Atlanta Food & Wine Festival celebrates cuisine of the South and other southern regions of the world at Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown and nearby tents.
Bring a blanket or chairs for family-friendly Movies on the Town at dusk on the green space at Town Brookhaven. No coolers, food, drinks, or pets. Free. Dates in 2017: June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 & July 13, 20, 27. [They plan to have a web page for 2017 soon.]
Attractions
June 1 - Aug. 31, 2017
multiple locations
These discount ticket prices include all taxes and fees.
East Point Possums Show is billed as the Southeast’s largest drag extravaganza, an over-the-top outdoor show with drinks for sale in East Point. Free.
Soap Box Derby
June 3, 2017 (rain date June 4)
16 miles NE
North Georgia Soap Box Derby [formerly Dunwoody Soap Box Derby] includes group photos, then an opening ceremony, races, inspections, and awards at First Baptist Church on N. Peachtree Rd.
Alpharetta street party
June 3, 2017 (6:30 to 11 p.m.)
25 miles north
Celebrate Alpharetta Brew Moon CountryFest after dark with beer, wine, local restaurant food, and music in historic downtown Alpharetta.
Seniors expo
June 3, 2017 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
27 miles NE
Generations Expo has health screenings and service vendors (health, finance, education, travel, housing) at Infinite Energy Forum in Duluth for ages 50+.
Shop from crafters, artists, vintage vendors, and local food vendors at Summer Indie Craft Experience at Colony Square. Repeats in Nov.
Virginia-Highland summer festival
June 3 - 4, 2017
4 miles NE
Summerfest includes art, music, food, a kidsfest, and a Saturday 5K on historic Virginia Ave. Less crowded in the morning. No pets. Free.
Butterfly festival
June 3 - 4, 2017
22 miles north
Flying Colors Butterfly Festival features the release of hundreds of butterflies, a butterfly encounter, butterfly crafts, face painting, a costume parade, live music, and food trucks at Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell.
Wing & Rock Festival offers chicken wings from local restaurants, live music, arts and crafts vendors, and kids’ activities at Etowah River Park in Canton. Free.
Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo has 250 arcade and pinball games, tabletop games, vendors, speakers, movies, and a tournament at Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel.
Cemetery music festival
June 10, 2017
2 miles SE
Tunes from the Tombs features a dozen local bands playing all genres of music in and among the monuments, mausoleums, and gardens of Oakland Cemetery. Food trucks and beverages available.
Beer benefit
June 10, 2017
5 miles NE
Rock the Cure offers live music, local beer, great food, and raffle prizes to support diabetes research at Sweetwater Brewery.
Brookhaven beer festival
June 10, 2017 (3 to 8 p.m.)
9 miles NE
Sample 150 beers, hear live music, and visit food vendors at Brookhaven Beer Fest for age 21+. No chairs or pets.
Air show
June 10, 2017 (12 to 5 p.m.)
11.1 miles NE
Good Neighbor Day Airshow and Open House features airplanes up close and in the air, aerobatics, vendors, and rides for sale at DeKalb Peachtree Airport. Free except parking.
Visit private gardens
June 10, 2017
15 miles north
See five gardens with hydrangeas on the Garden Tour of The American Hydrangea Society in Sandy Springs.
Lavender Festival
June 10, 2017
21 miles north
Shop from vendors (art, crafts, antiques, food), learn about lavender, make crafts, and visit the beer & wine garden at the Roswell Lavender Festival at Barrington Hall in Roswell. Free.
Peachtree Corners Festival
June 10 - 11, 2017
20 miles NE
Peachtree Corners Festival [website has sound] features craft & food vendors, entertainment, live music, a car show, 5K/1K, and kids’ activities. Free.
The Atlanta Cycling Festival offers bike rides, classes, and parties for riders of all ages and abilities.
Concerts in the Garden
June 10 - Sept. 30, 2017
2.5 miles NE
See national acts at Concerts in the Garden at Atlanta Botanical Garden. The concerts on June 10 and Sept. 30 are in Gainesville.
Car-free Westside
June 11, 2017 (4 to 8 p.m.)
Location is 0.4 miles south
Walk, run, or bike on the Westside during Atlanta Streets Alive, with entertainment and activities for all ages. It happens on Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street (northern end is Chattahoochee Avenue NW and southern end is Peachtree Street).
