Community Events

Petting Zoo Painters

Join the Animal Care Team and one of our talented animal artists, meeting either the Zoo’s “VanGoat” or “Baaahlo,” and take home a unique work of art in this unforgettable experience.

Learn about the positive reinforcement training process of becoming an animal artist. See firsthand the ways this enrichment activity fits into high standards of care for animals at the Zoo when you meet a goat or sheep and see their art creation in action. Please note that we cannot guarantee a specific animal for your program.

• Meet at the Petting Zoo area of Outback Station 15 minutes before the Wild Encounter start time. 
• Availability is limited for all Wild Encounters. Advance registration is recommended.
• Encounter spots may be available on the day of the program. Please meet the Wild Encounter Guide at the check-in location 15 minutes before the program begins to inquire about availability and to purchase tickets.
• Includes one (1) take-home canvas per registered group.

Days Available: Saturdays at 3:15 p.m.

Member Cost: $67.50  |  Includes one painting per group of four people.

Non-Member Cost: $75 per group of up to four people, + individual Zoo Admission  |   Includes one painting per group of four people.

Age Range: All ages

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces is proud to bring you our 15th annual Spring Festival on Ponce!

Located in the Historic Olmstead Linear Park, this 2-day art festival boasts approximately 125 artists! There will also be local vendors for food and beverages, a children's area and live acoustic entertainment.

Along with being a celebration of the arts, this art festival also honors the rich history of the community and supports the Olmstead Linear Park restoration project.

One review stated, “The Spring Festival on Ponce is totally Ace!"

Please visit AFFPS.com for more information, or if you are interested in becoming a vendor.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA) presents "Into the Woods," with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Based on the book by James Lapine, the show runs April 10-18 at UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, inside the Performing Arts building. 

The show is sponsored by the Gainesville Times.

An opening night reception follows the April 10 performance.

In this imaginative twist on classic fairy tales, a baker and his wife set out to lift a witch’s curse. Along the way, they cross paths with Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and more. But happily ever after is just the beginning. With a rich score by Stephen Sondheim and a poignant, playful book, "Into the Woods" explores dreams, choices and the tangled consequences of desire. Recommended for ages 10+ for mature themes.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is an inter-collegiate theatre collaboration between Brenau University and the University of North Georgia.

For tickets or more information, visit GainesvilleTheatreAlliance.org or call the GTA Box Office at (678) 717-3624.

Quilts Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon features stunning traditional and modern quilts from the biennial competition.

SQTM is honored to be one of only four venues in the United States where the works will be on view.

Join us at the historic Martin Theater for a fun night of all your favorite 80s hits. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Get ready to dance the night away at Spank The 80's - it's going to be totally rad!

Celebrate spring with us at the Spring Market in the Vineyard!

Spend the day enjoying live music, shopping from local vendors and soaking in the vineyard vibes.

We’ll have food trucks, wine, slushies, beer  and live music available all day—so come hungry and ready to relax. It’s the perfect outing for friends, family, and anyone who loves supporting local businesses.

Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Live Music
• Local Vendors
• Food Trucks
• Wine • Wine Slushies • Beer

Interested in being a vendor?
Click the link below to fill out the vendor application.

Spaces are limited and will fill quickly—apply early to secure your spot!

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSf_w6IQW.../viewform... 

The Lawrenceville Boogie brings music, art and car culture together through a free multi-stage festival experience in downtown Lawrenceville. The event features funky, multi-genre performances, local vendors, a classic and custom car show, and a stage hosted by Jazz in the Alley.

Proceeds from the car show and vendors benefit Beyond the Ribbon, supporting local families impacted by cancer. For more information, see the website below.

• Plants, plants and more plants. Living finds for your gardens from cottage-style to zen and from groundcovers to understory shrubs/trees. Master Gardener donated pass-along plants, annuals and perennials propagated in our greenhouse, our pollinator/native plant experience table, sales by our partners: Georgia Native Plant Society (native plants) and Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program (edible garden plants) and many different marketplace vendors
• Garden-related wares vendors (Tools, birdhouses, other ornamental garden accessories, garden related services, etc.)
• Children’s Gardening Corner – engaging activities for growing gardeners
• Fleatique – a whimsy-filled shoppe full of donated and gently-loved gardening books, tableware, plant containers, yard art, furniture and more
• Ask a Master Gardener your most pressing questions. Our MG volunteers and Fulton County Extension team will be on hand to help answer/research your tough gardening questions
• Two Master Gardener-led talks/demonstrations on the most curious and current gardening topics/trends
• Food vendors, including coffee, lemonade, sandwiches and a sweets/popsicle cart
• There will be something for everyone interested in gardening!

Some Other Good Things to Know

Our team of Master Gardener Extension Volunteers will be on hand all day to help you choose the plants for your needs and to answer even your most difficult gardening questions. Look for our nametags, aprons, or hats.

Vendors, Partners and NFMG will have separate payment kiosks. Please separate your purchases accordingly and pay our separate nonprofit and/or smaller businesses before you leave their shop area.

