Atlanta Pride names JT as 2026 festival headliner
Atlanta Pride has announced rapper and entrepreneur JT as the headlining performer for its 2026 festival, scheduled for Oct. 10-11 at Piedmont Park. Organizers also revealed that artists Cain Culto and Zee Machine will join the entertainment lineup. Additional performers, DJs, community stages and programming will be announced in the coming weeks.
Chris McCain, executive director of Atlanta Pride, said the lineup reflects the diversity and creativity of the LGBTQ+ community and is intended to celebrate this year’s theme, “Louder & Prouder.”
JT first gained prominence as one-half of the hip-hop duo City Girls before launching a solo career. Her debut mixtape, City Cinderella, included the singles “OKAY” and “Ran Out.” Beyond music, she has collaborated with brands including MAC Cosmetics, Timberland and Poster Girl and has expanded her profile through work in fashion.
Cain Culto, a former worship pastor, blends pop and hip-hop with Latin and Americana influences. After departing the Christian band Ecclesia in 2021, he launched a solo career focused on themes of identity, spirituality and self-expression.
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zee Machine is known for a genre-spanning sound that incorporates pop, rock and electronic music. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, they have built an international audience through live performances and online releases.
Additional information about the festival is available here.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta’s Climate Resilience Advisory Board is entering a crucial phase
Now three years into its revival, Atlanta’s Climate Resilience Advisory Board is entering a crucial phase. After pausing in 2022, Mayor Andre Dickens and the Office of Sustainability and Resilience (OSR) relaunched the board in 2023. Earlier this year, Climate Resilient ATL, the city’s climate resilience action plan, was released.
With a recent heat wave encompassing the city, providing community feedback to the city is more important than ever. While free water is available at all Atlanta fire stations seven days a week to provide relief in the summer heat, Working Groups with the Mayor’s OSR will be working throughout the year to deliver on the city’s climate sustainability goals. These goals include providing accessible food, reaching net zero emissions and enhancing multimodal transportation.
The next Atlanta Climate Resilience Advisory Board meeting is currently scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall. All meetings are open to the public.
If you are interested in learning more and want to provide public feedback on the action plan, click here. Any feedback provided will be heard through July 10.
— Kendall Brown
Two local environmental non-profits celebrate their fifth year on the scene
With federal interest and investment in environmental policy on the decline, two Metro Atlanta non-profits are not waiting for Washington to catch up.
My Green Earth and Root Local have spent more than four years working within local communities to provide a lasting environmental impact. This July, they are hosting the 5th Annual Climate & Cocktails Happy Hour on July 23 at El Azteca Perimeter in Sandy Springs.
My Green Earth focuses on environmental sustainability by providing K-12 programming to reach Title I schools. They also support community food forests and gardens in underinvested neighborhoods as well as engagement programs that work with local businesses.
Root Local has spent those same four years establishing Metro Atlanta’s green economy. Root Local brings environmental stakeholders together across six focus areas: sustainable products, air, water and land, food waste, green infrastructure and green transportation. Through their Eco-Map of vetted sustainable businesses, Root Local makes it easier for Atlantans to make greener choices in their day-to-day lives.
Click here to learn more about My Green Earth and Root Local, their Climate and Cocktails Happy Hour on July 23 aims to bring together people who care for our environmental future and want to be part of the solution.
— Kendall Brown
Georgia Rivers expands paddling trips across the state through fall
Georgia Rivers is offering a series of guided paddling and kayak fishing trips on waterways across the state this summer and fall, with registration now open for several excursions designed to introduce participants to Georgia’s rivers and support conservation efforts.
The nonprofit’s schedule includes canoe, kayak and paddleboard trips on the Chattooga River on July 25, the Chattahoochee River in Columbus on Aug. 8, the Toccoa River on Aug. 22 and the Oconee River on Sept. 12. Kayak fishing trips are also planned on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, the Chestatee River near Dahlonega and the Flint River near Thomaston.
Later this year, Georgia Rivers will host multi-day camping and paddling trips on the Flint River from Oct. 9-11 and in the Okefenokee Swamp and along the Suwannee River during two November weekends. A day trip on the Savannah River near Augusta is scheduled for Nov. 1.
