Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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With the hot weather enveloping Atlanta, you would be remiss not to realize that it’s bikini season. And May 22, 2018 just happens to be National Swimsuit Day. If you need a two-piece or sumthin’ sumthin’ then this dedicated swimsuit shopping day just in time for Memorial Day Weekend is the day to do it.
But if you live in Atlanta, you may be wondering where the beaches are? Yes, A-Town is pretty landlocked, but that’s OK (ClayCo Beach is closed for 2018). There are still some white sand spots close enough to drive to. Here are several:
Here Are The Closest Beaches To Atlanta
National Swimsuit Day was so popular last year with our customers that we are bringing it back in a bigger and better way including more summer must-have items at an incredible value to help families gear up in time for Memorial Day Weekend,” said Gill Hong, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and head of international, Lands’ End. “In addition to the amazing assortment of swimwear, the Lands’ End team will be sharing swimsuit tips and fit advice on our social channels, along with a six-hour Twitter event, #NationalSwimsuitDay, to lend a hand to help everyone discover great fitting and flattering swimwear at amazing values.”
To celebrate, we thought we’d show you where all the top beaches are in metro Atlanta (yes, the ATL area DOES have beaches) and some of the closest ocean beaches to The A:
Jekyll Island, Ga. 322 miles. People often forget that one of the state’s natural wonders is found on the Georgia coastline. Georgia’s Jekyll Island is located at the intersection of Jacksonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia, and it is best known for being a famous vacation spot of old-money tycoons with last names like Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. It’s also the birthplace of the Federal Reserve.
Ossabaw Island, Ga. 248 miles. Ossabaw’s unspoiled land is Georgia’s third-largest barrier island and has an undeveloped seashore.
Edisto Island, SC. 287 miles. Touted as one of the few uncommercialized family beaches remaining, the dolphins and turtles realize this. Watch wildlife, ride your bike, enjoy a boat tour or take a swing at The Plantation Course at Edisto.
Charleston, SC. 308 miles. South Carolina is only an hour away from Atlanta proper, but to get to Charleston it’s going to take you about three hours, but you won’t be sorry: Charleston has barrier islands and beaches that make it worth your while.
Jacksonville, Fl. 346 miles. Cross the border of Georgia’s southern neighbor and you’ll stumble upon Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach, all of them great for surfing, snorkeling or just relaxing by the waves.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: TJohnson@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Atlanta-born actor Donald Glover can stick another feature into his sizably creative hat. The “Atlanta Fx” star has signed on to play the lead in his own “Star Wars” spinoff as a younger Lando Calrissian.
He was cast to play the role popularized by Billy Dee Williams in this spring’s “Solo” movie.
Report: Donald Glover getting Lando Calrissian spinoff
Glover will get to spread his wings with Calrissian and explore his motivations as well as his back story, which is still not fully explained in “Solo.”
The spin-off was teased by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy at the Cannes Film Festival this week.
“We think that the next spinoff will be dedicated to Lando Calrissian,” Kennedy told Premiere France. “Of course, there are still many stories to tell about Han and Chewbacca but Lando will be next.”
Glover has added a dimension to Calrissian’s character that Billy Dee didn’t have time to explore. Young Lando is pansexual.
“There’s a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee’s [portrayal of Lando’s] sexuality,” “Solo” co-writer Jonathan Kasdan told the Huffington Post. “I mean, I would have loved to have gotten a more explicitly LGBT character into this movie. I think it’s time, certainly, for that, and I love the fluidity ― sort of the spectrum of sexuality that Donald appeals to and that droids are a part of.”
There are also at least two more movies planned about young Han Solo, played by Alden Ehrenreich. The actor reportedly has a three-picture deal with Lucasfilm.
Movie lovers were introduced to Lando Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back” as the administrator of Cloud City, where he seemed to be pre-occupied with staying off the radar of the Empire. As we learn, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker C-3PO and the gang change that.
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From May 14-20, 2018, it’s American Craft Beer Week. That means there’s plenty of suds flowing throughout Atlanta’s many bars, taverns, craft breweries and micro-breweries.
Arches Brewing in Hapeville is doing it big this week with a Tasting Room celebrating American Craft Beer Week. The establishment is releasing specialty beers every day and sprinkling in giveaways.
On May 22nd, set down the kettlebell and reconnect with your 7 year old you. The one that played and moved through space like no one was watching. MOVE & BREW will expose you to multiple areas of movement through games, breathing exercises, stillness, joint care & maintenance. All fitness levels welcome. More info here. Come early and stay after for a pint!
On May 24, Arches is partner with Ludacris’ restaurant Chicken+Beer, for Flights & Bites. At the event people will be able to pair seasonal beer flights with their southern comfort creations. $10 flights, $15 bites, or $25 all in.
