Grant Park celebrates 143rd birthday with second Market in the Park event
The Grant Park Conservancy will host the second installment of its Market in the Park series on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Boulevard Green, doubling as a birthday celebration for Atlanta’s oldest public park, which turns 143.
The free, open-air market features local food vendors, artisans, live music and family-friendly programming. Big Softie, the Atlanta-based ice cream sandwich shop, will make its first appearance outside its brick-and-mortar locations. Returning vendors include Sweet Auburn Barbecue, Tio Lucho’s Hermanita pop-up, Georgia Proud Provisions and Plump Pressed Juice.
Shoppers can browse handmade goods, vintage items, plants, fresh flowers, produce and jewelry from local vendors.
The event follows the Conservancy’s receipt of a Play It Forward grant from the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority to expand free programming and public gathering spaces across the park.
The market series continues June 14, with new vendors and seasonal additions each month. Parking is available at Grant Park Gateway, 759 Boulevard SE.
— Derek Prall
Christian City gets surprise $25,000 from Michael Russell
The annual Community Champions Dinner for Christian City on April 29 yielded a total of $596,800 — $38,000 more than the event in 2025.
The April 29 dinner at the Georgia Aquarium honored Google, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta and Michael Russell, CEO of H.J. Russell & Co. as the annual champions. It was a surprise $25,000 gift from Michael Russell that helped Christian City raise as much money as it did.
The Community Champion Awards, founded in 2019, celebrate exceptional individuals, nonprofit organizations and corporations for making a lasting impact across metro Atlanta.
Google was recognized for its giving to the Atlanta community in the areas of technology, education and economic development.
The YMCA, represented by its CEO Lauren Koontz, was honored for providing community-centered programs across the region and for its partnership with Christian City to expand access to early learning and family support services in the south metro area.
And Russell was thanked for his influential leadership in Atlanta’s business and civic communities and for advancing economic development and community engagement in the region.
“These honorees exemplify what it means to invest in people and community, and we’re honored to celebrate their impact on our region,” said Keith Horton, CEO of Christian City. “Their work reflects the same values that guide Christian City’s commitment to strengthening communities and creating opportunity for generations to come.”
Christian City, which was started six decades ago, provides vital services to children and families in crisis, including housing, healthcare and crisis intervention to children, young adults and seniors across its nearly 500-acre campus in South Fulton County.
— Maria Saporta
Robert Brown, one of metro Atlanta’s top civic leaders, passes
Robert L. Brown Jr. was an unassuming leader who had a tremendous impact on the region and state. Described as a citizen architect, Brown was someone of many firsts.
Brown was the first African American to chair the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and it was during his tenure that Georgia changed its controversial state flag with support from the business community.
Brown was also a strong regional leader, participating in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s annual LINK trips every year. Brown also served on the Georgia Department of Transportation, including a stint as chair.
Brown, a native of Dublin, received his architectural degree from Tuskegee University. He began his architectural practice in 1984, hanging his shingle in Decatur. He designed several key buildings, including the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College, the Charles R. Drew Charter School at Villages of East Lake and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institution.
In 2020, the Georgia Historical Society inducted Brown as one of its trustees. Brown also served as the society’s board chair.
“The world was richer because he lived and poorer because he’s gone,” said W. Todd Groce, president and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society.
— Maria Saporta
Dad’s Garage revives Tony-nominated ‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ for summer run
Dad’s Garage Theatre will stage “Gutenberg! The Musical!” from June 3 to 28, marking the show’s return to the Atlanta venue for the first time since 2014.
The two-person musical comedy, which earned a 2024 Tony Award nomination for best revival of a musical, follows best friends Bev and Doug as they perform a wildly ambitious backer’s audition for their homemade musical about Johann Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. Dad’s Garage ensemble members Karen Cassady and Travis Sharp star, with direction by Amanda Lee Williams.
“It’s laugh-out-loud funny throughout, and is presented by two of the most loveable, earnest characters in musical theatre history,” Sharp said.
Preview performances are set for June 3 to 4 at 8 p.m. The regular run plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Click here to purchase tickets.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta Opera completes historic first Southeast Ring cycle with ‘Twilight of the Gods’
The Atlanta Opera will close out the first complete staging of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle in the Southeast with a new production of “Twilight of the Gods” (Götterdämmerung), running May 30 through June 7 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
The production caps a multiyear effort led by General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, who has spent 13 seasons building toward the milestone. Roberto Kalb conducts, with scenic and projections design by Erhard Rom.
Lise Lindstrom reprises her role as Brünnhilde, and Stefan Vinke returns as Siegfried, a part he has performed at the Bayreuth Festival, the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House. Bass David Leigh makes his Atlanta Opera debut as the villain Hagen.
“This milestone affirms Atlanta’s emergence as a national leader in creating and sustaining world-class art,” Zvulun said, calling the cycle the first new Ring in America to reach completion since the pandemic began.
The final installment follows the company’s productions of “Das Rheingold” in 2023, with subsequent chapters staged across the intervening seasons.
— Derek Prall
50-foot neon light sculpture unveiled in South Downtown Atlanta
A 50-foot permanent light sculpture has been installed at 186 Mitchell St. in South Downtown Atlanta, the latest addition to Dash Studio’s Neon Poetry project.
The work features the line “We begin with the end but do not end there” from “Endeavour,” a poem by Marietta, Georgia, native Stephanie Niu. The text wraps around the building’s facade and corner, with the tail of the sentence extending along the back of the structure.
The installation is the third large-scale Neon Poetry artwork dedicated to contemporary literature in the United States. Dash Studio partnered with Downtown Atlanta, Inc. on the project, with curatorial input from Lostintheletters and Dashboard. Coco Conroy, Dash Studio’s curatorial director, designed a custom font intended to evoke continuous growth.
“Our intention in commissioning this permanent artwork was to create a glowing beacon that represents our belief in the future of South Downtown,” said Nina Dolgin, Downtown Atlanta, Inc.’s program manager of art and activation.
Niu’s debut poetry collection, “I Would Define the Sun,” won the inaugural Vanderbilt University Literary Prize in 2025.
— Derek Prall
Wild Heaven Beer marks 20th season of collaboration with Atlanta Botanical Garden
Wild Heaven Beer and Atlanta Botanical Garden have released the 20th edition of Garden Beer, a seasonal collaboration that uses ingredients sourced from the garden each season.
This year’s brew is a Belgian golden ale made with a house-made magnolia tea extract inspired by the Magnolia grandiflora, the garden’s official symbol. The beer features floral aromatics with light spice and a ginger finish.
The milestone release coincides with the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s 50th anniversary. Each of the 20 seasonal editions has been a different style, incorporating botanicals from whatever is growing at the garden that season.
Garden Beer is available on draft at all three Wild Heaven taproom locations in West End, Avondale Estates and Toco Hills, and will also be sold in 12-ounce six-packs for a limited run.
— Derek Prall
Hiring fair coming to College Park
The Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance will host its second annual Community Hiring and Resource Fair on May 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.
The free event connects job seekers in South Fulton and Clayton County with regional employers, workforce development organizations and community resources. The alliance is a public-private partnership focused on economic development in the area surrounding Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Last year’s inaugural fair drew more than 650 attendees and resulted in more than 370 on-site hires from 30 participating companies.
“We’re committed to recruiting target industries to our region, providing access to economic mobility, and connecting legacy residents with employers and resources,” said Shannon James, president and CEO of the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance.
The event is open to all job seekers. The Georgia International Convention Center is located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park.
— Derek Prall