Several outings will feature stops at regional folk art landmarks or seasonal activities, including harvesting wild muscadines or persimmons and making jam. Kayak fishing trips will be led by an American Canoe Association-certified instructor.
Executive Director Rena Peck said the trips are intended to encourage people to experience Georgia’s rivers firsthand and inspire support for protecting them.
Georgia Rivers also offers scholarships for women, people of color, recent immigrants and low-income individuals and families to participate in eligible trips.
More information, registration details and scholarship applications are available here.
— Derek Prall
Dad’s Garage to celebrate 31st anniversary with comedy-filled weekend
Dad’s Garage Theatre will mark its 31st anniversary with a three-day celebration of improv, sketch comedy and community events July 23-25 ahead of the launch of its new season on Aug. 1.
The festivities begin with a free improv student jam for members of the theater’s student community before shifting to performances highlighting upcoming productions and new programming.
A Friday evening showcase will feature scripted scenes, original sketches, musical performances and new improv formats, offering audiences a preview of Season 31. Following the performance, attendees are invited to meet performers, staff and volunteers during a post-show birthday celebration.
The anniversary weekend wraps up Saturday with an improv performance featuring members of the Dad’s Garage ensemble performing scenes inspired by audience suggestions.
Dad’s Garage, founded in 1995, is one of Atlanta’s longest-running nonprofit theaters specializing in improv, original productions and scripted comedy. Tickets for anniversary events and additional information are available here.
— Derek Prall
BronzeLens to host screening, Q&A with soccer legend Clyde Best
On July 13-14, Atlanta’s BronzeLens Film Festival will host two screenings of the new documentary “Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story.”
It tells the tale of legendary soccer player Clyde Best, through a blend of archival footage, historic match materials and notable sit down interviews. It is described as “the true story of the iconic groundbreaking Clyde Best, the black football superstar in the modern TV era in England and legend of the North America Soccer League.”
After the screening, Clyde Best himself will be the guest of honor for a post-film panel discussion. The event will be hosted by BronzeLens, a festival dedicated to promoting Atlanta as a film mecca for people of color.
Tickets to the screening at the Loudermilk Conference Center on July 13 and July 14 are available online.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Council for the Arts awards $1.3 million to 179 organizations
The Georgia Council for the Arts has awarded $1.3 million in competitive grants to 179 organizations in 37 counties to support arts programming, operations and education across the state during fiscal year 2027.
Administered through the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the funding includes 90 General Operating Support Grants for nonprofit arts organizations, 57 Project Grants for initiatives such as exhibitions, theater productions, workshops and organizational development, and 32 Arts Education Program Grants supporting K-12 arts instruction in disciplines including visual arts, music, theater, dance and creative writing.
State officials said the grants are intended to strengthen local arts organizations while contributing to community development, tourism and educational opportunities.
Among the funded projects are the Rome Shakespeare Festival’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and inclusive arts and recreation programming for adults with physical and cognitive disabilities through the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority. Arts education grants will also support the E.R.I.C. Foundation’s year-round music and dance instruction in Macon-Bibb County and youth art camps hosted by the Okefenokee Heritage Center for students across six counties in southeast Georgia.
Additional grants through the council’s Vibrant Communities and Cultural Facilities programs are expected to be announced this fall. A complete list of recipients is available here.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Planet Fitness locations to host school supply drive now through July 17
Local Planet Fitness locations in Georgia are aiming to help local children in need thrive during the school year, by hosting a school supplies drive.
Now until July 17, Planet Fitness locations are collecting new school supplies for the local Boys & Girls Clubs. Members and nonmembers of Planet Fitness can drop new supplies at the donation bins at the front of the club. Some suggested items needed include backpacks, No. 2 pencils, pencil cases, glue sticks, folders, lined notebooks, crayons, erasers, blue pens, rulers and Sharpies.
Planet Fitness’ partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is part of the brand’s national philanthropic initiative, The Judgement Free Generation, which aims to advance youth wellbeing and empower the next generation to create kinder communities. Since 2016, through their work with its franchisees, members and partners, Planet Fitness has contributed more than $12 million to support anti-bullying, pro-kindness initiatives.
For more information and a full list of participating Planet Fitness locations in Georgia, click here.
– Megan Anderson