Arches Brewing is located at 3361 Dogwood Dr, Hapeville, Georgia 30354.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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You may know your way around a glass of amber-colored spirits, but how to concoct one may seriously confound you. But you can learn.
The good folks at the Pinewood restaurant in downtown Decatur could make it happen. The eatery will host a world cocktails & spirits class on Saturday, May 19, 2018.
How to make worldy whiskey: Pinewood Spirits Class
For $29 per person, class attendees will receive five spirit/cocktail tastings, and three rounds of hors d’oeuvres, just enough to keep your wits while you get otherwise blitzed.
The classes began in March and continue to be held each month. Interested parties can sign up at this events page.
Saturday at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PMThe Pinewood has become known as one of Decatur’s most well-known watering holes. A hip, urban-rustic gastropub with comfort food, great burgers and the celebrated Whiskey Wednesdays, the restaurant makes a great date night spot. It is located at 254 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Atlanta’s pizza wars may be heating back up as a new player enters the market. Gino’s East of Chicago is coming to Poncey-Highland, according to What Now Atlanta.
The new pizza spot will be located at 675 N. Highland Ave. NE in the spot formerly home to Rize Artisan Pizza. Ginos East has been a staple in Chicago, making the some of the best Chicago style deep dish pizza since 1966.
New pizza spot Gino’s East coming to Poncey-Highland in Atlanta
Chicagoans who have moved down south will no doubt love it when Gino’s East opens its doors in mid-July, What Now Atlanta reports. The Midtown location will be Gino’s East’s first pizza joint in Georgia.
Menu faves include Chicago Fire, featuring hot & spicy patty-style sausage, fire roasted red peppers, red onions. Also the Chi-Talian Stallion boasts Italian beef, roasted sweet peppers, giardiniera. The Deep Dish Meaty Legend has pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, bacon, and the Deep Dish Spinach Margarita has spinach, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.
Check out more of the menu below:
Atlanta has been home to a number of relatively new pizza restaurants over the past five years. Earlier this year, West Midtown saw the opening of The Local Pizzaiolo.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Multi-platinum selling artists Wiz Khalifa and Rae Sremmurd (Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee) announced recently that they will co-headline the “Dazed & Blazed Summer 2018 Amphitheater Tour,” produced by Live Nation.
The rappers will be accompanied by Lil Skies and OT Genasis on various dates. The 27-city summer amphitheater tour will begin July 21 in Detroit, Michigan and end in August 30 in Phoenix, Arizona. The tour will touch down in Atlanta on Tuesday, August 21, 2018.
Beginning Tuesday, May 15th at 12PM EST, Wiz Khalifa VIP Packages will be available through Artist Arena. Visit http://www.wizkhalifa.com for more information.
Also, beginning Tuesday, May 15th at 12PM EST, Rae Sremmurd VIP Packages will be available through Future Beat. For more information, visit http://www.raesremmurd.com.
Here are the entire “Dazed & Blazed” Summer 2018 tour dates.
WIZ KHALIFA AND RAE SREMMURD DAZED & BLAZED SUMMER 2018 TOUR DATES:
DATE
CITY
VENUE
Sat Jul 21
Detroit, MI
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sun Jul 22
Cleveland, OH
Blossom Music Center
Tue Jul 24
Toronto, ON
Budweiser Stage
Wed Jul 25
Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Thu Jul 26
Burgettstown, PA
KeyBank Pavilion
Sat Jul 28
Cincinnati, OH
Riverbend Music Center
Sun Jul 29
Chicago, IL
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*
Tue Jul 31
Noblesville, IN
Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Thu Aug 02
Coney Island, NY
Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island*+
Sat Aug 04
Holmdel, NJ
PNC Bank Arts Center*
Sun Aug 05
Hartford, CT
XFINITY Theatre
Tue Aug 07
Mansfield, MA
Xfinity Center
Thu Aug 09
Bristow, VA
Jiffy Lube Live
Fri Aug 10
Camden, NJ
BB&T Pavilion
Sat Aug 11
Virginia Beach, VA
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sun Aug 12
Raleigh, NC
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Tue Aug 14
Pelham, AL
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Wed Aug 15
Jacksonville, FL
Daily’s Place
Thu Aug 16
Tampa, FL
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
Fri Aug 17
West Palm Beach, FL
Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 21
Atlanta, GA
Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Thu Aug 23
Houston, TX
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Fri Aug 24
Oklahoma City, OK
Zoo Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 25
Austin, TX
Austin360 Amphitheater
Sun Aug 26
Dallas, TX
Dos Equis Pavilion
Wed Aug 29
Albuquerque, NM
Isleta Amphitheater
Thu Aug 30
Phoenix, AZ
Ak-Chin Pavilion
*Lil Skies not on date
+Rae Sremmurd not on dateTickets will go on sale to general public beginning Friday, May 18th at LiveNation.com.
