Tacos at The Battery + a Pottery Wheel

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What's up, neighbors!

The Braves are away all weekend, which means The Battery does something it almost never does in August: it belongs to us. Saturday from 4 to 8 the plaza turns into Marg and Taco Fest, with taco trucks, a live mariachi band, a DJ, and two margaritas or seltzers built into every ticket. No game traffic. No fighting for parking. We already grabbed ours.

Friday night is the other easy call. City Green Live closes out its free season in Sandy Springs with Patrick Droney on the lawn at 8:30. We caught Sister Hazel there earlier this summer and the whole setup is tough to beat. Food trucks at 6, bars on site, and you just drag your chairs onto the grass.

Before any of that, we owe you a lunch tip. Sabaraba's is a little counter-order spot in Chamblee doing falafel and shawarma so well it's sitting on a 4.6 with over 350 reviews. Crispy outside, green and fluffy inside. We've got thoughts below.

Keep scrolling for a mama cat named Luciana who finally gets her turn, a Roswell showcase home worth guessing at, and our hometown Bucks bringing home a championship.

- Andrew

When was the last time you actually looked at your homeowners policy?

For most folks in Atlanta and the Perimeter area, the honest answer is "when we bought the house." Which would be fine, except home values around here are up $150K to $200K+ since 2020. If your policy hasn't kept up, your dwelling limit is probably short of what it would actually cost to rebuild today. That gap won't show up on your bill. It only shows up when you file a claim, which is the worst time to find out.

Peachy Insurance is Atlanta-based and built to make this kind of check painless. No call center, no upselling, no runaround. Just a licensed local agent who looks at your full picture and gives you a straight answer on where you stand.

Three things worth a quick look while it's on your mind:

Takes about 5 minutes. Free, no pressure.

Get a free coverage review or text/call 770-520-7095 (Mon-Fri, closed weekends)

Live! at The Battery Atlanta
825 Battery Ave SE, Suite 600
Saturday, August 22
4:00 to 8:00 PM
Ticketed on AXS, 21 and up | GA includes two drink tickets, VIP adds an extra drink, taco buffet, and a private bar
Get Tickets

This one is slightly out of our usual range, and it’s only 21+, so you parents out there will need to get a sitter. But the Braves are up in Milwaukee this weekend, so for one Saturday The Battery is all party and zero game-day chaos. No first pitch. No crowd of 40,000 racing you to the last parking spot. Marg and Taco Fest gets the whole plaza, and so do you.

The setup couldn't be simpler. Local taco trucks, a live mariachi band, a DJ, outdoor games, and a vendor market, all packed into four hours on the plaza. Your ticket comes with two drink tickets, margaritas or Topo Chico hard seltzers, so the first couple rounds are handled before you even walk in. After that you just graze truck to truck and settle the one argument that actually matters: who nailed the al pastor.

It only runs once a year for four hours in one easy spot. Nothing to schedule around. Grab your tickets, bring somebody who takes tacos as seriously as you do, and go win the argument on the plaza.

We stumbled into this one hunting for a fast lunch off Peachtree Boulevard, and now it's our default anytime we want something fresh that doesn't feel like fast food. Counter-order spot on American Way, casual enough for a random Tuesday, and everything comes out hot and made to order.

The falafel is the whole reason to go. Crispy outside, green and fluffy inside, the way it's supposed to be and almost never is. The shawarma has its own following too. You pick your format, pita, laffa wrap, salad, or a rice bowl, then load it up yourself at the toppings bar. The cauliflower pita keeps it vegan without feeling like a sad consolation prize, and the hummus plate is big enough to split. Staff is friendly and quick, and that keeps showing up in review after review. A 4.6 across 350+ reviews isn't luck.

Parking in the lot is easy, and it's a clean takeout grab if you're already pointed home on 285.

Price: $$
Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 AM-8 PM
Fri-Sat 11 AM-9 PM
Sun 11 AM-8 PM
Website

Ever caught yourself saying "I should really take a pottery class one day"? Here's your sign. Spruill Center for the Arts has been turning Dunwoody neighbors into painters, potters, and glass artists since 1975, and it sits right there on Chamblee Dunwoody Road. No drive into the city. No excuse.

