Labor Day Festivals

Here's what's going on during the long weekend in the Atlanta area! It's a weekend of arts and books, and almost everything is free. I'm hoping to go to the Decatur Book Festival on Sunday.

Arts on the Creek Festival. Perimeter Church, Johns Creek. Food, live entertainment, children’s activities, art exhibits featuring over 100 vendors. Sept. 4-5. Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 1-5 p.m. 9500 Medlock Bridge Rd., Johns Creek. 678-405-2000. Free.

Love the Lake Festival. Cauble Park, Acworth. Art and craft vendors, parade, food, live entertainment, children’s activities, and a tropical bird show. Sept. 4-5. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., noon-6 p.m. 2293 Beach St., Acworth. 770-423-1330. Free.

Marietta Art in the Park. Glover Park, Marietta. Fine art vendors, children’s activities and demonstration area. Sept. 4-6. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Downtown Marietta. 770-429-1115. Free.

U.S. 10K Classic Family Festival. Cobb Galleria Center. Family festival centered around the 10K road race on Labor Day. Live music, kids’ activities, batting cages, clowns, pony rides and more. Sept. 4-5. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m. Two Cobb Galleria Pkwy., Atlanta. Free.


Decatur Book Festival. Downtown Decatur, GA. Book festival for adults and children - famous authors include Jonathan Franzen, Joyce Maynard, and Anna Dewdney, author of the Llama Llama books. Sept. 3-5. Check website for schedule/activities.

Sun Print T-Shirts

When we went away this summer with our extended family, we had some projects and activities for the boys to do with their cousins - we called it "cousin camp." One thing we did was decorate t-shirts. The instructions are here on the Family Fun website.

You'll need washed t-shirts, flour, water, a squeeze bottle, fabric spray paint, and sun.

Make a mixture of flour and water about the consistency of mustard and stir it until smooth. Put it in the squeeze bottle, and let kids make a design. The four kids had different approaches: a spiral sun, a flower, a turtle, and three monster faces. Try not to make the design too thick or it will be hard to remove.

Dry the t-shirts in the sun until the paste is hardened.

When it's dry, put a piece of paper or a plastic bag inside the shirt so the color doesn't run to the back. Spray the front with fabric spray paint. You can use multiple colors if you like, but don't spray too heavily. One bottle would do two entire shirts. I brought a contrasting fabric marker so the kids could add details; a Sharpie would work fine, too. Let the shirts dry in the sun.

Remove the dried paste - you may need to use a spoon to help you peel it off. This took a while! Once it's gone, you'll see the image in white.

The boys have worn their t-shirts a lot! They chose their designs from Ed Emberley books, and they were surprisingly easy to create with paste and a squeeze bottle.

Movies in the Park - Tonight, August 21, at Polo Club in Cumming

If it doesn't rain tonight, head over to the Polo Club of Atlanta, 5890 Polo Club Drive, Cumming, GA for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The movie starts at 8:30, and it's free! Family activities start at 7:00.

Don't forget bug spray!