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Local Beat--Holiday Edition: Independence Day Weekend

Here's how people are celebrating the holiday in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• July is Americanafest month at Tanglewood Farms in Canton.
• There's a Fantastic Fourth Celebration at Stone Mountain Park July 3-5 with fireworks each night.
• The City of Kennesaw's Summer Concert Series continues July 3 at the Depot with Frontiers - A Tribute to Journey at 8 p.m. and fireworks at dark. Free.
• Acworth's Love the Lake series continues July 4 at Cauble Park with Cry in the Sun at 4 p.m., Redline at 6 p.m., Flashback at 8 p.m., and fireworks at dark. Free.
• Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park has a 4th of July Celebration all afternoon, culminating in a fireworks display that will also be broadcast on 11Alive WXIA-TV (9-10 p.m.) and simulcast on Star 94FM.
• Roswell's 9th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza takes place July 4 at Roswell High School, with events beginning at 4:30 p.m.
• The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall, a traveling replica of the original in Washington, D.C., will be on exhibit at Green Lawn Cemetery in Roswell July 4-6.
• There's food, live entertainment, and fireworks at The 49th Annual 4th of July at Lenox Square in Atlanta. The fun begins at 6 p.m. and WSB-TV telecasts live beginning at 9 p.m.
• Lake Lanier Islands Resort has a Light Up the Lake Fireworks Independence Day Celebration beginning at noon.
• The new Milennium Gate in Atlantic Station in Atlanta will have a dedication and grand opening July 4, with patriotic music, a parade, and daytime fireworks.
• Powder Springs' 13th Annual Independence Day Celebration begins at 6 p.m. and ends at dusk with fireworks.
• Catch the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra July 4 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta with an All-American Celebration. Or July 5 at Hutcheson Ferry Park in Palmetto for a Starbucks Free Parks Concert.
• Don't forget the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta July 4 at 7:30 a.m. And Fox 5 WAGA-TV has the coverage beginning at 6:45 a.m.
• Woodstock's fireworks begin at dusk near Highway 92 at the Target shopping center. Also check out their parade and Festival in the Park earlier in the day.
• Marietta's annual Fourth in the Park celebration July 4 at the Marietta Square begins at 10 a.m. and includes a parade, free live concerts, museum tours, an arts and crafts show, food, carnival games, and a fireworks finale. The Marietta Daily Journal has the story.
• The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum--Scarlett on the Square celebrates A Star-Spangled Scarlett Weekend July 4-6 with original cast members on hand.
• Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell celebrates July 4th Weekend July 4-6, with fireworks on July 4.
• The Atlanta Braves play the Houston Astros July 4-6 at Turner Field. Promotions include Friday Night Fireworks and 4th of July Celebration July 4; Arrested Development Concert July 5; Alumni Meet and Greet and Kids Run the Bases July 6; and Braves Foundation Weekend all three days.
• Kennesaw's Grace Community Christian Church presents a concert called The Celebration (Freedom in Christ) featuring Fred Hammond and special guest Dottie Peoples July 5 at Jim Miller Park in Marietta.
• The AJC also has a list fireworks options and more.

