Athens This Weekend: April 29 - May 1

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Head to Athens, Georgia for great events for all ages!

1) The 3rd Annual Antebellum Trail begins Wednesday, April 27 and lasts through Sunday, May 1. The trail winds through seven historic areas of Georgia to let you revisit the days of big front porches and slow living. Athens is the northern tip of the trail and offers tours of 16 historic districts and four house museums. This is a great opportunity to view Athens architectural styles and see the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, the oldest Athens residence. While you're in town, there are several other exciting events to check out!
For more information about the trail, visit http://www.antebellumtrail.org/.
For more information about historic Athens, visit the Athens Heritage section of our website.

2) The 32nd Annual Athens Twilight Criterium will be this Friday and Saturday. Join us for two full days of activities including: a Canopy Studio Trapeze Performance, live music, evening races, a 5K, BMX Jam, and kids races. The Twilight Criterium is a favorite race on the national cycling circuit because of its night races and the energy of downtown Athens. Although events last all weekend long, the men's and women's criterium races are held Saturday evening.
For a schedule of events and more information about Athens Twilight, visit http://www.athenstwilight.com/.

3) Check out the Athens Americana Festival this weekend at Little Kings Shuffle Club in downtown Athens. The four-night festival began Wednesday night and lasts through Sunday with an extended closing party at Hendershot's. Enjoy the sounds of bluegrass, folk, country, and 'Americana' and don't miss the new events this year including an acoustic happy hour and artisan fair Saturday afternoon.
For more festival information visit http://www.athensamericana.com/.

Find more weekend events on our interactive calendar!

Athens This Weekend: April 22 - 24

It's time to rally all your energy together and head to Athens for a fun-filled weekend! With lots to do and great weather in store you will never want to leave!

1. The Georgia band, Kinchafoonee Cowboys will be playing at the Melting Point Friday night at 9:00. The group originates from the Albany, GA area but joined the Athens live music scene while several members were in college. Of their four studio albums, three were recorded in Athens -- the last was live at the Georgia Theatre in 2005. Over the past several years, the south Georgia band has shared billing with entertainers such as Alabama, John Anderson, Trisha Yearwood, Diamond Rio, Tracy Lawrence, Martina McBride, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews Band, and many others. Don't miss what's sure to be a standing-room only show this Friday!
For ticket and event information visit the event listing.

2. New this year, Athens Fashion Week is bringing the high style of top fashion designers to the classic city. Fashion week events span Wednesday - Friday with a fun grand finale Friday night at 7:30. This event, Bling out Breast Cancer, includes live music, a pink dress fashion show, formal seated dinner, and silent auction. All proceeds from the event will benefit Bikers Battling Breast Cancer.
For more information about the events check out our calendar entry.


3. The 10th Annual FLUKE Mini-Comics Festival will be held at the 40 Watt Club in downtown Athens on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. This small-scale mini-comics and zines festival serves as a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas rather than a merchandising extravaganza, so bring your ideas and enjoy the great company of Athens-area comic artists and underground publishers!
Find more information on our website's event listing.

For a full list of Athens weekend events visit our interactive calendar.

STS9 Pre-Party Tonight at Terrapin Brewery

To kick off Sound Tribe Sector 9's two nights of concerts in Athens, Terrapin Brewery is hosting the official STS9 concert pre-party tonight, April 20 from 5:30 - 7:30. The Atlanta-based, instrumental band is performing at The Classic Center in Athens tonight and tomorrow night at 9:00. The pre-party will benefit Rock Against Cancer, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for children and teens diagnosed with cancer to gain emotional support through music. The organization uses music as a source of healing and comfort during the intense hours of chemotherapy, treatments, and procedures in the hospital and at home.

Here's what Public Relations Director, Paula Bryant has to say about this inspiring event:

Terrapin Brewery will host the official Sound Tribe Sector 9 concert pre-party to benefit Rock
Against Cancer on Wednesday, April 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

STS9 will perform two nights at the Classic Center on April 20 and 21. David Murphy, bassist and member of STS9, was recently diagnosed with cancer. In light of Murphy’s recent diagnosis, Terrapin Brewery and STS9 have joined forces to raise money for Rock Against Cancer. The pre-party will feature a performance by Noise[Org], a band from Auburn, Ala., a raffle that will include tickets to STS9’s performances at the Classic Center, autographed STS9 merchandise, PLAANT clothing by David Bywater, Conscious Alliance merchandise, iWallyphoto framed photographs, artwork by Jason Garcia, Jeff Wood, Andrew Wagner, Stephen Wells, and Christian Jaxtheimer and commemorative 16oz. Terrapin Brewery glasses. The collectable glasses will feature artwork by local artist David Hale.

