East Cobb Arts & Entertainment

East Cobb community piano program expands to Egg Harbor Cafe

by
Tommy, East Cobb community piano
“Tommy” will make his debut at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 4 at Egg Harbor Cafe in East Cobb. (Photo provided by Play It Again Pianos)

Back in July East Cobb Park was the benefactor of a community piano program thanks to Play Me Again Pianos, a local non-profit (previous East Cobb News post here).

“Sunny,” named after East Cobb Park advocate Sunny Walker and located in the upper gazebo, will have some nearby accompaniment of sorts soon, at Egg Harbor Cafe (4719 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 210), on Nov. 4.

That’s when “Tommy” will be unveiled during a ribbon-cutting at 12 p.m. Like “Sunny,” the first tunes played on “Tommy” will be by a young local student musician.

It’s the latest in a community piano program started last year by East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos, co-founded by Jason and Kelly Brett. Their aim is to purchase, restore, paint and place 88 pianos throughout the metro Atlanta area, designed for community use.

Angela Lockman, East Cobb Middle School
Angela Lockman, East Cobb Middle School art teacher.

“Tommy” is also locally painted, by Angela​ ​Decker​ ​Lockman, a visual arts teacher at East Cobb Middle School.

“Street​ ​pianos​ ​and​ ​public​ ​pianos​ ​inspire​ ​people​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​each​ ​other​ ​in​ ​ways​ ​that​ ​were once​ ​common,​ ​but​ ​seem​ ​increasingly​ ​rare,” Jason Brett said. ​”By​ ​adding​ ​our​ ​pianos​ ​to​ ​the​ ​landscape​ ​throughout the​ ​metropolitan​ ​area,​ ​we​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​nurture​ ​that​ ​connection​ ​into​ ​an​ ​evolution​ ​of​ ​Atlanta’s culture,​ ​community​ ​and​ ​the​ ​arts.”​

Here’s Lockman, last year’s Middle​ ​School​ ​Art​ ​Specialist​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Year​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Cobb​ ​County School​ ​District, on how she went about her work:

“My​ ​vision was​ ​to​ ​translate​ ​what​ ​we​ ​love​ ​about​ ​our​ ​area​ ​onto​ ​eggs​ ​that​ ​cover​ ​the​ ​piano. There​ ​are​ ​16​ ​eggs​ ​that​ ​encompass​ ​fun​ ​places​ ​to​ ​visit,​ ​our​ ​sports​ ​teams,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​to our​ ​state​ ​song,​ ​‘Georgia​ ​On​ ​My​ ​Mind.’ Then​ ​as​ ​a​ ​nod​ ​to​ ​our​ ​host,​ ​we​ ​also​ ​incorporated​ ​two brightly-colored​ ​roosters​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Egg​ ​Harbor​ ​Cafe​ ​logo.”

The Bretts said “Tommy” is named after a member of the family-run Egg Harbor Cafe business. Unlike others in the family who had menu items named after them, there was no mention of Tommy on menus or business literature or logos.

Other Play Me Again Pianos are located ​in​ ​Chastain​ ​Park,​ ​​The​ ​Woodruff​ ​Arts Center,​ Colony​ ​Square,​ ​the​ ​Dunwoody​ ​Nature Center,​ ​the​ ​Chamblee​ ​Rail​ ​Trail,​ ​​Brookhaven,​ ​Ponce​ ​City Market,​ ​Atlantic​ ​Station​ ​and​ ​Alpharetta.​ ​​ ​

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

EAST COBB WEEKEND EVENTS: Mt. Bethel run; Oktoberfest; Pope & Walton homecoming; ‘The Rainmaker’ and more

by
Holy Trinity Oktoberfest, East Cobb weekend events
The 9th annual Oktoberfest takes place Saturday at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. (East Cobb News file photo)

Fall is officially here, and it’s starting to look—and feel—like it. Fall festivals, homecoming football games and a special rendition of a Broadway classic are all on tap in East Cobb weekend events, and there’s so much more.

