October 2010 - Posts

Tweet

Things To Do

• Kooky and Spooky - Enjoy Halloween the Atlanta Way!

  I just love when Halloween falls on a Sunday. Instead of a single day, the entire weekend is filled with kooky and spooky events! To help you play the Atlanta way, I've rounded up my favorite tricks and treats below. Nothing catching your fancy? Head to the Big Boo site for a comprehensive list.
  
  For kooky, kid-friendly festivities check out:
  
Boo Bash!

  Saturday, Oct. 30

  Underground Atlanta

  Face painting, goody bags and crafty kids, oh my! Visit Underground vendors for Halloween treats and cast your vote for "Best Decorations".

  
  Howl-o-Ween Festival

  Saturday, Oct. 30
  
Atlantic Station

  A perfect place for pets to play, this festival includes Trick-or-Treating throughout the shops, face painting, carnival rides and much more.
  
  Dalí-ween

  Sunday, Oct. 31

  High Museum of Art

  Surreal sweets and terrific tales await! After the exhibit, let the Master of Imagination inspire your very own make-and-take masquerade mask. Oh, and here's an extra treat: kids in costume are free!
  
  Georgia A-Scary-Um
  Oct. 29 - 31
  Georgia Aquarium
  Trick-or-Treat through the deep with festive fish. This weekend only, the Aquarium is decorated to the gills and offers tons of make-and-take crafts, music and costume contests. Kids in costume 12 and under are free!
  
  Boo at the Zoo

  Oct. 30-31

  Zoo Atlanta

  Come dressed as your favorite Zoo animal and have a howling good Halloween with more than 1000 furry friends! Wander through the whimsical wilderness paths and enjoy sweet treats from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  
  Moulin Rouge - The Ballet

  Through Oct. 31
  Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
  
The Atlanta Ballet kicks off Halloween weekend with a colorful Cancan! This vibrant, original production explores life, love and the pursuit of passion in the middle of the most famous Parisian Cabaret.
  
  
  For those searching for a spine-tingling story, grab tickets for:
  The Ghastly Dreadfuls: Demi-Omnibus

  Center for Puppetry Arts
  Through Oct. 31
  Gather ‘round while these freaky puppets tell horror stories from around the world! Enjoy these terrifying tales at the Center for Puppetry Arts, through Oct. 31.
  
  Netherworld
  Through Oct. 31
  
This walk-through house of horrors has been named one of the scariest attractions in America! Choose from two tours, "Gargoyle" and "Dead Salvage." Combining live actors, intense special effects and record-breaking giant roaches, these gory stories are sure to give your imagination a shock!
  Posted Oct 28 2010, 10:41 PM by Alyson Kate with 1 comment(s)

  Filed under: costume, Atlanta, festival, haunted, house, halloween, Netherworld, fest, Moulin rouge, Center for puppetry arts, Zoo Atlanta, Paris, treat, The Ghastly Dreadfuls: Demi-Omnibus, dance, face painting, Moulin Rouge - The Ballet, Cobb Energy Center, free, Boo Bash! Underground Atlanta, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, trick-or-treat, Howl-o-Ween, High, Dalí, trick, High Museum of Art, Georgia Aquarium, craft, pet, Georgia A-Scary-Um, Dalí-ween, Boo at the Zoo, Dali-ween, kids, Atlantic Station, ballet, puppets, caberet, kid-friendly

• Atlanta’s Fantastic Fall Activities

  In addition to gorgeous weather, Atlanta is known for its trove of fascinating Fall festivities. While you can find a complete listing in the Tricks section of The Big Boo, I've outlined my favorites below:

  Atlanta Botanical Garden
  Need a last-minute costume idea? Stroll through Scarecrows in the Garden - an enticing array of 100 hand-crafted kooky, never spooky haints sure to spark your imagination!

  If you're in mood for a cool witch's brew, drop into the Fest-of-Ale each Thursday. The impressive libations list features locally-brewed seasonal offering at an can't-miss price. (Insider tip: The bartenders have card readers, so no worries of running low on cash!)