They run daytime, evening, and weekend classes for adults, teens, and kids, and every skill level is welcome. Ceramics and wheel throwing pull the biggest crowds, but there's also painting, photography, sculpture, glass, and mixed media, plus summer camps and programs for students with special needs. Zero experience required. Most people walk out of that first class already scheming about the next one.

Here's the part we like. It's a nonprofit, so your class fees loop right back into the studios and the community programs, and the instructors are working artists who actually teach, not the ones who demo a technique once and vanish. Sessions fill fast, so book online early.

Fall registration opens to non-members Monday, Aug 24. Members can register now. The registration office is open weekdays 10 to noon and 1 to 5.

Price: $$$ (most multi-week adult classes run a few hundred dollars, single workshops less)
Hours:
Office Mon-Fri 10 AM-12 PM; 1-5 PM
Class times vary by session
Website: spruillarts.org

5 beds
6 baths
4,692 sq ft

A) $1,495,000

B) $1,725,000

C) $1,950,000

D) $2,150,000

At its August 4 meeting, the Sandy Springs City Council approved a $465,000 right-of-way purchase from the owner of the ReNew Chastain apartments, clearing the way for 850 feet of new sidewalk on Roswell Road south of I-285. Public Works Director Marty Martin called it a "very deficient" stretch, which is the polite version of what anyone who has actually tried to walk it already knows. Construction on the southernmost section, from Windsor Parkway to Long Island Road, is expected to start this fall.

The same meeting brought an update on the city's $50 million fire station overhaul. A temporary Fire Station 1 at 8615 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA should be finished by December 1, with construction on new Stations 1 and 4 set to begin in January, 2027. Short version: if Roswell Road is part of your daily drive, get used to cones and crews along the corridor for the next year.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta

Got old paint cans, dead electronics, or a garage shelf full of mystery chemicals you keep meaning to deal with? Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville are teaming up with Live Thrive and Keep Chamblee Beautiful for a free household hazardous waste and recycling event this Saturday, August 22, 8 AM to noon, in the Plaza Fiesta parking lot at 4166 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA.

The event is appointment-only and limited to residents of the three cities, so register before you load up the trunk. They will take electronics, paint, chemicals and pesticides, clean plastic film, Styrofoam, usable clothing, and books. Household quantities only, no business waste.

The release specifies to enter via Dresden Drive, and electronics exclude large appliances and rear-projection TVs

Register at livethrive.org/brookhaven.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta

Our hometown Brookhaven Bucks swept the Lake Oconee Wild Things to win the Sunbelt Baseball League championship, the franchise's third title and first since back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019. Series MVP Andrew Bernard went 5-for-7 with five RBI across the two games.

There is a strong local thread here: John Kosobud of Dunwoody won the league's Cy Young Award as its best pitcher, and Brookhaven's Coleman Eldridge and Dunwoody's Will Forte also suited up this season. The Bucks are a summer collegiate wooden bat team that has played out of Oglethorpe University since 2011, and catching a game there is one of the better cheap summer nights around here. Put it on the list for next season.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta

For the last several months, Luciana had maybe the hardest job in the cat world: raising a whole litter of kittens as a young single mom. The babies are grown now and thriving, every last one of them, and after pouring out all that love she's more than earned a turn on the receiving end. She's a gentle one- to two-year-old shorthair who leans into a hand, soaks up attention, and pretty much melts the second you show her any.

The Furkids volunteers call her affectionate and easygoing, a cat who just wants to be somebody's companion after months of being everybody's caretaker. Quiet house, busy house, she doesn't much care, as long as there's a lap in it somewhere.

She's already spayed, and her adoption fee is just $85. Furkids runs the largest cage-free, no-kill cat shelter in the Southeast, and the process is simple: fill out the application at furkids.org, and a volunteer gets back to you within 72 hours to set up a visit.

The main shelter is up in Cumming, a short drive north, but Furkids also runs a dedicated cat adoption center in Peachtree Corners, so ask where Luciana is on the call. One more thing worth knowing: they run an adopt one, get a buddy free deal on adult cats, in case she talks you into a second.

You can read her full listing at petfinder.com.

Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters
5235 Union Hill Rd, Cumming, GA
(770) 613-0880
Mon-Fri 10 AM-5 PM, Sat-Sun 10 AM-4 PM, visits by appointment only

🐶 Watch PAWty - Georgia Power Pavilion at The Battery Atlanta | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 2:30-6:30 PM | Free | More: batteryatl.com
A pet-friendly watch party for the Braves road game against the Brewers on the big pavilion screen. Bring the dog, the kids, and your own chairs, and RSVP online for a free bandana while supplies last.

🦋 Butterfly Encounter - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | Open until 4:30 PM | Included with admission, $14-$20 | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Hundreds of live butterflies in a walk-through tent, and this is the second-to-last full weekend before it closes for the season on August 30. Go early, they are most active in the morning warmth.

🧱 LEGO Discovery Center - Phipps Plaza | 3500 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA | Open daily, book a time slot | From $24.99 online | More: legodiscoverycenter.com
Two floors of build zones, rides, and a 4D cinema, all air conditioned. Friday slots are easier to grab than Saturday, and booking online saves $3 a head.

🐕 Superpower Dogs on the Giant Screen - Fernbank Museum | 767 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA | Showtimes 10:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:15 PM, 3:15 PM | From $25.95; Members: Free | More: fernbankmuseum.org
Real-life canine heroes on a screen the size of a building for National Dog Month. Pair it with the T. rex special exhibit and you have a full morning.

🕹️ Night Mode - Mimms Museum of Technology and Art | 5000 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA | 5:00-9:00 PM | $22 adults, $16 ages 4-17 | More: roswell365.com
The computer museum stays open late for a casual family night among the vintage arcade machines and supercomputers. Our kind of Friday screen time.

🌿 Daily Docent Garden Tour - Atlanta Botanical Garden | 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 10:30 AM | Included with Garden admission | More: atlantabg.org
A one-hour guided walk through the summer garden before the heat kicks in. A good way to catch the Niki sculptures in daylight if evenings are booked.

📷 Historic Roswell Photography Competition and Exhibit - Roswell History Museum | 38 Hill St, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM-3:00 PM | Free | More: roswell365.com
Local photographers capture Roswell's historic sites, and the whole family can vote on favorites. Easy add-on to a Canton Street lunch.

🌱 Niki in the Garden, Evening Hours - Atlanta Botanical Garden | 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | Open until 9:00 PM | Included with Garden admission | More: atlantabg.org
The giant mosaic sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle are lit up after dusk, and the exhibition closes September 6. Only a couple of weekends left.

🥬 Sandy Springs Farmers Market - City Green at City Springs | 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA | 8:30 AM-12:00 PM | Free | More: citysprings.com
The Saturday standby, rain or shine. Local produce, baked goods, and live music on the plaza, and parking in the City Springs deck is easy before 10.

🥕 DHA Farmers Market - Brook Run Park | 4770 N Peachtree Rd, Dunwoody, GA | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM | Free | More: dunwoodyga.org
Dunwoody's homegrown market runs 30-plus vendors year round. Pair it with the Brook Run playground and you have a full morning.

🛶 Family Canoe Day - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:30 AM-12:00 PM, register by end of today (Thursday) | $25, $12.50 CNC members, includes same-day CNC admission | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Guided pond paddling for ages 5 and up, gear provided. A gentle first canoe outing, and your ticket covers the whole nature center for the day.

🎶 Quilters, A Musical, matinee - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest St, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM | Tickets from $36.75 | More: roswell365.com
A Broadway in the Burbs salute to America 250, told through pioneer women's quilts. The 2 PM matinee is the family-friendly slot, and this is closing weekend.

🏛️ Mimosa Hall Public Open House - Mimosa Hall and Gardens | 127 Bulloch Ave, Roswell, GA | 1:30-5:30 PM | Free | More: roswell365.com
Roswell's newest historic event venue throws open its doors so we can all wander the 1840s house and gardens. No reservations, just curiosity.

🦖 X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out and T. rex - Fernbank Museum of Natural History | 767 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM | Included with admission, $27.95 adults and $25.95 ages 3-12 | More: fernbankmuseum.org
Two special exhibits on one admission, glowing fish skeletons and the newest science on the world's most famous dinosaur. Buy online, tickets cost $3 more at the counter.

