Cabbagetown’s Forward Warrior mural project returns Sept. 18-20
Atlanta’s Cabbagetown neighborhood will welcome 80 new murals during the 12th annual Forward Warrior mural project Sept. 18-20, expanding the annual event to include new Friday programming.
The free, all-ages event will bring artists to the 0.6-mile mural corridor along Wylie and Tennelle streets, where they will create new works as part of Cabbagetown’s ongoing “living mural corridor.” The 80 murals planned this year are up from 60 in 2025.
Friday programming will feature projection mapping, which will transform Peter Ferrari’s new Krog Tunnel entrance mural into a moving video display, as well as “Words on Wiley,” a poetry showcase featuring poets, spoken-word artists, rappers and songwriters responding to the neighborhood’s murals. Creative writing students with Common Good Atlanta also will contribute poems inspired by murals they have seen in photographs.
Saturday programming, running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., will include an expanded Georgia Vintage Goods artist and vintage market, a “Mini Krog” children’s area at Esther Peachy Park, DJs, food trucks and local bars.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta History Center announces September and October events
The Atlanta History Center will host a slate of programs and events in September and October, including the return of its annual Fall Fest, a new photography exhibition and several author talks.
Fall Fest with 4-H will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Atlanta History Center’s Buckhead campus. The family-friendly event will feature historic demonstrations, seasonal garden activities, Georgia 4-H programs, fall-themed games and food. Activities are included with general admission.
The center also will open “Joy to the City: Atlanta Smiles at the Camera” in October. The exhibition, drawn from the History Center’s historic photography collection, will highlight moments of joy in Atlanta and the surrounding metro area and remain on view through summer 2027. The center is accepting public photo submissions for digital display as part of the exhibition.
Author talks will include Stephen Berry discussing “The Original Black Panther: Prince Rivers and the Lost City of Hamburg” on Sept. 1; Wil Haygood discussing “The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home” on Sept. 16; Sarah McCoy discussing “Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?” on Sept. 28; Bobby J. Smith II discussing “Black Farm Boys” on Oct. 7; Nathaniel Philbrick discussing “The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World” on Oct. 13; Kerry Kennedy discussing “Ethel Kennedy: The Extraordinary Life and Bold Legacy” on Oct. 20; and Karla Montalván discussing “The Sun and All the Other Stars” on Oct. 27.
The History Center also will host “Centennial Conversations: Two Atlanta Museums at 100” at 7 p.m. Oct. 8, featuring leaders from the Atlanta History Center and High Museum of Art discussing the institutions’ histories and roles in Atlanta.
— Derek Prall
Mayor Dickens weighs in on the Summerhill Olympic Cauldron move
The Summerhill Olympic Cauldron story continues to develop, with its latest installment seeing Mayor Andre Dickens weighing in and siding with residents who want to see the cauldron stay in its current home.
In June, plans by the University System of Georgia, supported by a nonprofit called Atlanta ‘96 Legacy and other civic leaders, to move the cauldron, yet not the tower itself, to Centennial Olympic Park were discovered in a state budget.
Many Summerhill residents, who already felt neglected by the Games, were surprised and disappointed by the plans which they say didn’t include them in the decision making process.
With the mayor’s outspoken support, it remains to be seen what effect that it may have on the plans to move the icon of the neighborhood.
— Mark Lannaman
Fox Theatre opens content studio ahead of 2029 centennial
The Fox Theatre has opened a new backstage content studio as the historic Atlanta venue prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2029.
The studio occupies a previously underused portion of a rehearsal room in the Fox’s backstage artist tower. It will provide a permanent space for the nonprofit to produce interviews, podcasts and videos, as well as conduct media interviews with visiting artists and performers. Content recorded there will become part of the Fox’s permanent archival collection and support new original storytelling projects launching this fall.
The Fox also is seeking stories from artists, employees, community members and other Atlantans who have a connection to the theater. People can submit their stories through the theater’s “Your Fox Story” form or its Instagram page.
The studio is part of a broader investment by the Fox ahead of its 100th anniversary. Recent improvements to the theater include a new gift shop and a renovated Arcade Lounge within the Marquee Club.
Atlanta native Terry Washington, founder and CEO of Zane Ryder Management, also is consulting with the Fox on creative direction for its centennial efforts. Washington, a longtime music, film, sports and entertainment executive based in Los Angeles, is helping identify people, stories and cultural connections to feature as the theater approaches its 100th year.
— Derek Prall
Tommy Holder named next chair of Buckhead Coalition
The Buckhead Coalition has appointed longtime Buckhead resident and civic leader Tommy Holder as its next chair, with his two-year term set to begin in January 2027.
Holder will succeed Jonathan Rodbell, co-founder and partner of Atlanta Property Group, who has chaired the organization since 2025. The Coalition’s executive committee voted to appoint Holder as chair-elect Aug. 19.
As chair, Holder will work with CEO Katharine Kelley and Coalition members on priorities including walkability and placemaking, infrastructure, public safety, homelessness and traffic mitigation. The organization also works to strengthen partnerships among elected officials, business leaders and community stakeholders.
Holder has spent nearly 50 years with Holder Construction Co., joining the company in 1976 and serving as president and CEO from 1989 to 2021 before becoming chairman. During his tenure as CEO, the company grew from $250 million in annual revenue to more than $8 billion and completed projects for companies including Apple, Google, Meta, Delta Air Lines and State Farm.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Rivers Gala to celebrate Okefenokee World Heritage win
Georgia Rivers will host its annual gala Sept. 17 at The Conklin Farm in Atlanta to celebrate the newly designated Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge World Heritage Site and raise money for the state’s water trails.
The fundraiser will support Georgia Water Trails and youth development programs while honoring advocates for river protection and outdoor recreation. Georgia Rivers, the nonprofit partner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, manages a statewide water trail network from the Chattahoochee River to the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail. The state agency will be recognized for backing the World Heritage bid and helping protect the swamp from a proposed mine on Trail Ridge.
“Okefenokee earned the World Heritage Site listing because there is no other place like it in the world,” said Rena Ann Peck, the group’s executive director.
Honorees include the Nantahala Outdoor Center, attorney Jim Butler and his firm Butler Prather Trial Lawyers, and river activist Gail Priest. Auction proceeds will fund youth scholarships for fishing and kayaking trips.
Guests will enjoy a fish fry dinner and live music from the Pine Grove Band. Tickets and sponsorships are available here.
— Derek Prall
