlanta, ReImagine ATL, the New Media Education Foundation of Georgia, Purpose Possible, Lekotek, Focus, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta, Wellroot Family Services and the YMCA.

Fan-favorite comic book artists

Comic book artists (and original members of the former Atlanta-based Gaijin Studios), Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze made their first appearances at MomoCon this year, invited to attend and show off their work in the Artist Alley.

Fans lined up to meet them, along with fellow award-winning artist and longtime friend, Wade von Grawbadger, to get photos, autographs and artwork and spend a few minutes chatting with the guys.

Middle aged man wearing black tshirt and jeans standing in front of his comic creator booth in the artist alley at MomoCon 2025.
Cully Hamner at MomoCon 2025; photo by Shawne Taylor

Hamner talked briefly about an upcoming project, “Ruby Actual” that he’s doing with Greg Rucka. “Not sure when it will come out,” he said, “But we’re hoping first quarter 2026.”

In the meantime, comic fans can continue to enjoy his previous work — the acclaimed, creator-owned RED (which was adapted into two films), the current Blue Beetle (also adapted to film) and all of the other work he’s done for DC, Marvel and other publishers over the last 30 years.

They can also look forward to his return to MomoCon in the future if schedules work out.

“This has been a lot of fun,” Hamner said on Sunday, the last day of the convention. “I’d love to come back if they invite me again.”

Stelfreeze agreed. “I enjoyed [MomoCon],” he said. “I really liked seeing the younger audience.”

That definitely seemed true on Sunday, as the crowds had thinned out some and Stelfreeze had more time to hang out and talk with people who stopped by the Essential Sequential booth. With some fans, he spent ten minutes or more discussing art, comics and other topics, and even came out from behind the table at times to meet people and say hi to old friends.

Other featured guests also drew long lines of fans who were eager to meet their favorite creators.

Darryl McDaniels (from RunDMC and now a comic book and children’s book author), Greg Burnham (Norcross-based comic book writer known for his indie comic hits), Reed Shannon and Mick Wingert (voice actors and stars of Netflix’s “Arcane”), Ryō Horikawa (Japanese voice of Vegeta in “Dragon Ball Z”), veteran voice actor and producer, Chris Sabat, and online personalities such as Damien Haas were just a few of the standouts.

In fact, as the convention was winding down on Sunday afternoon, Haas’ fan line was still so long, the crowd filled multiple rows of the cordoned-off autograph area, both inside and outside of his designated line.

Mick Wingert at MomoCon 2025
Mick Wingert at MomoCon 2025; photo by Shawne Taylor

full list of 2025 celebrity guests can be found here.

New for 2025

While most of the fun features of MomoCon 2025 were returning favorites — Artist Alley, Exhibitor’s Hall, panels, movie screenings and the cosplay showcase —convention organizers kept things fresh with a new theme (‘90s Retro) and a few new highlights, including a skating rink, an expanded online gaming area and the return of the“Bring Your Own Computer” space.

Workshops on everything from miniature painting and D&D to Gunpla modeling, as well as live performances and a massive vendor area and fan car showcase rounded out the exciting weekend.

Though tired from a whirlwind weekend of geek culture camaraderie and large (but super friendly) crowds, we can’t wait to see what MomoCon has in store for 2026.

For more about MomoCon, visit momocon.com.

More moments from 2025; photos courtesy of MomoCon

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City Government

Peachtree Corners Hosts Discussion About the Future of Local Policing

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A group of people in the audience of a city meeting. They are sitting on red chairs, listening to a middle-aged white man at the front discussing the pros and cons of starting a police department in the city.

Although crime isn’t on the rise, and the Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) is fulfilling its role in fighting crime, the City of Peachtree Corners is asking residents, business owners and city stakeholders if they believe the city should form its own police department.

With over 100 people in attendance, City Manager Brian Johnson led the discussion about the future of policing in Peachtree Corners. He presented the findings from a survey conducted by the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM), a nationally-recognized law enforcement consulting and training firm, as well as information about patrol officer staffing, response times, costs to tax payers and a potential timeline.