The event coordinator, Adam LaHaie noted, “This is an extraordinary opportunity for our community to come together at Terrapin Brewery for a great cause. We all know someone who has been affected by cancer, so please join us to celebrate life and benefit Rock Against Cancer.”

You can find more information at the pre-party Facebook page.

NOTE: Tickets for Wednesday night's concert are sold out but there are still some available for Thursday. You can purchase tickets here.

Athens This Weekend: April 15 - 17

To take full advantage of the sunshine, join the Piedmont Gardener's Garden Tour on Saturday for a peak at beautiful Athens gardens. Five inspirational gardens will be featured on the tour and the tickets double as brochures with maps and directions. The Piedmont Gardeners will host their tour from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. rain or shine!

It's finally here! UGA gears up for an exciting fall football season with the G-Day Spring Football Game this Saturday at 1 p.m at Sanford Stadium. The 2011 bulldogs will split into the red and black squads to show off their talents and teamwork. And you won't want to miss the halftime Quarterback Skills Competition to raise awareness and support for the Johnathan Taylor Fund. UGA football favorites including Matthew Stafford, Eric Zeier, David Greene, and DJ Shockley will be competing in the competition.   A wings cookoff on the Tate lawn and football legend Lindsay Scott at Red Zone are just some of the other festivities.

Have you ever wished you could watch a good old fashioned circus full of human cannonballs and lions? Friday through Sunday is your chance as Canopy Studio performs its Classic City Double Barrel Royal Sequin Aerial Circus. The four performances by Athens flying dance trapeze group will be fun for all ages so check it out and support Athens arts!

For more Athens weekend activities visit our interactive calendar.

Athens Art Bar - Pints and Paints

UPDATE, April 15:  UGA and Uga fans, get ready for G-Day with a painting project of Big Bad Bruce!  Tonight at 6:30 p.m.  Register here!

The idea of an art bar used to scare me. I have no artistic talent whatsoever and I thought adding any alcohol to the experience would lead to a muddle of paint on a canvas and a miserable experience. But I chose to face my fears on Saturday and try out Athens' new Pints and Paints with my friend Julie. By a landslide, it was the most fun I've had in a long time.



My Pints and Paints
peacock



I didn't go to exercise my amazing artistic ability (trust me, I have none), I went for the experience and was overwhelmed by how much fun I had thanks to the energy and laid back atmosphere. There was no pressure to create a masterpiece, I could tell that the owner Abby Denham really just wanted people to enjoy themselves. The "Pints" part comes from the option to drink a little to help you relax and let your creativity flow. We could choose from two different wines, champagne, beer, or soft drinks.

Everyone paints the same thing at the same time while the instructor went through each step slowly and answered all of our questions with encouraging advice. The three hours went by quickly while we were entertained by our surprising artistic talent.

Our instructor Sam made sure that
everyone felt confident about their work
and really had fun.

If you are looking for something new to try in Athens, GA, I fully recommend Pints and Paints. Take a look at the monthly calendar to choose which painting you want to do. This is a great place for a fun night out, an adorable Athens date idea, or a private party for birthdays, weddings, reunions, and Greek life. Sundays are great days to take the whole family and Tuesday nights are only $20! So don't be afraid to give this place a try. I saw everyone leaving with huge grins and I personally can't wait to try it again! Pints and Paints is an amazing new addition to the Athens Georgia nightlife scene-- Check it out!

Pints and Paints

The Leathers Building

675 Pulaski St.

Suite 600

Athens, GA  30601

706-850-7200

Abby@PintsandPaints.com



 

The Grit: An Amazing Vegetarian Restaurant

I know when most people hear the phrase “vegetarian restaurant” fears of eating rabbit food arise. Not only is this a false statement, but there is at least one vegetarian restaurant that is sure to satisfy the biggest appetite. The Grit on Prince Avenue has been an Athens staple for more than 20 years, serving a huge array of homemade dishes for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. As a senior, I knew I had to try it out before I graduated so I grabbed my friend Julie and we embarked on this adventure. We were amazed that the lunch and dinner menu had so many choices that it was hard for us to choose! If you’re ready to delve into a serious vegetarian meal, try the Falafel Platter or the Teriyaki Tofu Wrap. If you’d rather stick to something you’re more accustomed to, get the Buffalo Chick’n Sandwich, Big Daddy Burger, or Loaded Nachos. (In case you haven’t noticed, The Grit has food from all over the world!) I tried the Grilled Cheese Smelt and the Stir Fry and they were both deliciously filling (and very reasonably priced as well!) There’s more space inside than I expected and the restaurant has a good, eclectic vibe fitting of Athens, GA. It’s easy to see why this seemingly niche restaurant has thrived for so long; they serve delectable food in a fun environment for great prices! Don’t be scared to try The Grit next time you go out!

