Hot Air Balloon Festival and More!

This weekend is the 11th Annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. The festivities begin this Friday, September 4th at 5pm and go through Sunday, September, 6th. There will be live performances, demonstrations, rides, a classic car show and all kinds of activities available! Check out the schedule of events, directions and admission information on the Callaway Garden website at www.callawaygardens.com/callaway/info/calendar/calendar.sky_high.event.aspx.

Lots To Do This Labor Day Weekend

As I'm sure you already know, there are all kinds of events and activities during the Labor Day weekend. For the sake of time as the weekend is rapidly approaching, I'm going to highlight a few upcoming activities in this post.

The Atlanta Journal/Constitution Decatur Book Festival is this Friday, September 4th - Sunday, September 6th. This is not your average book festival. For starters, the author of the popular Sookie Stackhouse novels will be there! For more information on the festival including directions and a schedule of events and authors visit the festival website at www.decaturbookfestival.com.

The Starlight Six Drive-In Theater is hosting a "Drive Invasion" on Sunday, September 6th. It's an all day affair at the drive-in with several movies, two stages and lots of bands. The gates open at 11am and tickets are $28 per person, $5 for kiddos nine and under. For details and directions visit the Starlight Drive-In Theater's website at www.starlightdrivein.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.events

The last of the "Concert by the Springs" series in Sandy Springs is this Sunday, September 6th from 7pm-8:30pm. The concert is free and held at the Heritage Green property in Sandy Springs which is a historic home with a lovely sprawling lawn. Pack a picnic, bring a cooler and a blanket and enjoy the summer evening. This Sunday the band is The Return, Beatles Tribute Band. For details and directions to the concert visit the Heritage Sandy Springs website at www.heritagesandysprings.org.

Last but certainly not least is Dragon-con. Dragon-con is back in Atlanta this weekend, September 4-7. If you're not sure what Dragon-con is or if you want to know the schedule of events during the convention, visit their website at www.dragoncon.org.

Gardening Class at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is offering a "Basics of Edible Gardening" class on September 9th. Class discussion will include how to set up your garden, using organic sprays, crop rotation, lay-out, soil preparation and more. The class is from 6:30pm-8:30pm on September 9th but the registration deadline is September 3rd. The fee is $25 for non-members. For more information and to register go to www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events/ListClasses.do

Toddler Art

Spend an inspirational afternoon with your child creating art at the High Museum. The High Museum offers a "Toddler Thursdays" art program every Thursday from 11am-3pm. This Thursday, September 3rd, they are offering the opportunity for you and your child to create Calder inspired mobiles with geometric shapes. The program is designed for children ages 2 to 5 and is free with admission to the museum which is $18 for adults. The art projects offered change weekly. For more information, visit The High Museum website at www.high.org/main.taf?p=5,3

Girls Night at the Movies

Here's a great idea for a girlfriend get-together! This Friday, August 21st at 7pm, the newly renovated historic Earl Smith Strand Theater on the Historic Marietta Square is offering "Flicks, Chicks and Chocolate"! For $15 you get to see the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" followed by a dessert reception with a cocktail of your choice on the rooftop terrace overlooking the square! For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, visit the theater's website at www.earlsmithstrand.org.

Scavenger Hunt

What could be more fun than having a few drinks, some food and doing a scavenger hunt with a few friends on a summer afternoon! This Saturday, August 22nd, there is a walking scavenger hunt in the East Atlanta Village. The hunt starts at the Midway Pub at 552 Flat Shoals Ave. at 1pm with registration at noon. There are different stages to the hunt including trivia, riddles, objects to find and photos to take. The hunt ends at 5pm with scoring and prizes being handed out after. Teams consist of four people with a $25 entry fee. The proceeds benefit the East Atlanta Strut. For details and to register in advance, email eavscavengerhunt@comcast.net.

Meditation in the Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is offering meditation classes! The gardens are a wonderful place to learn how to relieve stress and create inner calm through breathwork and meditation. Classes start on August 22nd but the registration deadline is August 17th. The meditation classes are every Saturday for six weeks from 8:30am to 9:30am. The fee for the six week course is $110. For details, registration and information on more classes visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s website at www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events/ListClasses.do.

Sweetwater Brewery Tours

Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta have held week day evening tours of their facilities for several years and have recently added a Saturday tour from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Here’s your opportunity to sample several of their brews, including the standard Sweetwater 420 and Sweetwater IPA, along with some seasonal brews. If you just want to sample, you can get a small plastic cup and six tickets for small pours for free. But, if you like your beer, go for the $8 admission which includes a souvenir glass and tickets for six 5 oz. pours. The actual tour of the facility lasts about 20 minutes and the rest of the time is used for sampling their beers in their large tasting room or on the patio. There’s live music and its dog friendly. Sweetwater Brewery is at 195 Ottley Drive, Atlanta, 30324. Tours are for those 21 and over so don’t forget to bring your ID! For more information go to www.sweetwaterbrew.com.

Too soon to get scared?

Not according to the folks at Ghosts of Marietta! You don't have to wait until fall to enjoy a ghost tour. Ghosts of Marietta are conducting walking ghost tours and an overnight investigation this month! They have also put a fun spin on the walking ghost tour by teaming up with The Historic Marietta Trolley Company for a trolley ghost tour appropriately named the "Scary-etta Ghost Tour" beginning this Friday, August 7th from 8pm to 9:30pm. Space on the trolley is limited so reservations need to be made in advance. $25 + tax for adults and $12 + tax for children. If you miss it this month the next trolley ghost tour is September 4th. Check out these websites for more details and to make reservations: www.ghostsofmarietta.com and www.mariettatrolley.com/events.