Local Beat

News and events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• At Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, the Music @ Noon concert series (Tuesdays & Thursdays, April through October, 12 noon-1 p.m.) continues with jazz quartet DMR - the Davis Peterson Band on July 1; and blues artist Shirley Diamond on July 3. Also the Park's Wednesday WindDown concert series (Wednesdays April through September, 5:30-8 p.m.) continues with jazz artists Joey Sommerville and Marcus Johnson on July 2; and The 911 Band on July 9.
• The Atlanta Braves play the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field July 1-3, 7 p.m. each night. Promotions include 2-for-1 Tuesday on July 1; Tom Glavine T-Shirt Giveaway and Outfield Advantage July 2; Christmas in July and Singles Night on July 3; and a Toy Drive each night.
• July is Georgia Educators Appreciation Month at The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw. Teachers get in free with a valid ID.
• The Classic Chastain Series at Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheater continues with Boz Scaggs with David Jacobs-Strain and the Atlanta Symphony on July 2; Soul Asylum & Gin Blossoms on July 9; and Trace Adkins with Ronnie Milsap on July 11. Also, the Live Nation Concert Series at Chastain continues with Lyle Lovett July 6; and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, featuring T Bone Burnett, on July 10. (The July 1 Donna Summer concert has been canceled.)
• At Six Flags over Georgia in Austell, the Starburst Thursday Night Concert Series continues with Danity Kane on July 3; and Flo Rida on July 10. And their Sunday Rocks! series continues with Mitchel Musso on July 6.
• The Rockin' Nights Series continues at Mableton's Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on July 3 at 8 p.m. Also their free Summer Candlelight Concerts series begins with The Dappled Grays on July 5.
• Acworth's Theatre on Main will present Steel Magnolias July 5-19.
• The Dave Matthews Band with Gomez will be at Atlanta's Lakewood Amphitheatre on July 7. Lakewood also has the Vans Warped Tour July 9 with Angels and Airwaves, Relient K, Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is, As I Lay Dying, From First to Last, Against Me!, and more.
• The Art Station--Big Shanty in Kennesaw has a new exhibit "Dream Vacations" July 7-28.
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Steve Winwood will be at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta on July 9.
• Check out the Forward Student Conference July 10-12 at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, with Jentezen Franklin, Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Ron Luce, Delirious?, Jeremy Camp, and John Gray.
• Marietta's Theatre in the Square presents Mount Pleasant Homecoming, the continuing comedic and musical adventures of the Sanders family, July 10-August 3.

Stay tuned for a special holiday edition of Local Beat with Independence Day weekend events...

Local Beat

News and events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• Deeper Still: The Event takes place June 27-28 at Atlanta's Philips Arena. The sold-out event features Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur, with worship led by Travis Cottrell and special guest Mandisa (of American Idol fame).
• The free Glover Park Concert Series continues on the Marietta Square on June 27 at 8 p.m. with Still Swinging. (The series takes place the last Friday evening of each month, April through August.)
• To take part in all things The Dukes of Hazzard, check out Dukesfest & Hazzard County Fair at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, June 28-29. (Folks, you can't make this stuff up.)
• Kennesaw State University's (KSU) College of the Arts begins their 10th annual Starlight Summer Concert Series June 29. Performers will be: Army Ground Forces Jazz Guardians, plus a fireworks display, on June 29; The Persuasions on July 13; the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Pops on July 27; the Nashville Bluegrass Band on August 10; and the KSU Jazz Ensemble with Brian Stripling on August 24. The June 29 concert is free and takes place at 8 p.m. on the Campus Green. All the other concerts are $5 each and take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Legacy Gazebo Amphitheater.
• Recently passed away: Erby Walker, longtime Varsity counterman.
• KSU and local businesses break ground on The Edge Connection Enterprise Center at the corner of Highway 41 and Kennesaw Due West Road in Kennesaw.
• Life University in Marietta plans an $80 million campus renovation.

Local Beat

News and events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• Eddie Money is in concert tonight (June 20) at 8:00 at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton. The Marietta Daily Journal (MDJ) has the story.
• Celebrate the fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration June 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on the Marietta Square. Free.
• Banks & Shane will be at the Kennesaw Depot June 21 at 8 p.m. as part of the City of Kennesaw's Summer Concert Series. Free.
• Lifehouse will be in concert June 25 at 8 p.m. at The Tabernacle in Atlanta.
• After bringing the Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Opera to the 'burbs, the Cobb Energy Centre will inaugurate a Broadway series this fall. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) has the story.
• The AJC reports on Atlantic Station's giant new arch monument called Millennium Gate, which officially opens July 4 and will house a history museum.
• The MDJ reports on how Day's Chevrolet supports Acworth's Special Needs League.
• The National Museum of Patriotism is moving to a new location in the Hilton Garden Inn across the street from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, according to the MDJ.
• The AJC says Georgia public schools may start the school year in late August beginning in 2009.