199 Prince Ave.

Athens, GA

706-543-6592

Monday – Friday: 11 am – 10 pm

Saturday – Sunday: 10 am – 3 pm (brunch)

5 pm – 10 pm (dinner)

Check out a bigger list of Athens, Georgia restaurants here.

Athens This Weekend: April 8 - 10

Spring is finally here and Athens, GA has several fun events to keep you busy this weekend!

1. Plantapalooza is a giant plant sale to help get your garden in perfect shape. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, the Trial Gardens at UGA, and the UGA Horticulture Club will host their annual plant sales on the same day, April 9 from 8 am - 2 pm. A large assortment of spring garden plants will be available as well as horticulturalists, volunteers, and master gardeners to help you select the perfect plants. All plants selected for the sale are specifically selected to thrive in the Southeast.
Find more information on our event listing.

2. For something edgier, check out UGA's 13th Annual International Street Festival this Saturday from noon - 5 p.m. This event in downtown Athens is a good opportunity for people of all ages to experience and enjoy all of the cultures in Athens. Dozens of UGA international organizations and community groups will have activities for kids, colorful displays, and musical and dance performances. Visitors will have the opportunity to collect "passport" stamps from each of the organizations and those who collect all stamps will receive a ticket for a prize drawing.

3. You could also attend Material World II: FashioNation at Hotel Indigo Friday night at 8 p.m. This event by the Athens Area Arts Council features a unique wearable art fashion show for Celebrate the Arts 2011. At the event, you will have the chance to become a member of the Athens Arts Council and support its goal to integrate Athens art into the local community.

Also this weekend: Classic City Brewfest, Abbey Road LIVE!, and the opening of a new ATHICA exhibit!

Check out our weekend event listing for more great weekend ideas in Athens.

Athens Fashion Week All-Access Pass Giveaway

Win two All-Access Passes to Athens Fashion Week by tweeting! These vouchers guarantee spots at every fashion show Wednesday at the Classic Center, the Kim Zolciak gala at the Foundry Inn & Spa Thursday night, and the Bling Out Breast Cancer event on Friday.

Just copy-paste to enter:

"RT @VisitAthensGA Send me to @AthFashionWeek April 20-22! RT to win"

The first ever Athens Fashion Week will transform the city into a hub for fashion lovers and celebrities with three days of non-stop fashion! Wednesday will kick off with a high tea brunch with Phaedra Parks of Bravo TV's Real Housewives of Atlanta. Fashion shows include Judith March, Victoria's Secret Swimsuits, Emma Graham, LK, and men's fashion such as Ralph Lauren, Southern Proper, and Otter Bay Company. Thursday night there will be a Gala with Kim Zolciak, another star of Real Housewives of Atlanta with entertainment by Atlanta's Infinity Show Band. Athens Fashion Week concludes Friday night with a seated dinner, silent auction, and fashion show. Proceeds from events will benefit the Georgia 4-H Foundation and Bundles of Joy.

If you want to win these amazing vouchers, simply use your twitter account to tweet:
"RT @VisitAthensGA Send me to @AthFashionWeek April 20-22! RT to win"

Contest begins today and runs through Monday April 11. We will contact the winner via their Twitter account.

For additional contest rules visit www.VisitAthensGA.com/about_us/contest_rules.

Start tweeting!

AthFEAST

Here's the good word from Jared Bailey, director of AthFest.  What do you get when you add an "A" to AthFest?  Lots of delectable food!

Jared tells us:

Please let everyone know about AthFEAST! It is a dining event next Tuesday April 12th that benefits AthFest and our educational programs. All you have to do is go to our participating restaurants on Tuesday and have food and/or beverages and AthFest will receive a percentage of what you pay.



The restaurants are:


Breakfast: Mama's Boy


Lunch: Mama's Boy, DePalma's Downtown, Buffalo's Southwest Café


Dinner: Ciné and The National Dinner&Movie Combo, Speakeasy, DePalma's Downtown, Buffalo's Southwest Café


Here is a a link to the Facebook event page for AthFEAST: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207148069313259  


Please send the info to all of your friends and plan to go to the participating restaurants that evening. If you get the chance let the restaurants know you are there to support AthFest. We want them to see tangible evidence that this event brought in customers.
Thank you very much and bon appétit.

--Jared Bailey

Two Great Gardening Weekends

This post is courtesy of Guest Blogger Connie Cottingham, from her Georgia Gardening blog.  Thanks, Connie!

OK plant nuts, listen up! If you are looking for a road trip or are lucky enough to live nearby, clear your calendars for two special gardening weekends in Athens Georgia.


