Things to Do in Auburn

During live filmings in Metroplex Theater of Fine Arts' enormous dining room, the actors of Saturday Nite Live in Atlanta put a local spin on sketch comedy. The show invites guests to sit back and snack on a four-course Italian meal and, if they choose, jump on stage to join in on the comedic antics. The two-hour tapings intersperse comedic performances with the delivery of meal courses, filling plates with chicken encrusted with roma tomatoes and mozzarella, spaghetti and meatballs, or vegetarian and gluten-free entrees. Additionally, a souvenir DVD—replete with a backstage feature revealing the secrets behind the curtain's tightly sealed lips—lends clients a permanent record of the production.

The Robertson family exemplifies the unifying power of family fitness. While parents Mark and Melissa manage Ascension Climbing's incoming clients, their three kids—Grace, Caleb, and Zeke—provide one-on-one training in the art of scaling mountainsides or the gum-studded underside of a giant's desk. Grace, who formerly coached college climbing teams, transfers her expertise to competitive clients during one-on-one lessons at one of 18 ropes. Zeke oversees the littlest ones at Ascension’s climbing walls and two bouldering caves, and Caleb fills in the schedule with lessons on climbing safety and technique.

As a tightly knit, climbing-savvy family, the Robertsons hope to strengthen the bonds of other clans through Ascension Climbing’s many activities. They invite families to climb and boulder together during events and trips. They also host groups and parties, spreading their love of climbing through chaperoned events and overnight lock-ins.

• For $10, you get one reserved-seating ticket to Swingin' Medallions on Saturday, July 2, at 7 p.m. (a $20 value) • For $25, you get one reserved-seating ticket in level 2 to Kool & The Gang on Saturday, July 16, at 8 p.m. (a $50 value). • For $25, you get one reserved-seating ticket in level 2 to 10,000 Maniacs and Edwin McCain on Saturday, August 20, at 8 p.m. (a $50 value).

Spotlight Theatres screens enrapture audiences with the high-definition imagery and digital soundscapes of first-run Hollywood movies. In each movie house, audiences get to rest easy in plush, high-backed stadium seats—each outfitted with a coin-operated mustache comb—or get thrown directly into the action through 3-D technology. Soda, candy, and salty, crunchy popcorn are available in abundance at the concession stand, and can be used to bribe the projectionist into splicing in a happier ending.

Since its inception as a small park in 1990, Dixieland Amusement Park has grown to include more than 20 rides and attractions for kids and parents alike. From high-flying cable coasters to speedy go-karts, the park's attractions foster adrenaline-fueled joy, while the Digital Armory, a bustling arcade, transports visitors to a virtual world with motion sensors and laser tag. Dining areas pepper the park's walkways for between-ride snacks, and, come nightfall, fireworks fill the sky to entertain visitors and idling pigeons.

The seasoned paint-slingers at The Blu' Bisque turn the art of pottery and canvas embellishment into a lively celebration with their kids' birthday parties, BYOB date nights for adults, and corporate events that emphasize carefree fun, uninhibited creativity, and paint-speckled aprons. The shop's hefty collection of bisque pieces anchors the floor with plates, coffee mugs, and figurines that wait patiently to be plucked and festooned with stencil designs, free-flowing brushstrokes, and floral motifs that symbolize the end of tax season. Not just an art studio, The Blu’ Bisque also houses a children’s consignment shop where parents can outfit their offspring in gently worn name-brand apparel.