  On Oct. 28, local chefs battle head to head to create the scariest pumpkins in town. Head to the Great Chefs of Atlanta Pumpkin Carving Contest and cast your vote for the best Jack-o-Lantern.

  Capturing the Spirit of Oakland - Halloween Tours 2010
  Oct. 22-24, take a trip through the tombs and gloom of Oakland! These "enlightening, not frightening" tours introduce guests to a few of the Cemetery's famous residents as well some intriguing locals. Purchase your tickets now!

  Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain Park
  This month-long celebration includes tons of annual family favorites, such as The Great Pumpkin Puppet Parade, Children's Costume Contest and the Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt. This year, the festival includes a few new events, including Dress Your Own Scarecrow!
  

  Halloween Hikes
  Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 30, the Chattahoochee Nature Center offers moonlit nature walks. This kooky, not spooky, hike is well-lit and gives kids a chance to learn about their furry forest friends. 
  

  Moulin Rouge
  The Atlanta Ballet performs the classic cabaret Moulin Rouge. This scintillating story of love and success is showing at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center Oct. 22-31.
  

  The Ghastly Dreadfuls: Demi-Omnibus
  Gather ‘round while these freaky puppets tell horror stories from around the world! Enjoy these terrifying tales at the Center for Puppetry Arts, through Oct. 31.
  

  Netherworld
  This walk-through house of horrors has been named one of the scariest attractions in America! Choose from two tours, "Gargoyle" and "Dead Salvage." Combining live actors, intense special effects and record-breaking giant roaches, these gory stories are sure to give your imagination a shock!

  Taste of Atlanta
  Oct. 23-24, Atlanta's best chefs join forces for the tastiest celebration of the year! This can't-miss festival of flavors features a hands-on intro to the city's sustainable dining movement, celebrity chef demos and delicious dishes from more than 80 local restaurants. Purchase tickets here for a $5 discount!

  Now, if you're interested in a more hands-on approach, check out SCVNGR. This latest app makes your everyday trips into one big game! Complete three ACVB-sponsored challenges to earn the Big Boo Badge, your automatic raffle ticket to win the $666 Grand Prize Package.

  Posted Oct 22 2010, 11:41 AM by Alyson Kate with no comments

  Filed under: Atlanta, 2010, Fall, festival, family, halloween, Netherworld, gargoyle, dead salvage, tour, Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, Oakland, the ghastly dreadfuls, challenge, carving, activities, tricks, world, contest, taste of Atlanta, hike, fest of ale, scarecrows in the garden, pumpkin, cob energy performing arts center, haunted house, Chattahoochee nature center, sustainable dining, grand prize, pumpkin festival at stone mountain park, moonlit nature walk, big boo, purchase tickets, forest, puppet, chef, children’s costume contest, Halloween hikes, tickets, fest, great pumpkin puppet parade, trek, scarecrow, Halloween tours 2010, SCVNGR, Big Boo Badge, dress your own scarecrow, Atlanta botanical garden, trick or treat scavenger hunt, Moulin rouge, brew, bartender, Atlanta ballet, Center for puppetry arts, garden, great chefs of Atlanta pumpkin carving contest, demi-omnibus

• Capturing the Spirit of Oakland – 2010 Halloween Tours

  As a writer and avid reader I have a soft spot for good stories. Recently, I stumbled upon a trove of tales - in the middle of Oakland Cemetery. Strange, yes, but the setting couldn't have been more perfect.

  Standing at the Cemetery center, you're briefly surrounded by monuments blocking out the city skyline. Should a train clatter by, you're instantly swept into a swirl of stories and scintillating scandals. Dried magnolia leaves skittering across the cobblestone pathways evoke varying thoughts, from a child's toy on hardwood floors to the rasping breath of an earnest plea. With 70,000 histories and mysteries interred in this multi-acre refuge, it's a small wonder how I became enchanted.

  What's this to do with Halloween you wonder? Once again, the Historic Oakland Foundation is offering nighttime tours! This weekend only, Capturing the Spirit of Oakland - 2010 Halloween Tours offer an after-hours walk through the tombs and gloom of the long-since departed.