Check out our full East Cobb Events Calendar for more, but we’ve peeled off a few highlights:

  • Football Friday: It’s homecoming for the Pope Greyhounds and Walton Raiders, who kick off their games at 7:30 p.m. Lassiter is home to Roswell in a big region game, and both schools are observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a new program at Lassiter to provide education and support for suicide prevention efforts. Wheeler and Sprayberry are on the road, and Kell has the week off;
  • Fall School Festivals Get Started: October is a big month for school festivals, which are held by PTAs and foundations to raise funds for a variety of school programs. This Friday, the Sedalia Park Elementary School Fall Festival & Art Show (2230 Lower Roswell Road) runs from 5-8 p.m., and we’ll have more news about other school festivals as the month goes on;
  • Run for Habitat: Bright and early Saturday (about 7:30 a.m.), Mt. Bethel UMC (4385 Lower Roswell Road) will hold its Habitat Run fundraiser, with proceeds going for the church’s 9th Habitat for Humanity project. There will be award winner trophies, live music, a silent auction and refreshments, and race day registration starts at 6:30 a.m.;
  • Oompah, Brats and Beer: Oktoberfest is in its 9th year at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (2922 Sandy Plains Road), from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. Saturday, and as Lutherans celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Traditional German food and drink, Polka music, face-painting, horseshoes, a petting zoo and a church tour are all on the schedule once again. Overflow parking is next door at the Skip Wells Post Office;
  • Take a bow, please: CenterStage North and The Mountain View Arts Alliance are teaming up for another run of a Broadway (and in this case Hollywood) favorite, starting Friday and continuing through Sunday and again next weekend. “The Rainmaker” starts at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road);
  • Pumpkin Patches in full swing: 3 East Cobb Methodist churches are having their pumpkin patch sales all October, and they’ve got some special events coming up soon. The proceeds from the sales at East Cobb UMC, Mt. Zion UMC and St. Andrew UMC benefit church activities and get the Halloween season off to a festive start. We’ll be posting Halloween events at this link all month; please send your event so we can include it (e-mail address listed below).

Did we miss anything? Do you have anything to add? By all means, let us know, and we’ll post your information. Submit what you’ve got to calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll get it up toute de suite.

Thanks for reading East Cobb News, and have a great weekend!

Auditions coming in October for St. Nick’s Cafe event at The Art Place

by

A St. Nick’s Cafe audition call has been announced for October. From The Art Place-Mountain View:

The Art Place is looking for actors and actresses ages 8-18 years old to be in our annual St. Nick’s Café event! This year’s show is “What Could Go Wrong the Night Before Christmas,” a fun retelling of “The Night Before Christmas” where our narrator must deal with every interruption imaginable.St. Nick's Cafe audition call

Auditions: October 17 & 19 from 6:30-8:30 at The Art Place
Shows will be at The Art Place on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 9am, 11am & 1pm. Rehearsals will be once or twice a week and will increase in frequency as the show approaches. Please be ready for improv, a cold reading from the script and to move! Directed by Jeanette Maldonado. Presented by MVAA & The Art Place.

To be added to the audition list, please email meryl.manfre@cobbcounty.org or call 770-509-2700.

EAST COBB WEEKEND: Summer-to-fall events, emergency training & more

by

Fall is just about here, and not just because of the dropping (and very pleasant!) temperatures we’ve enjoyed in East Cobb this weekend. That in-between summer and fall feeling is also evident in this weekend’s local events calendar: Kip Rogers, The Art Place-Mountain View

  • The finale of the 2017 Summer Stars Concert Series takes place Saturday at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road), featuring local musician Kip Rogers. “In Season” will feature some of his mellow, lyrical tunes, perfect for-season changing relaxation. Doors open at 7; the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Lawn seating is free, and tables of 8 cost $40;
  • If you prefer mellow relaxation of another kind, the East Cobb-based Atlanta Parrot Head Club is throwing a Jimmy Buffett tailgate party from 12:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday at Red Hare Brewing (1880 Delk Industrial Blvd.), in part to celebrate the enactment of a new Georgia craft beer law. Admission is free, and there will be live music (albeit not Buffett, brew and BBQ for purchase;
  • Visit our events calendar for more live music options, including regularly scheduled sessions at selected East Cobb restaurants and taverns;
  • With hurricane season upon us (and coastal Georgia under evacuation orders), the Cobb Emergency Management Agency is offering certified emergency training for citizens around the county, including at East Cobb’s Catholic Church of St. Ann on Saturday. It’s an all-day commitment, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and continues Sept. 16 and Sept. 23. Call the church at 770-552-6400 ext. 6019 for more information;
  • Another weekend-ish event that actually takes place on Monday is an author event at The Book Exchange (2932 Canton Road), and featuring Amber Brock, author of “A Fine Imitation.” It begins at 6 p.m. and refreshments follow;
  • There’s a light schedule on the high school football front, with Lassiter, Walton and Wheeler all enjoying a bye week. Two teams have home games: Sprayberry vs. Campbell and Pope vs. Johns Creek. Kell visits Rome, and all three East Cobb teams in action Friday are trying to bounce back from losses.