Local Beat

More upcoming events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• Delta's Classic Chastain concert series begins this weekend at Atlanta's Chastain Amphitheatre. This month's lineup: Chris Botti featuring Paula Cole on June 14; Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on June 18; Melissa Etheridge on June 20; George Benson with Earl Klugh and the Atlanta Symphony on June 21; Kenny G on June 25; Emmylou Harris & Sam Bush, Jimmy Gaudreau, Moondi Klein on June 27; and Edwin McCain Band with Meghan Coffeed and the Atlanta Symphony on June 28.
• The Marietta Daily Journal profiles Acworth's free Love the Lake series that begins June 14 with Prime. More info at Acworth's Parks & Rec site, where you can also check out the Flag Day Ceremony.
• June 16 is the last day you can register to vote in the July 15 General Primary and Special Election.
• Check out Atlanta Fest, an annual Christian Music Festival, held this year at Stone Mountain Park June 19-21.

Local Beat

More upcoming events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• At Kennesaw State University, check out a new rare books exhibition, "Book Art, Art in Books, Books as Art," in the Sturgis Art Gallery. The free exhibition opened Thursday and runs through July 19. And here's an AJC article about the items on view.
• Six Flags over Georgia in Austell begins their Sunday Rocks! concert series this weekend. The lineup: Demi Lovato on June 8; James Otto on June 15; Drake Bell on June 29; Natasha Bedingfield on July 13; a bonus concert August 3 with Raven Symone; plus artists to be announced June 22 and July 6. Also at Six Flags, the Starburst Thursday Night Concert Series begins next week with the following performers: All Time Low on June 12; Mario on June 19; Aly & AJ on June 26; Danity Kane on July 3; Flo Rida on July 10; Gavin DeGraw on July 31; and artists to be announced July 17 and 24.
• At Atlanta's Fox Theatre, Theater of the Stars presents Mamma Mia!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of Abba, June 10-15. And later this month they'll present Rogers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! June 24-29.
• This month at the new Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta, the lineup includes Stevie Nicks on June 10; Steely Dan on June 11; moe. with special guest Keller Williams on June 21; and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presenting Beethoven's best with Dejan Lazic on June 28.
• Acworth's free Love the Lake series (sponsored in part by NorthStar Church) at Cauble Park begins next weekend with Prime on June 14; Cry in the Sun, Redline, Flashback, and fireworks on July 4; and movie night August 23 with "Surf's Up."

Local Beat

Upcoming events in the Acworth, Georgia area and greater Atlanta:

• The Dixie Highway Yard Sale takes place this weekend, June 6-8. Acworth's monthly First Friday event will be a part of the Sale on June 6.
• Atlanta's Chastain Park Amphitheatre Concert Series has several concerts in June: ZZ Top on June 7; True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell, & Tegan and Sara on June 16; Chicago with The Doobie Brothers on June 24; and REO Speedwagon with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on June 29.
• The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta features the following in June: Glenn Beck's Summer Political Tour '08 on June 7; The Clark Sisters with Kierra "Kiki" Sheard on June 14; Eddie Izzard on June 24 & 25; and Merle Haggard on June 26.
• Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History features a new exhibit opening June 7 and continuing through January 2: "Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins." Another exhibit, "Penguins of the Antarctic: A Photographic Expedition," also opens June 7 and runs through August 31. In their IMAX Theatre, the film "Antarctic" opens June 7 and "Alaska: Spirit of the Wild" opens June 13.
• The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has three exhibitions opening this weekend: "Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968," June 7-October 5; "After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy," June 7-October 5; and "Houdon at the Louvre: Masterworks of the Enlightenment," June 7-September 7. Check out many other events going on there this month, including the monthly Friday Jazz on June 20, featuring Dan Baraszu.
• The Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton has several June concerts: America on June 7; A.J. Jamal on June 13; Eddie Money on June 20; and The Delfonics & Cobb Symphony on June 28. Plus one free concert: Kerry Ayres and Rambunctious on June 14.

