News / WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 2007

...a glance at what's making the news...

SunTrust Lunch on Broad
SunTrust Lunch on Broad is back! Grab your friends and co-workers and head over for lunch every Friday, through Sept. 28 from noon – 1:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Pull up a seat and enjoy music by local artists performing jazz, reggae, blues and more. Bring your own lunch or grab a bite to eat at one of downtown’s delicious eateries. www.atlantadowntown.com

MADD 2007 Strides for Change Walk at COP
Strides for Change is a dynamic walk and safety fair designed to raise awareness about our mission and raise funds to continue local Mothers Against Drunk Driving programs that will help keep our community and roadways safe. There are various fun-filled and meaningful components to the walk such as the Safety & Health Fair, the Kids Zone, MADD Dog Diner and the Victim/Survivor Area. The walk will be held on Sept. 15 at Centennial Olympic Park, with opening ceremonies beginning at 8:30 a.m. www.maddga.org

For Sisters Only at GWCC
For Sisters Only celebrates their 16th year in Atlanta Sept. 15-16, with two days of fun for the whole family. The event also features vendors, pampering services, health screenings, a sports bar and several other activities. This event will also feature live performances from well-known entertainers on the Main Stage in Hall C1 of the Georgia World Congress Center. www.forsistersonly.org

Communities In Schools of Georgia at GWCC
Communities In Schools (CIS) of Georgia will host its inaugural Georgia Education Ball on Sept. 15. CIS is the nation's leading dropout prevention program and serves nearly one million students annually. Key elected officials, business leaders, educators, and others will celebrate education successes and enjoy a show featuring Broadway and film veterans with top Georgia student talent, cocktail buffet and dancing. Proceeds will help CIS of Georgia and its local network affiliates provide more educational programs to help kids succeed in school and prepare for life. www.cisga.org

Wednesday WindDown at COP
Atlanta’s longest running, FREE concert series is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Don’t miss this exciting season brought to you by AirTran Airways. What better way is there to avoid the chaos and frustration of rush-hour traffic and mingle with other Atlanta music lovers? Wednesday WindDown concerts are every Wednesday, April through September from 5:30 - 8 p.m. in Centennial Olympic Park’s Southern Company Amphitheater. Enjoy everything from jazz to contemporary music performed live by your favorite local and national touring acts.  www.centennialpark.com

Wine on Wednesday at City Grill
City Grill is pleased to present a tasting of Wines from France in conjunction with the High Museum of Art, as City Grill honors The Louvre. Come experience white wines from the Burgundy region of France on Sept. 19. The restaurant will offer a sampling of light hors d’oeuvres to complement these wines. www.citygrillatlanta.com

Atlanta Wings Fest at Woodruff Park
The Atlanta Wings Festival celebrates America’s favorite finger food - wings Sept. 22-23! Some of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants will serve chicken wings of all flavors and styles. Activities include a wing eating contest, live music a vendor market and a “People Choice Award” for Best Wing in Atlanta. www.atlantawingsfestival.com

Oktoberfest 2007 at Underground Atlanta
Come to Underground Atlanta to celebrate all things German at Oktoberfest 2007 on Sept. 22-23! The FREE celebration will be in Kenny’s Alley from noon to 7 p.m. each day. There will be games, contests, prizes, brats and good times for all! Local rock station, 99X and German beer, St. Pauli Girl are sponsoring the event complete with live bands all weekend. Live music by Slip Tripman begins at noon and Turnstile starts at 3:30 p.m. www.underground-atlanta.com

Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers at Georgia Dome
Watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers in this home game at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 23. Kickoff is at 4:15 p.m. Don’t miss Falcons Landing, a free NFL adventure, with interactive games, autograph sessions, live music, food and drink and much more. Falcons Landing is located on International Plaza between the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena. Activities begin three hours before the start of Falcons home games. www.gadome.com

Atlanta 2-Day Breast Cancer Walk at COP
The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer is a 10 to 30 mile walk across Atlanta, which raises funds to benefit local Atlanta breast cancer organizations. 2007 marks the 5th anniversary of the event and over 1,200 people will join together over two days to "Go for the Gold" as we make this incredible milestone Sept. 29-30. The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer begins and ends at Centennial Olympic Park. www.2daywalk.org

Wine South at GWCC
Wine South is one of metro Atlanta's largest and most prestigious wine and food events. On Sept. 29-30, there will be more than 250 different wineries to sample from, as well as small bites from some of metro Atlanta's finest restaurants. A wide variety of cuisines are presented. There will be educational and interactive wine seminars, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, wine-related art exhibits and live music all weekend long. All together, they're the ultimate test of your willpower! www.winesouth.com

Allstate HBCU Showdown at Georgia Dome
100 Black Men Of Atlanta is proud to present the Annual Allstate HBCU Showdown featuring the Allstate Step Show and Tyson Foods Atlanta Classic Band Jamboree on Sept. 27. The Allstate HBCU Showdown promises to elevate this hundred year tradition of stepping, a complex performance involving synchronized, percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, dancing and drama, to the next level. The TYSON FOODS ATLANTA CLASSIC BAND JAMBOREE will showcase the quality sound, precision and swag of two of the most entertaining bands in America. www.gadome.com

Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at Georgia Dome
The 19th Annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic promises to continue to deliver great football. The rivalry between two outstanding football programs, Florida A&M Rattlers and the Tennessee State University Tigers, will make this game the hottest ticket in town! Be sure to be at the Dome on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. for kickoff! www.gadome.com

Atlanta Falcons vs. Houston Texans at Georgia Dome
Watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the Houston Texans at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 30, kickoff at 1 p.m. Don’t miss Falcons Landing, a free NFL adventure, with interactive games, autograph sessions, live music, food and drink and much more. Falcons Landing is located on International Plaza between the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena. Activities begin three hours before the start of Falcons home games. www.gadome.com

Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day at COP
Centennial Olympic Park’s last Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day of the season is themed around the Great Outdoors on Sept. 29. Activities include face painting, T-shirt design, games and give-a-ways, live performances and more! Check out the all-day dance concert by Project Dance, the rock-climbing wall and live animal exhibit by Georgia State Park and Historic Sites. Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days are once a month April – September from noon to 4 p.m. Each fourth Saturday of the month features a different theme. www.centennialpark.com

Cocktails in the Garden at Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Atlanta Botanical Garden's most popular event is now weekly! Every Thursday night, May through September, cocktails are paired with a featured flower or plant highlighting different and unique locations in the Garden. Guests mix and mingle to the Garden DJ's best beats as one of the city's hottest restaurants provides light tastings. September’s theme is Succulents and Sangria. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

FREE Beltline Tours
Every Friday and Saturday from 9:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. the BeltLine Partnership hosts free tours of the projected Beltline site. Tours begin and end at the Inman Park/Reynoldstown MARTA Station and travel through the 45 neighborhoods that will be connected by the BeltLine. To reserve a seat on an upcoming tour, email tours@beltlinepartnership.org

Turner First Thursday
On the first Thursday of every month, art lovers can view the arts, tour the historic districts of Downtown and enjoy various discounts at Downtown restaurants. Turner First Thursdays is a self-guided tour of galleries, with no beginning or ending point, you are free to move at your own pace.  Selected by Atlanta Magazine as the Best Art Crawl, come see what you are missing on Oct. 4! www.atlantadowntown.com

Hands on Atlanta Day at COP
Hands on Atlanta presents a day of city-wide community service on Oct. 6. An estimated 15,000 Atlantans will participate in projects, revitalizing neighborhoods, including the Park, and giving others a helping hand on the 17th annual Hands on Atlanta Day. After your morning project, join your fellow volunteers at the Park to celebrate your community service with festivities, live entertainment and more! www.centennialpark.com

Woodruff Park Reading Room
The Reading Room is an open-air reading room in the northern portion of Woodruff Park. In partnership with the Fulton County Library, carts are stocked with a selection of books, periodicals and newspapers available to the public. Pick up a book and enjoy lunchtime readings and programs Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Reading Room is closed for bad weather and for special events. www.atlantadowntown.com

Hotlanta Hospitality Happy Hour at Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Join us for this month’s edition of the Hotlanta Hospitality Happy Hour on Oct. 11 from 5 – 7 p.m. This informal gathering is an opportunity for members of Atlanta's hospitality community to network, catch up with colleagues from every aspect of the industry and discuss the exciting things happening all across our great city. HHHH is the second Thursday of every month at Ruth’s Chris Steak House across from Centennial Olympic Park. For more information about sponsorship opportunities or being added to our mailing list, please email agrubbs@gwcc.com.

Music @ Noon at COP
Music @ Noon is the perfect lunchtime getaway! Get out of the office for a midday break filled with sunny skies and great entertainment every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. April through October. Bring your friends, coworkers and lunch to enjoy a variety of live music including pop, R&B and jazz, performed by your favorite local artists. Every Thursday, concerts are programmed and produced by the audio production students from the Art Institute of Atlanta. www.centennialpark.com

Louvre Atlanta at the High Museum
Louvre Atlanta is an unprecedented partnership between the High Museum of Art and the Musée du Louvre in Paris that will bring hundreds of works of art from the Louvre's collections to Atlanta over the next three years. Built around specific themes and periods, the High will open The Louvre and the Ancient World on Oct. 16. www.high.org

Free Wi-Fi Available at Centennial Olympic Park
Free wireless Internet access is available in and around the Visitor Center and FountainSide Café at Centennial Olympic Park. Visitors wishing to utilize this service need to have a laptop equipped with a wireless network card.  Accessing the network is then as simple as connecting to the "PARKWIFI" network and opening an Internet browser, no registration required. Centennial Olympic Park’s Visitor Center is home to the interactive brick locator kiosks, public restrooms and friendly volunteers who can answer questions about the Park as well as the city of Atlanta. The Visitor Center is open daily; hours vary on holidays and by season. www.centennialpark.com

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