Carts, trays, and bags will be available but limited. Please bring your own for personal ease.

Parking and Shuttle Service

Parking is at the Alpharetta Community Center, which is in front of The Grove greenspace (175 Roswell Street). Due to the popularity of the event, the lot often fills up quickly. If the parking lot is full, there is overflow parking located at Amana Academy, 285 S. Main Street, Alpharetta, just off Roswell Street, about 3 blocks South of The Grove Parking lot. It is marked on the map on the website.

The City of Alpharetta will provide shuttle service from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to and from The Grove and overflow parking at Amana Academy. The shuttle runs approximately every 10-15 minutes, but they will take a lunch break.

There will also be a volunteer-monitored Plant Holding location in/near the parking lot at The Grove where you can rest your purchased plants (and other items) while you go to retrieve your car.  Volunteers will help you load your purchases.

HauntFest is back for its fourth annual Athens event, April Ghouls, at Terrapin Beer Company April 11-12, at 2 p.m.

Event tickets are $20 per day at the door or $20 advance for the full weekend! Throw on a costume and boogie at our new Dead Man’s Party from 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. Only April Fools miss out on April Ghouls. For more information, to get involved, or to buy tickets, visit hauntfest.net.

HauntFest is an immersive macabre experience, celebrating the horror arts through live music, art vendors, themed entertainment and bewitching activities. Similar to a Rennaissance Fair, but with a haunted twist. HauntFest is known to have had activities such as axe throwing, live animal encounters (holding snakes or kittens in Halloween costumes), trivia, rage rooms, free-roaming ghouls, food and drink, ghost stories by the fire, freak shows, crafts, face painting, hayrides, celebrity appearances, costume contests and more, always accompanied by a haunted trail or other attraction.

Join the murder mystery experience that puts YOU in the spotlight. This comedic dinner theater show is the killer game everyone’s dying to play. Don’t let this unforgettable event pass you by!

At this event like no other, you’ll play along as a detective or play a part as a suspect in the crime. Work with other guests to crack the case over a mouthwatering three-course meal, and discover whodunnit before the killer gets away! Mingle and connect with other teams and intriguing suspects, discover clues, uncover shocking secrets, and unleash your inner child’s imagination during this interactive comedic experience. But watch out! The killer could be anyone… even YOU! 

Participate in a new mystery every month! From the glitz of 1930s Hollywood in “Best Laid Plans” to the roaring 1920s with “Death of a Gangster,” each event offers unforgettable thrills. Boogie at a 1950s sock hop, solve a 90s crime in “Good Riddance,” or celebrate the season with “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.” Whether it's a billionaire’s masquerade, a 1980s bash, or a chilling wedding-themed whodunit, there’s a unique mystery waiting for you. Mark your calendar and join the fun. Each month brings a fresh adventure.

Call the Box Office to avoid fees and get $9 off! (888) 659-2952

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces is proud to bring you our 15th annual Spring Festival on Ponce!

Located in the Historic Olmstead Linear Park, this 2-day art festival boasts approximately 125 artists! There will also be local vendors for food and beverages, a children's area and live acoustic entertainment.

Along with being a celebration of the arts, this art festival also honors the rich history of the community and supports the Olmstead Linear Park restoration project.

One review stated, “The Spring Festival on Ponce is totally Ace!"

Please visit AFFPS.com for more information, or if you are interested in becoming a vendor.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA) presents "Into the Woods," with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Based on the book by James Lapine, the show runs April 10-18 at UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, inside the Performing Arts building. 

The show is sponsored by the Gainesville Times.

An opening night reception follows the April 10 performance.

In this imaginative twist on classic fairy tales, a baker and his wife set out to lift a witch’s curse. Along the way, they cross paths with Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and more. But happily ever after is just the beginning. With a rich score by Stephen Sondheim and a poignant, playful book, "Into the Woods" explores dreams, choices and the tangled consequences of desire. Recommended for ages 10+ for mature themes.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is an inter-collegiate theatre collaboration between Brenau University and the University of North Georgia.

For tickets or more information, visit GainesvilleTheatreAlliance.org or call the GTA Box Office at (678) 717-3624.

HauntFest is back for its fourth annual Athens event, April Ghouls, at Terrapin Beer Company April 11-12, at 2 p.m.

Event tickets are $20 per day at the door or $20 advance for the full weekend! Throw on a costume and boogie at our new Dead Man’s Party from 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. Only April Fools miss out on April Ghouls. For more information, to get involved, or to buy tickets, visit hauntfest.net.

HauntFest is an immersive macabre experience, celebrating the horror arts through live music, art vendors, themed entertainment and bewitching activities. Similar to a Rennaissance Fair, but with a haunted twist. HauntFest is known to have had activities such as axe throwing, live animal encounters (holding snakes or kittens in Halloween costumes), trivia, rage rooms, free-roaming ghouls, food and drink, ghost stories by the fire, freak shows, crafts, face painting, hayrides, celebrity appearances, costume contests and more, always accompanied by a haunted trail or other attraction.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.