Things to Do in Marietta

The training staff at TLEC leads students toward their riding goals on picturesque grounds, instilling the necessary basics for riders of all ages. The staff helps tackle areas that may include horsemanship, grooming, tacking, and riding styles such as English and Western.

Hidden just east of Cobb Parkway, a complex of low, slate-blue warehouses shelters a community of textile workers, sculptors, and graphic designers intent on refining their art. Beads by Design's shop and atelier contributes to this creative wellspring, and today the Southern Flames—a society of glass-bead makers—gather there for their monthly meetings. The shop opened in 1998, displaying a wealth of Japanese Delica seed beads, fire-polished and pressed glass beads, pearls, gemstones, and glittering Swarovski crystals under the high, exposed-metal roof. Visitors can pick up notions or tools, or stick around for jewelry-making classes. These begin with the basics of knotting wire rings and stringing necklaces and expand into the creation of broad, beaded cuffs inspired by Ndebele jewelry and macramé techniques for braiding copper wire. To give students complete creative control of their work, instructors provide propane torches attached to work tables, and safely teach how to fabricate glass beads and intimidate nay-saying critics.

From its roots as a Georgian stained-glass manufacturer in 1977, the now international Armstrong Glass Company has slowly added more and more design elements to its inventory—from textured to fused to cabinet to iridescent glass. Each of Armstrong's handcrafted products differs slightly in coloring as it takes shape. This lends individuality to every piece, even if they’re identically designed. The company tackles custom projects with ease, such as tabletops, glass sinks, room dividers, and houses for people who don’t throw stones.

At Unique Events of Atlanta's gatherings, adults convene for evenings of interactive theatrics, gaming, and group activities. The staff's creative scribes conjure up a theme to serve as the plot of interactive murder-mystery dinners, where participants discover clues over dinner and drinks, evoking their inner gumshoes to identify villains and summon orphaned saxophone riffs left over from the '80s. Other events include casino nights, where card lovers can compare poker faces, and old-fashion game nights, where friendly competition ensues over Monopoly boards, Uno decks, Twister mats, and Xbox Dance Central screens. The event extraordinaires also host marriage proposals, anniversaries, and reunions with repaired lawnmowers.:m]]

The Museum of Design Atlanta educates art enthusiasts through subtle and brazen examples of the art form through rotating exhibits and conversational programs. In the small boutique museum's airy rooms, exhibits showcase design across a wide spectrum of objects, such as bright red Ducati motorcycles flanked by hanging racing suits and blueprints of rocket packs drawn by cartoon coyotes. Guest speakers regale MODA audiences once a month with discussions of their work, divulging where they get their inspiration, how they started in design, and current projects they're working on. Artists and dancers take to the stage inside MODA's floor in an impressive ultramodern building during special events.

Skilled instructors at Range, Guns & Safes champion gun safety as their facility’s chief concern. Before granting budding or seasoned shooters access to the firing range, the staff reviews a basic gun-handling protocol, and classes delve still deeper into safe gun handling before covering shooting technique and gun maintenance. A showroom stocks an ample selection of Heritage safes, which allow homesteaders to securely store firearms and incriminating empty cookie jars.