Ensuring public safety

Johnson kicked off his presentation by explaining that it is the duty of the mayor and city council to ensure public safety, including reviewing law enforcement.

“Maybe it needs to grow, maybe it needs to change its focus. But city council is the one that has the decision-making responsibility,” he said.

He was also adamant that this isn’t a done deal.

Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson speaking at a public meeting on May 8
City Manager Brian Johnson at the May 8 public meeting; photo credit: Rico Figliolini

“I hit this point already, but I want to hit it again. This is the start of a conversation, a community conversation and feedback to council. There hasn’t been a decision,” he said. “Council has not received this presentation from me. They’re here to watch and learn from your feedback of this.”

Mayor Mike Mason was present at the meeting, along with all of the city council members except Eric Christ who was out of town and watching remotely.

Issues and obstacles

Johnson explained that the grounds for the inquiry were based on issues about communication, access to information and enforcement of city-specific ordinances. He cited an example where a city rule that private residences can’t be rented on a short-term basis like Vrbo or Airbnb wasn’t enforced by GCPD. An owner tried to circumvent the ordinance by only renting the outside of the house. A loud pool party ensued, and frustrated neighbors dialed 911.

“Officers showed up and they said, ‘We can’t enforce the city’s noise ordinance,’” Johnson said.

The first stage to fix this problem was creating the marshal program to bridge the gap between code enforcement and GCPD.

Audience and speaker, along with a few empty red chairs, at a city meeting discussing starting a police department
photo credit: Rico Figliolini

“[We thought] they would be able to enforce both local ordinance and state law, since they are a function of the city, and they could maybe be a force multiplier for Gwinnett since [marshals] don’t have to respond to 911 calls,” said Johnson.

But other issues arose shortly after the department was formed.

“We were still working towards getting that good balance, but we have been faced recently with a couple of things that make it harder for us,” said Johnson.

Seeking shared access

Instead of GCPD giving PTC marshals read-only, quick access to incident reports, dispatch calls and other information, the marshals department was required to file open records requests through the same process as any civilian.

“They were denied, as well as the city of Sugar Hill, [when] asked for the ability to see, not change, but see the computer-aided dispatch information, so that they would know where Gwinnett County police officers were; so that they could avoid stepping on their toes or maybe looking to support their efforts, and they haven’t been granted that,” said Johnson.

Brian Johnson speaking to the audience at a public city meeting on May 8, 2025
City Manager Brian Johnson; photo credit: Rico Figliolini

He added that the GCPD has video cameras on certain roadways that are used for various reasons, and law enforcement can use them when there’s crime in the area. Peachtree Corners marshals were denied access to those cameras.

“Conversely, we have a couple hundred cameras in the city, and we definitely want them to have access to them,” said Johnson. “So the frustration out of not being able to get that symbiosis between the marshals and police made us start thinking, all right, you know, is there another option?”

Community feedback

CPSM utilized data from GCPD to discern if Peachtree Corners could feasibly stand its own force. It also took into consideration crime trends, costs and many other factors. It recommended a 55-officer department, costing $12.1 million annually, with a $2.2 million upfront cost.

Comparing the two options to “renting vs. owning” the primary law enforcement agency in the city, Johnson presented pros and cons for each. Once the question-and-answer portion began, there was no obvious choice. Men and women, young and more advanced in age, had both similar and differing opinions.

A chart comparing the pros and cons of the city of Peachtree Corners starting their own police department
From Brian Johnson’s PowerPoint presentation

One young man, who identified himself as a local small business owner named Alexander, argued that with artificial intelligence increasing the efficiency of administrative tasks, perhaps the city wouldn’t need a full 68-man department of civilians and sworn officers.

Some accused the city of devising a solution in need of a problem. Others were concerned that paying approximately $100,00 for a study was throwing good money after bad.

But at the end of it all, the city is continuing to seek feedback and is encouraging everyone to make informed decisions. The meeting was taped and is available on the city website along with Johnson’s PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the study done by CPSM and a survey.

As far as a timeline goes, city officials would like folks to take the summer to mull it over and come back in the fall to take another look at the proposal.

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