Atlanta Parrot Head Club event to celebrate new craft beer law

by
Atlanta Parrot Head Club
Atlanta Parrot Head Club members at the 2016 Jimmy Buffett Tailgate party.

Members of the East Cobb-based Atlanta Parrot Head Club like to say they don’t need a reason to relax at local watering holes and enjoy the sounds of Jimmy Buffett and related musical acts.

But this Saturday, they really have a good reason to throw a public party and that’s just what they’ve decided to do.

They’re staging what they’re calling a Jimmy Buffet tailgating event at Red Hare Brewing (1998 Delk Industrial Blvd.) in part to mark the recent enactment of SB 85, also known as the Georgia craft beer law.

That law, which passed the Georgia legislature earlier this year after several years of industry lobbying, went into effect Sept. 1. It allows establishments that brew their own beer to make limited direct sales to the public.

As the Atlanta Parrot Head Club notes, “nor do [patrons] have to have a wrist band checked off off or exchange tickets for drinks. They will be able to pay for individual drinks—much like going to a bar—and they will be able to buy a limited amount of six packs, growlers, etc. to go.”

According to the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, Red Hare is one of two Cobb craft breweries, and there are about three dozen across Georgia. The other Cobb craft brew business is Ironmonger Brewery, located just across from Red Hare on Delk Road (2129 Northwest Parkway).

The Atlanta Parrot Head Club event Saturday takes place from 12:30 p.m.—5:30 p.m. and admission is free. The Tiki Brothers Band, whose playlist includes Jimmy Buffett and rock classics, will play from 1-5, and Carne 250 Texas BBQ products will be sold.

The club, which describes itself as “a Jimmy Buffett fan club with a community service problem,” participates in several community service events throughout the year, including next Saturday’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s run at Kennesaw State University.

The next monthly gathering of the Atlanta Parrot Head Club is Sept. 21 on the patio of The Wing Café and Tap House (2145 Roswell Road) where it meets the third Thursday of each month.

PHOTOS: Temple Kol Emeth Noshfest celebrates Jewish food, music & culture

by
Temple Kol Emeth Noshfest
Attendees of all ages enjoyed dancing to “Hava Nagila” at Noshfest Sunday. (East Cobb News photos and slideshow by Wendy Parker)

The first of the two-day Temple Kol Emeth Noshfest took place under beautiful skies Sunday, as one of East Cobb’s biggest Labor Day holiday weekend events got underway.

Noshfest continues on Monday, and Labor Day in East Cobb also includes the Holy Smoke BBQ and Festival, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Johnson Ferry Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road). Details here for what’s on tap.

The Noshfest celebration of Jewish food, music and culture included exhibitors, especially local artists, merchants and other businesses.

Noshfest

Noshfest

Noshfest

Noshfest

Noshfest
The festivities included the 2nd annual Noshfest bagel-eating contest.
Alex Guthrie, Noshfest
In addition to traditional Jewish folk music, The Alex Guthrie Band was among the featured acts. He’s a Lassiter HS grad whose group sports an acoustic and blues-infused sound.

More sights below from the Noshfest, which continues Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Temple Kol Emeth is located at 1415 Old Canton Road. Parking is available across the street at Eastminster Presbyterian Church.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

EAST COBB WEEKEND: Labor Day festivals; football rivalries; live music & more

by
Holy Smoke Festival
’50s Chevies and other classic cars will return to the Holy Smoke BBQ Festival on Labor Day at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The sun’s out, after a couple of rainy (but much-needed) days, just in time for a packed and extended Labor Day holiday weekend calendar of things to do in East Cobb.

Friday’s got the busiest schedule, with all six East Cobb football teams in action, including a couple of backyard rivalry games. Kickoff for all games is 7:30 p.m.:

  • Walton (2-0) at Pope (0-1): The Raiders are in the Top 10 and face a young Greyhounds test in their first hostile environment. Pope is also aiding victims of Hurricane Harvey by asking those attending the football game to bring water bottles to donate. There will be collection bins located through the stadium;
  • Kell (0-1) at Lassiter (2-0): Another all-East Cobb battle and a non-region treat pits two teams that reached the state playoffs last season, and look like they have the goods to contend again;
  • Sprayberry (1-0) at Kennesaw Mountain (1-0): The Yellow Jackets won their season opener and play on the road for the first time;
  • South Cobb (1-1) at Wheeler (1-1): The Wildcats return home after their first win of the season at Centennial; don’t forget the Wildcat Nation Food Truck tailgating event that begins at 5:30 p.m. in the East Cobb Middle School parking lot. The proceeds will benefit the work of the ECMS and Wheeler PTSAs and foundations.