QuickLinks: Local Beat

Interesting random links today spotlighting upcoming local events in Acworth, Georgia and greater Atlanta:

• The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville will have the 3rd Biennial Staff, Volunteer, and Member Art Exhibition June 3 through July 27 in the Borderland Gallery, with a meet the artists reception June 19. Also coming up in June: the exhibition "Hidden Heritage: Western Art Treasures from an Atlanta Collection" June 24-September 14 in the Theatre Lobby Gallery, with an opening reception August 16.
• Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park has a variety of events going on in June: The Music @ Noon concert series continues every Tuesday and Thursday, 12 noon-1 p.m.; the Wednesday WindDown concert series continues every Wednesday, 5:30-8 p.m.; Screen on the Green continues every Thursday in June, 6-11 p.m., with movies from Peachtree TV; the Indie Craft Experience happens Saturday, June 7, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day is June 28, 12 noon-4 p.m.
• The annual Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at Atlanta's Fox Theatre begins June 5. The lineup: The Rolling Stones' concert film Shine a Light on June 5, 7:30 p.m.; Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! on June 8, 2 p.m.; Atonement on June 8, 7 p.m.; Casablanca on June 17, 7:30 p.m.; No Country for Old Men on June 18, 7:30 p.m.; Enchanted on July 13, 2 p.m.; and Ben Hur on July 13, 7 p.m.
• Headliners at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta include Jimmy Buffet on June 5; Tim McGraw on June 11; and R.E.M. on June 21.
• Coming up next at The New American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta: Much Ado About Nothing June 6-29, with a general admission preview June 5 and a Q&A session June 15.

QuickLinks: Local Edition

Interesting random links today spotlighting upcoming local events in Acworth, Georgia and greater Atlanta:

• Gallery 4463 in Acworth has a new art exhibition "Landscapes: From Photo-realism to the Abstract...View the Many Variations of the Landscape." The exhibition began May 22 and runs through June 28, with an Artist Reception June 6.
• Peachtree TV presents Screen on the Green five consecutive Thursdays beginning May 29 at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. These free events begin at 6 p.m. with live music and the movie starting at sunset. Movies include Jaws on May 29; Big Mama's House June 5; Chicago June 12; E.T. June 19; and Footloose June 26.
• The Atlanta Botanical Garden presents its annual Concerts in the Garden series beginning May 30. Tickets are $35 per concert and the headliners include Buddy Guy on May 30; Shawn Colvin June 20; John Hiatt July 11; Jerry Jeff Walker July 18; Lucinda Williams July 25 (sold out already); and KT Tunstall August 1.
• Chuck Girard, a CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) pioneer will be in concert June 1 at Calvary Chapel Cobb in Marietta. Girard was part of the groundbreaking group Love Song and was a favorite of mine back in the 1970s. How about a little "Sometimes Alleluia" anyone?
• The Art Station-Big Shanty in Kennesaw has a new exhibit coming up June 2-27 entitled "Fur, Fins, Feathers, and Scales." Also, their annual Melodies in the Meadow concert series begins June 14. These free concerts start at 7 p.m. and include the Etowah Jazz Society on June 14; the Roswell New Horizons Band June 19; and the Army Ground Forces Band August 23.

QuickLinks: Memorial Day

Interesting random links today related to Memorial Day:

• Interesting Pile has a pretty definitive list of TV marathons for today.
• Check out mental_floss's 10 things to remember about Memorial Day. (HT: Interesting Pile)
• What makes Frank Woodruff Buckles stand out among all the other veterans on this Memorial Day?
• Check out a list of Memorial Day activities in the greater Atlanta area today, courtesy MyFox Atlanta.
• And a summer tradition in the ATL, the Stone Mountain Laser Show, has gotten a bit of a revamp on its 25th anniversary.

Have a great holiday!