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Things to Do in Atlanta: Saturday, August 2, to Friday, August 8

On this week’s agenda: Jerry Garcia’s birthday bash, a nocturnal nature hike, DIY spaceships and place settings, and the reunion of two alt-rock legends. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Atlanta. Jerry's Birthday at The Family Dog Morningside – Lenox Park | Saturday, August 2, 7 p.m. As any Deadhead worthy of the name already knows, August 1 marks the birthday of the late, great Jerry Garcia. Chef Ron Eyester salutes the Grateful Dead guitarist with a specially curated menu at his cozy eatery, The Family Dog. Guests can expect the same creative pub cuisine this place has become known for, as well as tunes from the esteemed JGBCB (Jerry Garcia Band Cover Band) starting at 10 p.m. (1402 N. Highland Ave. NE; $10) Night Hike at the Chattahoochee Nature Center Roswell | Saturday, August 2, 8 p.m.–10 p.m. It's one thing to visit metropolitan Atlanta's largest nature center during the day, but quite another to explore its woodlands and wetlands after the sun has set. The center teems with nocturnal wildlife, so stay close to your guide on this nighttime hike. After a visit with some of the animals, the hike concludes with a marshmallow roast around the campfire. (9135 Willeo Rd., Roswell; $7–$10; buy tickets here) 3D Printing Workshop for Families: Make Your Own Spaceship Midtown | Sunday, August 3, 3:30 p.m.–5 p.m. Three-dimensional printing is likely the way of the future, so it's probably a good idea to get your kids acquainted with it now. This workshop at the Museum of Design Atlanta teaches the basics of designing in 3D with easy-to-use software. The end result for the kids? Their very own spaceship, which they can print out and take home in just a couple of days. A ticket grants admission for one adult and one child. (1315 Peachtree St. NE; $35–$40; buy tickets here) Craft Box Girls DIY Workshop Buckhead | Tuesday, August 5, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Crafting is a lot more fun when there are cocktails on the menu. At least that's the idea behind Craft Box Girls' latest DIY workshop at fab'rik, which focuses on creating festive place settings for dinner parties. The workshop includes all the essentials for making four or eight place settings, including mats, napkin rings, and mason jars. The cocktails probably won't make your crafts any prettier, but nobody's complaining. (3400 Around Lenox Rd.; $35–$55; buy tickets here) Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden Lakewood Heights | Friday, August 8, 7 p.m. This may look like a concert bill straight out of the '90s, but their latest tour finds Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden at the top of their respective games. This is no cash-grabbing reunion—both bands are touring on new material and looking toward the future (granted, Soundgarden did just release a deluxe reissue of Superunknown). Expect plenty of dark visuals and pummeling rock beats. (Aaron’s Amphitheatre, 2002 Lakewood Ave. SE; $30+; buy tickets here) Photos: John Kane; The Family Dog

Could You Survive the Hunger Games? There's Actually a Way to Find Out.

Have you ever wanted to shoot arrows with Katniss-like accuracy, build your own forest shelter, or take down a dictator with a handful of berries? If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games books and movies, you’ve probably fantasized about jumping into that world of winner-takes-all competition. But what once was mere fantasy is now very much a possibility, thanks to Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Tours and guide Leigh Trapp. An award-winning producer of immersive, fan-based experiences, Leigh leads small groups on tours of Atlanta and sites in North Carolina where The Hunger Games was filmed. If you’ve ever wondered if you have what it takes to survive the film’s titular death match, her trips offer the best chance to find out. The day trips include archery lessons and other fan workshops, while the weekend trips culminate with a so-real-it’s-scary Hunger Games simulation, in which groups put the survival skills they’ve learned to the test. (Both trip types are available on Groupon for a limited time.) We recently asked Leigh what it really takes to survive the Hunger Games. She offered five survival skills to help you take home the ultimate prize: your own precious life. 1. Archery In Leigh’s opinion, the most important skill you’ll need is archery. Luckily, her tours teach all the essentials, including “how to grab your bow, string your arrow, aim, and shoot in seconds.” Fans don’t practice shooting one another with dangerous arrows, of course. Instead, they take aim at a pig with an apple in its mouth and further hone their skills in games of archery tag that use foam-tipped arrows. Although nobody’s in danger of getting hurt during these matches, Leigh has noticed how fighting against others makes “you realize how quick and agile you've got to be to survive.” 2. Camouflage The tour also teaches fans how to camouflage themselves, just as Peeta did in the first movie. Leigh said this skill is essential, since you never know when you’ll have to “camo your arm to look like a tree.” She uses a special-effects makeup airgun to do the trick, and she hinted that one of the best ways to survive the mock Hunger Games is to disguise yourself as a rock in DuPont State Recreational Forest. 3. Ziplining In the first Hunger Games film, Katniss and her younger friend Rue spend a few nights hiding in the trees. Rue’s great strength is being able to travel through the canopy undetected, and Leigh suggested you emulate her skill by practicing nighttime ziplining. She often leads her own training sessions at night, which have resulted in some unexpected surprises. Once, the zipliners spotted a herd of goats following them from tree to tree. 4. Shelter Building Some of Katniss’s most relaxed moments in the Games come when she is holed up inside a cave with Peeta. Though sleeping under the stars is fun, it’s better to be protected from the rain and cold. Leigh’s shelter-building workshop teaches you how to protect yourself from the elements using only the landscape and flora close at hand. She’ll even leave you with something to eat: “Goat cheese wrapped in basil—just like Prim gave to Katniss when she went hunting.” 5. Fire Starting Building a fire out of whatever you can find is a useful skill, whether you’re hiking through Appalachia or hiding from murderous youth in the arena. In the first Hunger Games book, Katniss recalls a game in which most of the tributes died from hypothermia. Leigh warned not to let that happen to you. She teaches her charges how to kindle flames using wood and scraps of local material. Once you master that, you’ll have “a chance to truly walk in the footsteps of [your] favorite characters.” Without, you know, dying. Check out Groupon’s deal for Hunger Games Unofficial Fan Tours, or discover other fun things to do in Atlanta.