🦉 Creature Feature - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 2:00 PM | Included with admission, $14-$20 | More: chattnaturecenter.org
A naturalist brings out one of CNC's animal ambassadors for an up-close meet. Sunday hours start at noon, so this lands right in the middle of the visit.

🎨 Greene Family Learning Gallery - High Museum of Art | 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA | 12:00-5:00 PM | Included with $23.50 admission, free ages 5 and under | More: high.org
The High's own family studio space, built for infants through age 8, with hands-on CREATE and EXPERIENCE rooms. The last ticket goes at 4:00 PM.

🤖 Scout Day: Girl Scout Entertainment Technology Badge Workshop - Mimms Museum of Technology and Art | 5000 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA | 1:00-3:00 PM | Registration required | More: roswell365.com
Individual scouts and small troops can knock out a tech badge surrounded by computing history. A neat one for the badge collectors in our lives.

🐢 Coral Sea on the Giant Screen - Fernbank Museum | 767 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA | Showtimes 10:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 1:15 PM, 3:15 PM | From $25.95; Members: Free | More: fernbankmuseum.org
Green sea turtle conservation on four stories of screen. It pairs with the X-Ray Vision fish exhibit for an all-ocean afternoon.

⛳ Skyline Park - The Roof at Ponce City Market | 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | Open daily, hours vary | Day tickets from about $10 | More: poncecityroof.com
Rooftop mini golf, the Heege Tower, and a three-story slide with skyline views. Go late afternoon and stay for sunset.

🎸 City Green Live: Patrick Droney - City Green at City Springs | 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA | Venue opens 4:00 PM, food trucks 6:00 PM, opening act 7:30 PM, Droney around 8:30 PM | Free | More: sandyspringsga.gov
City Green Live's season finale with a nationally touring headliner on the lawn outside city hall. Bars on site, lawn chairs encouraged, and this one draws a crowd, so come early. No pets allowed; parking is free at the City Springs deck.

🎷 Friday Jazz - High Museum of Art | 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA | 6:00-10:00 PM | $30, $10 members, VIP with Amy Sherald exhibition access $55 or $40 members | More: high.org
Third-Friday jazz in the Robinson Atrium and on the Orkin Terrace, with Williamson Bros. BBQ for purchase and docent tours at 6:30 and 7. Take MARTA or rideshare, the Woodruff garage fills. Standard tickets do not get you into Amy Sherald.

🛶 Date Night on the River - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 6:00-9:00 PM, register by end of today (Thursday) | $45, $40 CNC members, 21 and up | More: chattnaturecenter.org
An adults-only guided sunset paddle on the Chattahoochee. Arrive at 5:30 with your own picnic dinner and wander the grounds before the 6:00 launch.

🎤 Ammy Virk - Coca-Cola Roxy | 800 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed via Ticketmaster | More: cocacolaroxy.com
The Punjabi music and film star brings a huge international tour to The Battery. Grab dinner in the district first and make a night of it.

🍫 Adult Chocolate Making Experience, BYOB - Chamberlain's Chocolate Factory and Cafe | 1575 Old Alabama Rd Suite 205, Roswell, GA | 6:00-8:00 PM | $73, a $35 deposit online and $38 at the event | More: roswell365.com
Two hours of tasting, learning, and dipping at Atlanta's oldest chocolate factory, and yes, you can bring your own wine. Date night, solved.

😂 Safety Third Improv Live Comedy - Aurora Cineplex | 5100 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA | 8:00-10:00 PM | $10.50, 18 and up | More: roswell365.com
Fast, unscripted, adults-only improv in the movie theater. No two shows are alike, which is exactly the point.

👻 Roswell Ghost Tour - departs from the Town Square bandstand | 617 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA | 8:00 PM, reservations required | $20 adults, cash or Zelle | More: roswellghosttour.com
A two-plus hour paranormal stroll through historic Roswell after dark. Wear comfy shoes and keep your camera ready.

🎸 The Isley Brothers and The O'Jays - Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park | 4469 Stella Dr NW, Atlanta, GA | 7:30 PM | Tickets from about $79 | More: synovusbankampatchastainpark.com
Two legendary soul catalogs under the stars at Chastain. Pack the picnic basket, this is peak Atlanta summer.

