Things to Do in North Atlanta

Two Wheel Adventures owner Chris Carr's love of motorcycles has driven him to adventures including becoming the 2011 AHRMA Middleweight Superbike National Champion, careening into authordom with Street Riding Secrets, and bestowing his knowledge of motorcycle handling on budding enthusiasts with a series of introductory classes. Together with a team of moto-enthusiasts, he leads courses that run the gamut from two-hour introductions to motorcycling or scooter skills to two-day basic riding courses, motorcycle street-savvy sessions, and licensing courses. For certain courses, students can borrow one of the motorcycles from Two Wheel Adventures' stable of 250cc Kawasaki Ninjas, Honda Nighthawks, and Yamaha XTs, rather than scrounging up a borrowed bike or attaching a motor to a unicycle.

Kathy Antar opened The Sewing Studio planning to provide sewing services for design professionals and event producers, but was soon flooded with phone calls and emails from people who simply wanted to know how to use their sewing machines. To meet that need, The Sewing Studio began to offer a selection of beginner, intermediate, and advanced sewing classes. During each 2.5-hour session, students learn how to thread machines, wind the bobbin, and practice various stitches using their own machines. In addition to classes, Kathy custom-designs furniture upholstery, bedding, and window coverings and supplies expert design-consultation services, which can transform a client's dream design into a tactile reality.

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]]

Forty varieties of bourbon and 60 beer draughts flow freely from taps into souvenir glasses, slaking thirsty throats with unlimited sips as guests tear through smoky meat concoctions at the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival's tasting stations. Once stuffed with ribs, brisket, and sausage, attendees can retire to the tasting theater to take in a seminar from pit masters and gourmet chefs on preparing fine barbecue or brewing stellar bourbon. Live rock, blues, and bluegrass bands set the airwaves quivering from the main stage with wailing tunes or announcements drawn in barbecue sauce. A cigar tent provides a smoky haven for puffing on fine tobacco products, and big-screen TVs beam the latest sports action directly into eyeballs.

Once an elite basketball player, Sweet Swing Golf, Inc. head instructor Michael Hughes learned to love the game of golf later in life, transforming himself from a net-tickling gym rat to a birdie-hunting golf hamster by graduating from Myrtle Beach’s Golf Academy of America. Alongside PGA apprentice Greg Shelnutt, Michael helps golfers of all skill levels to mold steady, repeatable, and flame-resistant swing techniques.

Five generations of potters meticulously maintain AW Pottery Atlanta's colossal cache of pottery and garden ornaments, flaunting local artisans’ handmade wares alongside hundreds of elegant ceramics imported from China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. They curate an extensive roster of urns, pots, and vases in styles that range from rustic and antique-like to contemporary and colorful. Many pieces are high-heat-fired, imbuing them with enough strength to withstand the elements in outdoor gardens or indoor wind tunnels, and a smattering of ornaments forged from bamboo and metal complement these ceramic, granite, and porcelain accouterments. A partner of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, AW Pottery Atlanta donates part of its monthly profits in order to support awareness and research efforts.