Atlanta Fair returns with two new rides
The Atlanta Fair will return Oct. 9 through Nov. 8 with two new rides, Fireball and The Jumping Jumbos, alongside returning carnival attractions, midway games and fair food.
Returning attractions include the Expo Wheel, Nemesis 360, Time Warp, bumper cars, Himalaya and Orient Express. Younger visitors can ride attractions including the Tea Cups, Scooby-Doo Kiddie Train and PuppyRoll.
Admission for children 42 inches tall and under is $3. For visitors taller than 42 inches, admission is $5 Monday through Thursday and $10 Friday through Sunday. Unlimited ride armbands cost $35, while individual ride tickets are $1.25 each or $25 for a book of 25 tickets. Individual rides require two to four tickets.
The Atlanta Fair has operated since 1980 and is billed as one of the largest fairs held within the city.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta Opera opens mainstage season with Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Silent Night‘
The Atlanta Opera will open its 2026-27 mainstage season Nov. 7 with “Silent Night,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, inspired by a Christmas Eve truce during World War I.
The opera recounts the 1914 truce in which French, British and German soldiers laid down their weapons, sang carols, shared stories and played soccer in no man’s land. The production will be directed by Atlanta Opera General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, with Principal Conductor Iván López Reynoso leading the performances.
The opera won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2012. Zvulun previously directed the production at Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, where it received the Audience Choice Award and Best Opera Award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Performances are scheduled for Nov. 7, 10 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets start at $40, with discounts available for students, young professionals, veterans and groups. Tickets are available at Atlanta Opera or by calling 404-881-8885.
— Derek Prall
Shakespeare at Sunset brings free outdoor theater to Avondale Estates
Shakespeare at Sunset will present a free outdoor performance of William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” on Oct. 10 at Avondale Estates Town Green.
The performance is part of a community theater series formerly known as A Shakespeare Happening. After two seasons of bringing professional Shakespeare productions to Avondale Estates, the series is continuing this fall with a collaboration featuring actors from Georgia Classic Theatre.
Music begins at 6 p.m., followed by the main performance at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public. The performance will take place at Avondale Estates Town Green, 64 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates.
More information about the series is available on the Shakespeare at Sunset website.
— Derek Prall
Rialto Center launches film series with screenings of classic movies
The Rialto Center for the Arts will launch a new film series Oct. 8 with a screening of Mel Brooks’ comedy “Young Frankenstein.”
The Rialto Film Series will bring popular and classic films back to the historic downtown Atlanta venue, which has served as a cinema and entertainment destination since 1916. The series is part of the Rialto’s celebration of its 30th season with Georgia State University and 110 years in downtown Atlanta.
The inaugural film, “Young Frankenstein,” will screen at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Other scheduled films include “Friday Night Lights” on Nov. 19, “Elf” on Dec. 8, “School of Rock” on Jan. 13 and “Mission Impossible” on Jan. 14.
More information is available on the Rialto Center for the Arts website.
— Derek Prall
APC’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series returns
The Atlanta Press Club’s Loudermilk-Young Debate Series will host a packed slate of general election debates spanning two days next week, giving Georgia voters a chance to hear from candidates running for the state’s top offices.
The series, scheduled for October 12 and 13, will feature matchups across eleven races, including the contests for U.S. Senate and Governor. Candidates for Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and several other statewide positions will also take the stage. Both Republican and Democratic nominees have been invited to participate in each race. More information can be found here.
Produced in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, the debates will be taped during the afternoon and evening hours and broadcast on GPB throughout the week. All debates will also stream live on GPB’s website and the Atlanta Press Club’s YouTube channel, where they will remain available on demand for viewers who miss the initial airing. The events are closed to the public.
— Derek Prall
Tull Charitable Foundation adds three new trustees to its board
The Tull Charitable Foundation has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Beth Lowry, president and CEO of Holder Construction Company; John O’Neill, president and managing partner, Southeast, for Partners Real Estate; and Janelle Williams, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Kindred Futures.
The appointments, announced Oct. 5, come as the Atlanta-based foundation launches its 2026 Rebuild Grants program, which helps Metro Atlanta nonprofits redesign their business models to better withstand shifts in federal funding and policy.
Lowry is the first woman to lead Holder Construction in the firm’s 60-plus-year history and is active on multiple Atlanta-area boards. O’Neill brings two decades of commercial real estate leadership, previously holding senior roles at Cushman & Wakefield, and currently chairs the Atlanta Police Foundation board. Williams is a nationally recognized strategist focused on closing the racial wealth divide, with experience spanning the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“Beth, John and Janelle each bring a distinct depth of leadership,” said Executive Director Gabby Sheely.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta Neighborhood Collective Launches to Drive Community Investment
The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Committee for Progress have launched the Atlanta Neighborhood Collective, a new nonprofit organization created to advance Mayor Andre Dickens’ Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI). Donovan Lee-Sin has been named the organization’s inaugural executive director.
Lee-Sin brings over two decades of experience in community development, philanthropy, and public policy. He most recently served as Senior Director of Community Impact at Augusta National Golf Club and previously held leadership roles at The Children’s Trust, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. He was selected following a national search conducted by BoardWalk Consulting.
The Atlanta Neighborhood Collective will coordinate investment strategies across seven founding NRI neighborhood areas, working alongside place-based nonprofit partner organizations. The initiative aims to expand economic mobility and strengthen neighborhoods by aligning resources, partnerships, and community priorities.
“Where a person lives in Atlanta should not determine their opportunities,” said Courtney English, Chief of Staff to Mayor Dickens, noting the effort seeks to address disparities and create pathways for residents to thrive.
— Derek Prall