If you’d rather stay indoors while relaxing and dining (or just rockin’) to good music, there’s a good variety to choose from at several East Cobb restaurants and bars:

  • At Chicago’s Steak and Seafood (4401 Shallowford Road), the Tom Olsen Trio plays jazz favorites tonight, with Retrograde performing from the folk rock and acoustic genre Saturday. Both are from 7-10 p.m. at the SpeakEasy Lounge;
  • At Suburban Tap (1318 Johnson Ferry Road), the acoustic-Americana sounds of the Poverty Level band rev up at 10 p.m. Friday, after the prep football games are over;
  • The Wing Cafe & Tap House (2145 Roswell Road) has a high-energy rock lineup planned, with Band X performing party style Friday and Saturday, from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. each night;
  • The traditional weekend fare of dueling pianos is on tap Friday and Saturday at Red Sky (1255 Johnson Ferry Road) starting at 9; and there’s live music also starting at 9 on Friday at the Rose & Crown Tavern (1391 Powers Ferry Road).

The Good Mews Animal Shelter (3805 Robinson Road) is pitching in with Hurricane Harvey relief, serving as a dropping-off point for pet food and litter Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They say no other items should be donated, and the goods collected are part of a PALS Atlanta effort to help out with dogs and cats affected by the terrible storms and flooding in Texas.

And finally, for the Labor Day weekend festivals. Luckily, they’re scheduled so that you can enjoy them both without missing much at all:

Noshfest
Dancing at last year’s Noshfest. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
  • The Noshfest at Temple Kol Emeth (1415 Old Canton Road), takes place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free with two canned goods to be donated to MUST Ministries, food and drink tickets range from $1-$4 and can be purchased on-site, as you go. The Sunday lineup includes a cooking demonstration from the General Muir restaurant, a bagel-eating contest and live music from The Alex Guthrie Band (named after East Cobb’s own young music sensation) and Israeli dancing; Monday’s finale winds down with the Nu-Grass Americana sounds of The Chip McGuire Band;
  • On Monday, the Holy Smoke Festival returns to Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to BBQ meals served up by Williamson Bros. ($6 a plate), there will be a classic car show, live music, a Skydivers parachute jump team, and before all that gets underway, at 5K run and tot trot starting at 9 a.m. Admission is free.

Check out our full East Cobb News calendar listings for more events, this weekend and beyond. Did we miss anything? Do you have an item to share with the public? Contact us, and we’ll post it here! Send an email to: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

Thanks for getting in touch, and have a terrific Labor Day holiday weekend!

The Art Place-Mountain View to hold reception for new photography exhibit

by

The work of photographer David Batley, a longtime local instructor, is being featured at The Art Place-Mountain View in a new exhibit this month.The Art Place-Mountain View

“Let There Be Light: A Photographic Journey,” will be on exhibit from Aug. 10-31, with an opening reception at 7 p.m. on the opening day.

Batley has taught at The Art Place-Mountain View, The Art Place-Big Shanty in Kennesaw and the Peachtree School of Photography in East Marietta, in addition to other venues in metro Atlanta. He is a longtime member of the Cobb Photographic Society.

Registration is also underway for fall art classes at The Art Place-Mountain View (click here for details). Most begin in late August and a number of them have limited space available.

 

East Cobb author is featured guest at Cobb Library Foundation gala dinner

by

Jonathan W. Jordan of East Cobb, author of several books about American military history, will highlight the Cobb Library Foundation’s seventh annual “Booked for the Evening” gala Sept. 22 at the Hilton Marietta Conference Center.

Jordan’s books include The New York Times’ bestselling books “Brothers Rivals Victors,” about U.S. Army generals Eisenhower, Patton and Bradley during World War II, and most recently, “American Warlords,” about the American military high command under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the same war. Jonathan W. Jordan

Here’s more from the Cobb Library Foundation on the gala dinner and how to make reservations:

The Booked for the Evening Gala is the primary fundraising event for the Cobb Library Foundation in support of Cobb’s libraries. Fundraising from this event has enabled us to supply valuable equipment and materials for early and adult literacy, computer stations, Summer Reading Programs, GEMS and Teen Technology programs to the 16 branches of the Cobb County Public Library System. That’s all possible thanks to YOU – our attendees, our supporters and our sponsors.
 
For sponsorship opportunities send inquiries to cobblibraryfoundation@cobbcat.org or call (770) 528-2196 for further information. Purchase your tickets/table now! cobblibraryfoundation.org.