Powerful black women
June 14 - 25, 2017
2.6 miles north
The award-winning wartime drama Eclipsed is about five Liberian women who struggle to negotiate power, protection, and peace in a tale of hope and resilience at Synchronicity Theatre. Discount tickets $15.
Christian music festival
June 15 - 17, 2017
37.7 miles SE
AtlantaFest attracts a young crowd to hear two dozen artists play for three days on multiple stages, with a 5K run, a kids’ zone, and camping in Locust Grove.
Decatur Beach Party
June 16, 2017
6 miles NE
Get a ticket to Decatur Beach Party to experience 60 tons of sand on the street, a boardwalk with games, live music, dancing, and a food and beer court.
African-American music & parade
June 16 - 18, 2017
3.6 miles SW
Juneteenth is a free three-day music festival at Morris Brown College. A Saturday parade leaves Mozley Park at 1 p.m. and follows MLK Drive to the festival.
Jazz on the Lawn
June 16 - Aug. 11, 2017
4 miles NE
Hear classic and contemporary jazz, swing, fusion, smooth, and blues with a ticket to Jazz on the Lawn at Callanwolde. Dates in 2017: June 16, 30; July 14, 28; Aug. 11.
Birthday Bash ATL includes both a free block party Sat. 12 to 5 p.m. in Centennial Olympic Park, and a ticketed show Sat. 7 to 11 p.m. in Philips Arena.
Summer beer festival
June 17, 2017 (4 to 9 p.m.)
1.7 miles NE
Enjoy 200 beers and two stages of live music at Atlanta Summer Beer Fest at Historic Fourth Ward Park.
Hot air balloon festival
June 17, 2017 (rain date June 18)
29 miles south
See hot air balloons up close, watch them glow, and take a tethered ride at Balloons Over Fayette, which also has a kids’ zone, food, and crafts in Fayetteville.
Summer Fun Festival has entertainment, fun games, food vendors, a kids’ zone, and a petting zoo at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Donate money or school supplies.
OpenTable lists restaurants that offer special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus on Father’s Day.
Father’s Day tasting
June 18, 2017
0.9 miles south
Family Food Fest features 100 dishes to taste, live entertainment (Latin, gospel, jazz, R&B) plus a kids’ zone at Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.
Father’s Day Car Show
June 18, 2017
19 miles east
See vintage cars at the Father’s Day Car Show at Stone Mountain Park, free with paid parking. [They plan to update their website soon with the new date.]
AthFest Music & Arts Festival features 100 musical acts, a weekend artists’ market, local films, a club crawl, and a kids’ fest in Athens.
Arts festival
June 24 - 25, 2017
2 miles NE
Old Fourth Ward Park Arts Festival features fine arts and crafts, a street market, children’s play area, food vendors, and live acoustic music at Historic Fourth Ward Park. Free.
Get a ticket to sample five hamburgers, or buy them separately with Budweiser beer at Bud-n-Burgers Festival in Brookhaven Park. Free entry.
ABOUT JERMAINE SAIN
Jermaine Sainis the host/ creator of a talk show called When We Speak. After exiting the U.S. Army in 2003, as a Medical Sergeant, Jermaine began pursuing a career in music after he auditioned for American Idol in 2005, in Austin, Texas.
We are always anxious for this time of year, not just because of the weather in Atlanta but also because it's festival time!!! One festival in particular that we are always excited about is the Atlanta Jazz Festival and this year is the festival's 40 year anniversary....Isn't that awesome?
Once again, When We Speak TV will be in the building....well not really the building! Correction....once again When We Speak TV will be in the park!!!
Jermaine Sainis the host/ creator of a talk show called When We Speak. After exiting the U.S. Army in 2003, as a Medical Sergeant, Jermaine began pursuing a career in music after he auditioned for American Idol in 2005, in Austin, Texas.
Before I get started, I just want you to know that this is going to be a long post so stay with me until the end!!!
For 8 years, I worked a "9 to 5" and When We Speak TV simultaneously but near the end of 2016, I was laid off of my job of 8 years. Surprisingly, I wasn't shaken when I got the news. Thankfully I was given 2 months notice and received a severance.
Now, with the career change I had to make a decision.....Do I make When We Speak TVmy only career or do I look for another job? I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do but I believed that God had a plan.
I chose to find another job but before doing so, I wanted to take a moment to just rest and clear my brain...(well that was MY plan).