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Rap artist J. Cole recently announced a 34-date tour in support of his new album KOD, with special guest Young Thug. The Live Nation-produced tour will be in Atlanta on August 12, 2018 at Infinite Energy Center in Gwinnett County.
The tour will start off in Miami, Florida, on August 9 and swing through the South and Midwest before heading to New York, Los Angeles and ending in Boston, MA on October 10.
J. Cole’s ‘KOD’ Tour Will Play Atlanta On Aug. 12
The fifth studio album from J. Cole, KOD follows his critically acclaimed, platinum-selling 2016 album 4 Your Eyez Only.In the week ending April 26, KOD sold 397k equivalent album units, while its songs amassed 322 million audio streams. That makes J. Cole only the third artist in history to surpass 300 million audio streams in its debut week—an achievement that’s especially remarkable considering that KOD only contains 12 songs.
For the Atlanta date, Young Thug will not be performing. Here is the entire tour schedule:
J. Cole KOD Tour Dates:
Aug 9 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
Aug 11 – Tampa, FL – Amelia Arena
Aug 12 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Center*
Aug 14 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Aug 15 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Aug 17 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Aug 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Aug 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena*
Aug 22 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl SDSU
Aug 24 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Aug 29 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Sep 2 – Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena
Sep 4 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
Sep 5 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sep 7 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
Sep 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sep 10 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
Sept 12 – Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena*
Sep 13 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC
Sep 17 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sep 18 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Sep 19 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Sep 21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesar’s Arena
Sep 22 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
Sep 23 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Sep 25 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
Sep 26 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
Sep 28 – University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Oct 1 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
Oct 4 – Toronto – Air Canada Centre
Oct 5 – Montreal – Bell Centre
Oct 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Oct 8 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
Oct 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden -
Black Writers Weekend is an annual event created to celebrate and honor black literary creatives in publishing and film. Founded by Tamika Newhouse, the weekend bridges the gaps between black literary creatives and opportunities that will advance their careers.
Powered by AAMBC Inc., the organization focuses on new and emerging voices in literature and fusing them with established creatives in film, television, and publishing. First established in 2008 as an award show called the AAMBC Awards, it is now a four-day weekend.
AAMBC Literary Awards June 7-10 In Atlanta
The awards event will be held Thu, Jun 7, 2018, 8:00 AM –Sun, Jun 10, 2018, 5:00 PM. Get tickets here.
Attendees will enjoy panels, workshops, author signings and our celebratory book bash, movie screenings, along with the formal awards gala positioned as the highlight of the weekend.
This weekend was designed specifically for readers and writers of all genres, genders and ages,” Newhouse says. “We wanted this to be a true celebration of literary achievement in every area imaginable.”
Since its inception in 2008, the festival has been held in several locations; Baltimore, Chicago, San Antonio, and finally found a home in Atlanta in 2014.
The festival is the nation’s only entertainment award show and gathering for black creatives in publishing, film and TV enthusiasts, with approximately 1,500 attendees. The tenth annual Black Writers Weekend will take place in Atlanta, GA, June 7 – 10, 2018.
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One of North Fulton’s most venerable restaurants is expanding its dining hours to take advantage of the sunshine and happy times. Table & Main in Roswell just announced new full-service dining hours for June, July & August.
Beginning June 1, Table & Main will begin accepting patrons at 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the front dining room, patio and porch. Reservations will not be affected by this change.
Roswell’s Table & Main Adjusts Hours For Summertime
Chef Woody Back will continue to conduct the Canton Street kitchen like a symphony. Faves on the menu include
Charleston She-Crab Soup, Chicken Skins (awesome fried chicken) & Pimento Cheese and the Hogs ‘N Quilts, bbq pork shoulder, chive crepe, homestyle slaw, GA vinegar sauce.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Life comes at you quick if you’re Michael Vick. The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback is coming back to the city to be involved in the game he loves.
Vick will be offensive coordinator in a new professional football team starting up in Atlanta, according to news reports. Vick, one of the most explosive and exciting players to ever play in the NFL, will join the staff of former Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress, according to a league press release.
The team will be in the new Alliance of American Football league and play at Georgia State Stadium, the old Turner Field, near downtown Atlanta. The city is the second one to have a head coach named. Former SEC coach Steve Spurrier has signed on to coach a team in Orlando, Florida.
Michael Vick will be the offensive coordinator for the new
@TheAAF team in Atlanta, which will begin play next February. Former#Vikings head coach Brad Childress will be the head coach.The league will begin play in February, with only a handful of teams in its inaugural season.