Things to Do in Atlanta: Week of July 21, 2014

The dog days of summer are upon us, but don’t let the heat keep you from exploring what Atlanta has in store. This week’s to-do list includes pro tennis, puppetry, a Kubrick classic, rollicking blues-punk, and plenty of ice cream. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Atlanta. BB&T Atlanta Open Atlantic Station | Through Sunday, July 27 An ATP World Tour 250 Event, the BB&T Atlanta Open is the first men’s event in the nine-tournament series that leads up to the US Open. As such, it’s also the first chance to see top pros such as John Isner, Richard Gasquet, and Sam Querrey in action. Tennis is one of those sports that can only truly be experienced live—television’s overhead angles can’t capture the insane speeds at which the ball flies across the court. Qualifying matches are scheduled for July 19 and 20, with the early rounds running July 21–25. To see tennis performed at its highest level, catch the semifinals on July 26 or the finals on the 27th. (1380 Atlantic Dr. NW; ticket prices vary; buy tickets here) Guyi-Guyi: The Other Ugly Duckling Midtown | Opens Tuesday, July 22, 10 a.m. and noon Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson cut the ribbon to open the Center for Puppetry Arts way back in 1978, and since then millions of people have flocked here to be entertained. The center’s latest production comes courtesy of acclaimed Spanish company Periferia Teatro de Títeres, in Atlanta to perform Guyi-Guyi. The story is a twist on the classic Ugly Duckling tale, and it centers on a crocodile born by accident into a family of ducks. A true multicultural affair, it’s based on the children's book by Taiwanese author Chih-Yuan Chen. Bring the kids. (1404 Spring St.; $16.50; buy tickets here) The Coca-Cola Film Festival Presents: Dr. Strangelove Midtown | Thursday, July 24, 7:30 p.m. The Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival returns to the Fox Theatre with a special Thursday-night screening of Dr. Strangelove (1964). Considered among the late Stanley Kubrick’s greatest works, the wry black comedy stars Peter Sellers in multiple roles. The actor hardly misses a beat, portraying a British Air Force officer, the American president, and the film’s titular scientist to great comic effect. His iconic turns have given the film some real staying power, and Kubrick’s incisive satire of the nuclear scare still manages to elicit laughs from modern audiences. (660 Peachtree St.; $10.50–$12.50; buy tickets here) Reigning Sound East Atlanta | Friday, July 25, 9 p.m. Greg Cartwright will probably make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame someday, but they’ll have trouble figuring out where to put him. Equal parts punk and bluesman, Cartwright made a name for himself making noise with bands like The Oblivians, Detroit Cobras, and Reigning Sound. The latter of these released a new LP, Shattered (Merge), earlier this month, and they’ll be bringing that album’s mixed bag of rockers and ballads to The Earl’s stage on Friday night. (488 Flat Shoals Ave. SE.; $13–$15; buy tickets here) Atlanta Ice Cream Festival Piedmont Park | Saturday, July 26, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. This is around the time when people start to get festival fatigue, but nobody is going to complain about Piedmont Park’s latest summer party. The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival is exactly what it sounds like: a glorious celebration of frozen treats served by vendors from across the city. But it’s also much more than that. If eating ice cream all day doesn’t fit into your wellness plan, the festival will also host a variety of health and wellness agencies, fitness routines, and other ways to break a sweat between bowls of chocolate-chip cookie dough. (400 Park Dr.; free) Photos: BB&T Atlanta Open, Dr. Strangelove, Atlanta Ice Cream Festival

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Masterpiece Mixers Paint and Party

Two-Hour BYOB Painting Class for One or Two at Masterpiece Mixers Paint & Party Studio (Up to 48% Off)

Things to Do in Atlanta: Saturday, August 2, to Friday, August 8

Could You Survive the Hunger Games? There's Actually a Way to Find Out.

Things to Do in Atlanta: Week of July 21, 2014

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