While I was completing a resume course at the job I was exiting, I was browsing online and saw that an event (Jazz In The Alley) was having Tony Hightower (former guest on When We Speak TV) on it's line up. Being the "hardest working man in Atlanta", I reached out to the event about media credentials and they welcomed me with open arms. During the intermission, the Event Director, Ziggy, invited me on stage to introduce myself to the audience. I was a little surprised but very honored at the same time. Then, it hit me.....This was the first time anyone had given me their stage to introduce When We Speak TV to their audience! I knew from that moment that Ziggy and Jazz In the Alley was an event that I wanted to associate with.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT!!!
Meanwhile, my 2 months passed and I'm laid off my job of 8 years...and although I said I was going to take time to rest, that didn't happen because the next day after my official lay off date, I was headed to AUMA Radio, to be one of the special guests on, That Morning Show.
I was really afraid because I wasn't sure what to expect, plus I normally have someone with me when I attend events, interviews, etc and this time I had to do it all by myself. To make a long story short, I had a blast at AUMA Radio and I rocked it like I know to do.....
MOVING ON......
Over the next month or so, after my appearance on AUMA Radio, I received more interview requests. I interviewed with Paul Vail of Why Am I So Happy on BBS Radio, Noelle Jones of Current Situations on BBS Radio, and co hosted an episode of Lunchtime Fun with Dr Kam and The Crew on WIGO 1570. I really had a blast with each interview and I really hope that I was able to inspire the audience.
LET'S TALK ABOUT CO HOSTING FOR A MOMENT
As I stated, I co hosted an episode ofLunchtime Fun with Dr Kam and The Crewon WIGO 1570. I meet Dr Kam during a red carpet media launch of the Dream Music Fest in Riverdale, Georgia, about a month earlier and to my surprise he invited me to come to his show.
On the day of the show, he (Dr Kam) had invited myself and a few other entertainment professionals. Particularly, there was a former student of the Georgia Film Academy, as well as, an instructor from the Georgia Film Academy. I enjoyed speaking with every guest that came and I was really enjoying cohosting but the Georgia Film Academy was really starting to peek my interest.
After the show was over, I got a chance to speak with the former student of the Georgia Film Academy in the parking lot of WIGO 1570. I told her about my situation and how I had been laid off of my job and that the Georgia Film Academy sounded interesting to me. She informed me that I should definitely look into the academy and she also told me that I should look into doing some background roles in films. I had considered it before but I wasn't sure how to begin, then she recommended that I go to Central Casting Georgia and register. At that time, I informed her that I had been planning to do so but hadn't. Then, she strongly suggested that I do so. Needless to say, I went and registered about two days later and was immediately booked as a club goer for the Lee Daniel's tv series Star on Fox.
BECAUSE THIS IS SO LENGTHY, I'M GOING TO SPEED UP THE REST OF THE STORY...
Where do I begin? By the start of 2017, I started to realize that although I was laid off, it was required in order to push me forward....
Do you remember me saying that I went to Central Casting and was placed on Star? Well.... I now work at Central Casting and cast people for films. I even got my business partner, Chet, on an episode of Star.
Do you remember the instructor from the Georgia Film Academy? Well....I started attending the Georgia Film Academy and the instructor that I met ended up being one of my instructors!
And guess what else?...you just may catch a glimpse of When We Speak TV doing our thing on Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta...but we will have to wait and see how the edits turn out!!! And then there's one other reality show that you might see us in....but that's still being taped so my mouth is shut!!!!!
Although this was a very long blog post, I really just wanted to document this, to the best of my ability because I really hope and pray that someone will be blessed by hearing my story. Sometimes we have to be given that extra push for us to really go after our dreams. I really had no idea how things were going to play out when I got laid off but I knew that I couldn't allow it to stress me and I prayed "Lord Thy Will Be Done" and I left it alone and just followed God's direction of my path.
You might be in a turning point like this in YOUR life. If so, I encourage you to do the same, pray "Lord Thy Will Be Done" and then allow God to direct your path. I really hope that someone reading this is enlightened, inspired, and motivated......I can't wait to hear your testimonies.........WHAT DO YOU SPEAK!!!
Jermaine Sainis the host/ creator of a talk show called When We Speak. After exiting the U.S. Army in 2003, as a Medical Sergeant, Jermaine began pursuing a career in music after he auditioned for American Idol in 2005, in Austin, Texas.