🎭 Tesla vs. Edison - Center for Puppetry Arts | 1404 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | $38, ages 18 and up | More: puppet.org
History's strangest rivalry as an adults-only puppet spectacle, and the ticket includes the Jim Henson Collection plus free onsite parking. It closes Sunday, so this weekend is it.

🏆 The 2026 ISSA Awards - Byers Theatre at Sandy Springs PAC | 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA | 2:00 PM, doors 11:30 AM and red carpet at noon | Only orchestra seating still available; $208 all-in per person | More: sandyspringspac.com
The International Singer-Songwriters Association brings its annual awards show, red carpet and all, right to City Springs. Dress up a little.

🔨 Bladesmithing 101: Railroad Spike Knife Workshop - The Forge at Art Center West | 1355 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM-4:00 PM | $160, ages 16 and up, registration required | More: roswell365.com
One full day at the forge turning a railroad spike into a real knife, no experience needed. The most memorable anniversary gift we can think of.

🎧 After Dark: Latin Hits - Punch Bowl Social | 875 Battery Ave SE Ste 720, Atlanta, GA | 9:00-11:30 PM | No cover listed | More: batteryatl.com
Reggaeton to rock en español on the late shift, once a month all summer. Works as the after-party if you closed out Marg and Taco Fest at 8.

🎹 Jon Batiste with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra - Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park | 4469 Stella Dr NW, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed, rescheduled from April 25 and original tickets honored | More: synovusbankampatchastainpark.com
A Grammy and Oscar winner backed by a full orchestra on a summer night at Chastain. This is the ticket of the weekend.

🥂 Soul Brunch: New Jack Swing Tribute - City Winery Atlanta | 650 North Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 12:00 PM | Ticketed | More: citywinery.com
Mimosas and a live tribute to the new jack swing era. Wear something you can two-step in.

🎷 Jazz Brunch at C. Ellet's - C. Ellet's | 2605 Circle 75 Pkwy Ste 400, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 AM-3:00 PM | No cover, order off the menu | More: batteryatl.com
Live jazz, strong mimosas, and a steakhouse brunch menu at The Battery. Sunday is the calmer of the two days if you want to actually hear the music.

🎨 Fight To Flourish Art Exhibit - BURN by Rocky Patel at The Battery Atlanta | 900 Battery Ave SE Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA | 5:00-8:00 PM | No cover listed | More: batteryatl.com
An evening art exhibition inside the cigar lounge, with work by artist Alicia and DJ Knotts on the decks. A low-key way to end the weekend.

Sunday, August 23
6:30–8:00 PM

Here's a Sunday plan that costs you nothing and still feels like a small-town postcard. The Roswell New Horizons Pops Band, 40 volunteer musicians deep, sets up on the Town Square and plays a full brass program while the sun drops behind Canton Street. The night also features the Dogwood Brass Quintet with special guests from the Atlanta Accordion Club.

Quick backstory. Roswell's Riverside Sounds series got shelved this year while Riverside Park is under renovation, and Sundays in the Park stepped in to fill the hole. We're not mad about it. The square might honestly be the better room: two blocks from ice cream, a green for the kids to burn off dinner, and none of the parking-lot chaos when the last note lands.

So bring your own everything. Chairs, blanket, dinner, drinks. Grab a bite on Canton Street first or pack a picnic, stroll over around 6 to claim a decent patch of grass, and let a 40-piece brass band play your weekend out. No tickets, no admission, no catch.

School's back, which means a bunch of Perimeter teens are driving themselves to campus for the first time, and a bunch of parents just opened an auto renewal that made them wince. Here's the part most people miss: carriers offer real discounts that claw back a good chunk of that jump. The good student discount usually kicks in around a B average. Driver training courses count with a lot of carriers. And if your kid heads off to college more than 100 miles away and leaves the car at home, that can trigger a distant student discount.

None of it applies on its own. That's the catch. You've got to ask for it, and you usually need a report card or a course certificate in hand when you do.

Not sure which of these your policy already has, or whether your teen's even rated on the right car? That's a five minute call with a Peachy agent. Ask us.