Things To Do In Gainesville

On this week’s agenda: kids make contemporary art, Weezer takes the field after the Braves, T-Pain and Brad Paisley bring the noise, and a barbecue festival invades Midtown. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Atlanta. Contemporary Kids: Summer Sunprints West Midtown | Saturday, August 19, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. In conjunction with its current Be Here Now exhibition, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center invites children aged 2 or older to spend some time making art in the sun. Kids will walk away with their very own sunprint, a unique work of art that uses natural sunlight as a developing agent. (535 Means St. NW; free) Atlanta Braves Summer Concert Series: Weezer Turner Field | Tuesday, August 12, 7 p.m. The Braves are once again in the thick of the playoff race, but even the hometown team might be eclipsed by the latest entry in Turner Field's Summer Concert Series. The reinvigorated Weezer takes the field shortly after the Braves face the visiting Dodgers, and all ticket holders can attend the show for free. Though their 10th album is due out this summer, Weezer's sure to trot out crowd favorites "Say It Ain't So" and "Buddy Holly." (755 Hank Aaron Dr. SE; $10–$89; buy tickets here) T-Pain's "Drankin Patna" Tour at The Masquerade Old Fourth Ward | Wednesday, August 13, 7 p.m. T-Pain is a lot of things. He's a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer, a rapper known for hits such as "Up Down (Do This All Day)," and a guy who spends a lot of his time in the ATL. He'll be taking his swagger and his bionic vocals to the stage at The Masquerade for an all-ages hometown hip-hop bash that promises to be more party than show. (695 North Ave. NE; $25; buy tickets here) Brad Paisley's Country Nation World Tour Lakewood Heights | Thursday, August 14, 7 p.m. Moving to the opposite side of the musical spectrum, country star Brad Paisley brings his rollicking live show to Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood as part of his Country Nation World Tour. Blending humor and pop-culture references with hot guitar licks, Paisley is a true modern star. He'll be touring on the back of his new album, the folksy-named Moonshine in the Trunk. (2002 Lakewood Ave. SE; $28.25+; buy tickets here) Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival Midtown | Friday, August 15, 4 p.m.–10 p.m. The sixth annual Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival casts a wide net, pulling in pulled pork and ribs from Texas, Carolina, Memphis, and other barbecue-loving locales. The two-day celebration kicks off on Friday, and you'll want to get there early if you're planning on trying everything. Our advice? Opt for the Bourbon Experience Ticket, which gets you admission to the festival along with a commemorative sample glass and samples of premium bourbons. (1380 Atlantic Dr. NW; $6–$25; buy tickets here) Photos: Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival and Craig O’Neal (Brad Paisley)

With August fast approaching, it’s time to buckle down and start making the most of summer in Atlanta. Get ready to brave the heat because it’s going to be a busy week: brunch becomes a “sensory immersion” at MINT Gallery, Vine & Tap shows off wines from southern France, food trucks take over Alpharetta, and Friday night features craft beers, crazy cars, and Gavin DeGraw. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Atlanta. Eyes Wide: Shawty Arabia Sensory Immersion Brunch Poncey-Highland | Sunday, July 27, 11 a.m. Sunday brunch is often seen as a way to recover from a long night of partying. But what if brunch was the party itself? Discover the answer to that question at MINT Gallery, where Shawty Arabia hosts a ''sensory immersion'' brunch complete with four large works of visual art, three long-form musical compositions, mimosas, a full bar, and desserts courtesy of Chef Daniel Peach of Chai Pani Decatur. Pro tip: don't come hungover (if you can help it). (636 N. Highland Ave. NE; $5) Tuesday Tasting Series at Vine & Tap Buckhead | Tuesday, July 29, 6 p.m. Say goodbye to stuffy lectures and creepy ritualistic grape-smashing ceremonies. Vine & Tap prefers to do things the casual way at its Tuesday-night tastings. Come in any time between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to taste and learn about the wines of southern France with guidance from resident enophile Philippe Bourgeois.(2770 Lenox Rd. NE; $25; buy tickets here) Alpharetta Food Truck Alley Historic Downtown Alpharetta | Thursday, July 31, 5 p.m. Eating indoors is overrated. At least that's the point of view at Alpharetta Food Truck Alley, a Thursday-night gathering that hosts up to eight local food trucks each week. Come for dinner and stay for live music courtesy of Mudcat, an internationally renowned bluesman and certified demon on the slide guitar. (37 Old Roswell St., Alpharetta; free) Drafts and Dream Cars Midtown | Friday, August 1, 6 p.m. The newest exhibit at the High Museum of Art explores the concept cars of yesteryear, most of which never saw the production line. In honor of these not-exactly-sober designs (one of which resembles a fighter jet and another an egg), the High is teaming up with Monday Night Brewing to host an outdoor beer event. A ticket includes three beer tastings and one beer, plus admission to the museum. (1280 Peachtree St.; $10–$20) Concerts in the Garden: Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson Midtown | Friday, August 1, 7:30 p.m. A fixture on the American music charts, Gavin DeGraw has sold more than a million albums on the strength of hit singles such as ''I Don't Want to Be'' and ''Chariot.'' But he'll have to compete for attention with the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Imaginary Worlds exhibit, which features 28 massive living sculptures shaped like frogs, gorillas, and unicorns. Bring the kids (and a blanket and some lawn chairs) to make the most of this outdoor concert experience. (1345 Piedmont Ave. NE; $59.50–$61.50; buy tickets here)

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.