Atlanta Area Fourth of July Activities

Atlanta Parent has an overview of the 4th of July celebrations around Atlanta. Click here to see the .pdf. The Unicoi and Vogel State Park festivals sound especially fun - watermelon seed spitting contests, paddle boat races, and live music!

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Since the 4th of July falls on a Sunday this year, the activites are spread out over the entire weekend. In Cumming, for example, you can see fireworks on the 2nd; watch the parade on the 3rd; and still have time for your cookout on the 4th.

New Exhibit at Fernbank - Geckos!

Geckos: Tails to Toepads is Fernbank's latest special exhibit, and it's a great one. There is something so endearing about these big-eyed, harmless reptiles, and you'll see all different kinds at Fernbank. Much of the fun is finding them - many are experts of camouflage. Interspersed among the habitats are hands-on educational kiosks and displays, including a really interesting one about "designer" leopard geckos. You'll exit through the gift store, so be prepared!

Even though Fernbank is a natural history museum, I always like their "life science" exhibitions the best. And their reptile habitats put Zoo Atlanta's Reptile House to shame!

You may want to visit on Saturday, July 10, for Reptile Day. You can meet a variety of live reptiles and make a blue tongued skink hat to take home.

Good to know: The exhibit runs through September 6, and the price is included with admission. Remember that Fernbank's family dual membership is great: for $85, you can take 2 adults and four children, even if they are not part of your family. Just don't include a second name on the membership. You'll get lots of great discounts and a reciprocal program with science museums around the country.

Fernbank has a cafeteria, but you can also bring a lunch bags and leave them in a locker until you are ready to eat.

The IMAX movie through September 30 is Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure. My boys loved this, of course! It was a fascinating overview of bugs in Malaysia's rainforest, with a special focus on a caterpillar and a praying mantis. Very sensitive children might not like it - should be rated PG-13 for mild mating situations and graphic carnivorous violence. Overheard from the preschool teacher behind us: "If that boy beetle defeats the other boy beetle in their wrestling match, then he gets to have the girl beetle as his girlfriend." Overheard from the child sitting next to me: "Wow! That butterfly has two heads!".

Splash Fountains

This is an updated post from last summer.
There's no question that Atlanta is a hot place to live. Fortunately, most neighborhoods have pools, and many counties have aquatic centers. But one of our favorite ways to cool off in the summer is to visit one of the many splash fountains around town.

Here's a round-up of Atlanta's play fountains. Click on the names for more information!

Big Splash Fountain - Suwanee
Suwanee's Town Center Park hosts this fountain, which is our favorite. It's big and has geysers of varying heights, which means that everyone from one-year-olds to teens can have fun. It also has a great location - surrounded by the restaurants of Town Center Park, the amphitheater, and a large grassy field. You can ride bikes or walk dogs on the trails around the fountain, and there are a couple of good choices for ice cream as well.

Big Splash Fountain is open from 10:30-9:30 daily, from April 1 - October 1. Admission is free.

Duluth Town Green - Duluth
Town Green in Duluth is a lovely place surrounded by grassy terraces and porch swings. They also have an amphitheater and a few restaurants, including an ice cream shop. The splash fountain in the middle is circular with a large center geyser.

Admission is free, and the hours are 9-10 every day.

Village Pavilion Fountain at Mall of Georgia - Buford
This fountain is basically a big circle - but hey, you are at the second largest mall in the southeast, and there's a lot going on. The food court and many other restaurants are close by.

Admission is free, and the hours are 10-9 M-Sa and 12-6 on Sunday.

Sunflower Fountain at Atlanta Botanical Garden - Atlanta
The Botanical Garden is great for kids! You might think it's just a nice place to take your mom, but many exhibits have appeal for children (carnivorous plants, anyone?), and they have a separate children's garden. Furthermore, they realize that people visiting the garden in the summer will be braving the heat, and they provide misters throughout. Best of all, at the entrance to the children's garden, there is a small splash fountain area. It's very charming and sunflower themed. There are bathrooms located conveniently next door.

Admission to the Botanical Garden is $15 for adults and $12 for children 3 and above. They are closed on Mondays.

Centennial Olympic Park Fountain of Rings - Atlanta
The Olympic Park Fountain is undoubtedly the most famous fountain in Atlanta, but I have to admit I haven't been there yet! Plenty of parking surrounds the park, and many musical, film, and family events take place there. You'll also find a children's playground.

Daily music shows at the fountain occur at 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, and 9:00. The park is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and admission is free.

Laurel Park Sprayground - Gainesville
Laurel Park Sprayground is a huge. lovely park that, in addition to ball fields, playgrounds, and lake views, also has a water playground for kids. It only costs $1.00, and it's very well designed. The variety of sprinklers and water sprayers will keep children playing for hours. The outer edge of the fenced-in sprayground has benches and picnic tables, and the floor slopes in toward the center, so you don't have to get wet if you don't want to!

Open late May - Sept. 1. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; Noon-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Admission: $1. Recommended for children 11 and younger.

Riverside Sprayground - Roswell
Roswell's Riverside Park has a new sprayground. It costs $1 per child and $1 per accompanying adult. The park's playground is close by.

Monday – Sunday (excludes Tuesdays): 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
May and September: Weekends only 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Free (or Cheap!) Summer Movies

Wow, it's hot already! If you want to enjoy an air-conditioned theater this summer, there are plenty of ways to do it on the cheap. Even if you aren't from Atlanta, many of these programs are nationwide, so check them out! Note: get there early; these films sell out quickly!

Regal Cinema's Free Family Film Festival shows two different free movies at 10:00 a.m on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Click the link to search for your state; here are the movies showing at the North Point Parkway location.

06/08/2010-06/10/2010 Tale of Despereaux (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks Squeakquel (PG)

06/15/2010-06/17/2010 Charlotte's Web (G)
Night At The Museum II (PG)

06/22/2010-06/24/2010 Wallace and Gromit (G)
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG)

06/29/2010-07/01/2010 Polar Express (G)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (PG)

07/06/2010-07/08/2010 Doogal (G)
Planet 51 (PG)

07/13/2010-07/15/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G)
Imagine That (PG)

07/20/2010-07/22/2010 March Of The Penguins (G)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)

07/27/2010-07/29/2010 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
Hotel For Dogs (PG)

08/03/2010-08/05/2010 ARCTIC TALE (G)
Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG)

AMC Theaters Summer MovieCamp shows movies for $1.00 on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. with reduced concession prices. All proceeds benefit children's charities.

June 15 Shrek the Third
June 22 Imagine That
June 29 Monsters vs. Aliens
July 6 Madagascar
July 13 Madagascar 2
July 20 Hotel for Dogs
July 27 Kung Fu Panda
August 3 The Spiderwick Chronicles
August 10 Surprise Mystery Movie!

MNM Theaters: This Georgia chain has locations in Cumming (Movies 400), Hiram and Atlanta. On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., they show G and PG movies for free. They also offer $1.00 popcorn and $1.00 drinks. If you bring a can of food for a food bank, your popcorn is free! Here's the schedule:

6/8 & 6/10 Princess and the Frog
6/15 & 6/17 Night at the Museum 2
6/22 & 6/24 Fantastic Mr. Fox
6/29 & 7/1 Ice Age 3
7/6 & 7/8 Aliens in the Attic
7/13 & 7/15 Alvin and the Chipmunks 2
7/20 & 7/22 The Tooth Fairy
7/27 & 7/29 Diary of a Wimpy Kid
8/3 & 8/5 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
8/10 & 8/12 Furry Vengeance