The first is Apriil 9th, when the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, UGA Trial Garden and the UGA Horticulture Club decided to have their plant sales from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on the same day – a Plantapolooza!So if you want to find unusual plants, ask horticulturists and Master Gardeners their advice (bring a few photos of your garden – that helps communication), or just feel like celebrating spring by plant shopping, then come to Athens. The State Botanical Garden will emphasize native plants, food crops and Georgia Gold medal winners among their wide selection. Allan Armitage will be leading tours and signing books at the UGA Trial Garden. Find out more about these sales at www.ugatrialgardens.com.

If you are a Friend of the State Botanical Garden, you can start shopping Friday night at the preview sale (a few of the best things sell out that night), plus members receive 10% off purchases at the State Botanical Garden sale and in the new gift shop. The Friends of the Garden “Members Only” Preview Sale will be held Friday, April 8, 5:00pm-7:00pm in the Visitor Center & Conservatory. If you aren’t a Friend of the Garden, you can buy a membership outside of the sale that night. That leaves Saturday open to not only shop the other two sales but… (insert drumroll here):

Several area nurseries are offering discounts to people who have been to these three plant sales. The more you shop, the more you save. For visiting one, two or all three of the Plantapalooza sites, you earn 5%, 10% or 15% (respectively) off your total purchase that day at the following participating local retailers. Participants will receive a card which will be stamped at the Botanical Garden, Trial Gardens and Horticulture Club sales.

Cofer’s Home & Garden Showplace
1145 Mitchell Bridge Road
Athens, GA 30606-6411
(706) 353-1519
Store Hours: 9:00am-6:00pm
www.cofers.com

Goodness Grows
332 Elberton Road
Lexington, GA 30648
(706) 743-5055
Store Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
www.goodnessgrows.com


Thyme After Thyme
550 Athens Road
Winterville, GA 30683-1535
(706) 742-7149
Store Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
www.thymeafterthyme.com

Thomas Orchards, Greenhouse and Giftshop
6091 Macon Highway
Bishop, GA 30621-1468
(706) 769-5011
Store Hours: 9:00am-6:00pm
www.thomasorchardsandnursery.com

Specialty Ornamentals
3650 Colham Ferry Rd,
Watkinsville, Georgia 30677
(706) 310-0143 ‎
www.specialtyornamentals.com

Eastside Ornamentals
120 Walter Sams Road
(Off Highway 78 East)
Winterville, GA 30683
(706) 543-5500
Store Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm

The following weekend will be a great weekend in Athens for gardeners too. Saturday, April 16th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm will be The Piedmont Gardeners 18th Annual Garden Tour of Athens. See www.piedmontgardeners.org for photos of the 5 lovely gardens on tour this year. This is a very successful and popular annual garden tour. I’ve been to many of these tours and have always had a wonderful time. I’ve toured two of this year’s gardens and - oh my! – they are amazing – so worth the $20 ticket price ($15 in advance)! Bring a camera, plus paper and pen. Then once you have that list of plants you cannot live without, go back to the nurseries listed above, because Thomas Orchards in Watkinsville, Cofer’s in Athens and Thyme After Thyme in Winterville (maybe more) will have open houses in their nurseries, including specials and Master Gardeners to answer questions. Specialty Ornamentals will offer special discounts to Master Gardeners.

Athens is a great gardening town. If you feel like taking a breather, stroll the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (www.uga.edu/botgarden) to see Forged from Nature: An Exhibition of Garden Gates. You’ll view amazing sculpted gates by Andrew T. Crawford that are 6’-10’ tall among the many plants in bloom.

RIP Frontier Store Cat, Raffia

Just got some sad news from Sarah and Devin at Frontier, in downtown Athens Georgia. Raffia the store cat has died. Raffia was a fixture in the store window on sunny days, and she will be dearly missed by Frontier's employees and cutomers. Here is a media notice from Frontier with more details on Raffia, as well as honoring the beloved cat with donations to Campus Cats.

"Athens, GA, April 4, 2011 - Raffia, the cat that lived at Frontier on 193 E. Clayton Street, was found dead in the store on Saturday. Storeowner, Devin Clower, recently reported her missing and received an overwhelming amount of support by members of the community in the search. Raffia was thought to be about 18 years old, having lived in the store since she was a kitten.

For anyone wishing to remember Raffia, shop Frontier in April and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Athens organization, Campus Cats. Donations will also be collected at Frontier.

Anyone who knows cats would understand the personality of the Tortoise Breed. Raffia, sometimes affectionate and other times independent, loved to explore. She often paraded in the store’s front windows, luring customers in with a meow and twitching of her tail. She also loved to curl up for long naps in the sunny store window. Often, customers would ask, “Is she real?”

Raffia was real indeed, famous among locals and visitors alike. She will be remembered for her confident attitude and unique story. In the end, she chose to climb among the crawl spaces of the store to die peacefully. Reflecting on her legacy, Clower says “she added so much character to the store and I’m just comforted in knowing that she died at home.” Clower plans to have Raffia cremated this week. "