  Capturing the Spirit of Oakland - 2010 Halloween Tours
  Oct. 22 - 24
  Historic Oakland Cemetery
  Tickets: $17.50 adult, $10 kids
  (all proceeds benefit the preservation efforts of the Historic Oakland Foundation)

  Designed to "enlighten, not frighten", these tours feature a cast of old Atlantans, plus a few surprise suspects, clad in period attire. These ghosts share their stories, helping visitors discover the roots of their personal histories as well as of the city.

  Past appearances include little-known, but very influential Atlantan Ben Dewberry. As a locomotive engineer for the Southern railroad, his core responsibility was the safe transportation of passenger trains throughout the South. He developed a close relationship with the kids along his route, until a childish prank derailed the No. 38 engine in 1908. Rather than abandon his position, he and his fireman Mayson Wadkins maintained control of the cars, saving every passenger from ultimate death; but sadly at the expense of their own.

  Tour tickets are available by advanced, online purchase only. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the last leg begins at 10 p.m. Each of the three days offers multiple tours in 30 minute increments, with each tour lasting about an hour. This is a great family event, but as it is a walking tour, comfy shoes and perhaps a jacket is always a good idea.

  Posted Oct 19 2010, 10:39 AM by Alyson Kate with 1 comment(s)

  Filed under: Atlanta, ticket, 2010, night, halloween, Oct, Foundation, doom, after-hours, online, purchase, walk, Mayson Wadkins, death, tour, city, weekend, Halloween Tours, Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, historic, ghosts, preservation, Oakland cemetery, 22, 24, stories, skyline, Oakland, Ben Dewberry

• Netherworld - America’s #1 Spot to Get Your Freak On!

  When someone mentions haunted houses, I immediately think of my elementary school’s attempt at freaky fun. This consisted of shutting off the lights in the gym, then sticking our hands in bowls of brains (cold spaghetti) and eyeballs (peeled grapes.) (Actually, those grapes were a bit gross.) As an avid adrenaline addict and Halloween fan, I’ve searched high and low for the perfect scare. This year, I’ve found it - Atlanta’s own Netherworld Haunted House!
  
  Netherworld Haunted House
  Open nightly through Nov. 6
  6624 Dawson Blvd
  Norcross, GA 30093
  
  More than just smoke, mirrors and bit of makeup, Netherworld has once again claimed its rightful title of “#1 Haunted House” in America. Now in its 14th year, the masterminds have created two houses filled with enthralling characters, special effects and, yes, terror. While considered a family event, this walk-through attraction is meant to strike fear in the hearts of big and burly men. The FAQs suggest (and I concur whole-heartedly) visitors be 12 years or older.
  
  Cleverly capitalizing on classic phobias, the main haunt - Gargoyle - engages all five senses for a screaming good time. Inching your way through Randolph Whatley’s dilapidated mansion, you’ll encounter dizzying heights, cobwebs galore and, of course, crumbling walls. Tread carefully or you’ll find yourself snatched up as a tasty treat for the hungry hordes.
  
  Dare to venture even further down into the darkness? The second house - Dead Salvage - throws you headfirst into a run-for-your-life nightmare! Here, psycho surgeons prowl through their guests, searching for that perfect piece (or arm, or leg) to add to their creations. Zombies and shuddering corpses litter this blood-stained junkyard, while just around the corner lurks the Mangler, idling his chainsaw in a growling chorus of doom.
  
  Sleuth secret: Check your Creative Loafing papers weekly for new specials. This week’s edition (Sept. 30 - Oct. 6) features $7 discount on combo tickets purchased Monday-Wednesday. Friend them on Facebook or follow on Twitter for even more last-minute savings!
  
  Posted Oct 08 2010, 05:38 PM by Alyson Kate with 1 comment(s)

  Filed under: Atlanta, Twitter, fun, Norcross, haunted, #1, america, walk-through, screaming, makeup, family, CL, Wednesday, house, halloween, Oct, facebook, haunt, zombie, FAQ, mirror, Monday, smoke, Netherworld, chainsaw, Creative, gargoyle, cobwebs, discount, dead salvage, corpse, Loafing, terror, freaky, junkyard, nightmare, heights, dead, Nov, blood, mangler, phobia