Saturday, April 18, 2009

There's no shortage of fun events all over Atlanta on this beautiful Saturday! The parks will be filled with baseball, softball, and soccer games - we'll be cheering on our son's baseball game. If you aren't already committed to birthday parties or sports, here are some great outings for families.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - April 17-19 in Piedmont Park. This 70-year-old Atlanta tradition is FREE! Visit the kids' village from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday for art projects, games and activities. There are kids' entertainment shows at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. Plenty of festival food is available to purchase. Be sure to check the website for parking/shuttle details, because you really can't park, um, at the park.

Georgia Renaissance Festival begins (through June 7). It's located in Atlanta - south of the airport; check the website for directions. Early Bird online tickets for opening weekend are a bargain: $16.95 adults; $6.95 children; free five and under.

Lemonade Days - April 16-19. The Dunwoody Preservation Trust's annual fundraiser is free to enter, but you'll purchase tickets for rides, food, etc. Some of the highlights are inflatables, rides, games, petting zoo, food, face painting, and horseback riding. Don't miss the skate park exhibition in the afternoon. Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Earth Day Kids Fest - Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell. Hours are 10:00-3:00. Admission is $5.00, and ages 2 and under are free. The CNC is really a beautiful preserve; don't miss it this spring!

Good to know: Be warned: they have a very dangerous gift store. Like most museums, you have to go through it with your kids. Be sure to ask for a scavenger hunt list to take with you as you walk.

The Earth Day event at CNC is full of great stuff for kids: smoothies, interactive booths, animal demonstrations, performances by Laughing Pizza (wow!) and Lil Peppi, puppets, canoes for ages 5 and above. And Captain Planet is flying in from his last gig at Georgia Tech!