WEEKEND BEST BETS

Atlanta's July 4 celebrations abound
Comedy, music shows fill out weekend activities


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/03/2008

FRIDAY

• July Fourth Salute to America. Activities include a Kid Zone featuring giant slides, a rock wall, face painters, balloon artist, an obstacle course. Live musical entertainment begins at 6 p.m. Fireworks display begins at approximately 9:40 p.m. Lenox Square and WSB-TV are hosts. 4 p.m. Free. Lenox Square, 3393 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-233-6767, www.lenoxsquare.com.

AP
A concert performance by dancer-singer Chris Brown at Chastain Park Saturday night is just one event that stands out in an action-packed holiday weekend.
 
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• Bluegrass, Potluck and Fireworks at Matilda's. The Alpharetta art gallery offers a ringside view of the city's fireworks display in Wills Park. Arrive early for a potluck dinner and live bluegrass performed by the Barn Rats. Grilled meats including chicken, burgers and hot dogs will be provided. Bring a cover dish, salad or dessert. 6 p.m. Food set-up; 7 p.m. Potluck; 7:30 p.m. Music. Fireworks at dark. $15 potluck; $10 music (no potluck). Matilda's Art Gallery, 377 S. Main St., Alpharetta. 770-754-7831, www.matildascottage.com.

• Fantastic Fourth Celebration. 9:30 p.m. laser show followed by fireworks. Park hours 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Free show; parking $10 per vehicle (14 or fewer passengers). Stone Mountain Park, U.S. 78 East, Stone Mountain. 770-498-5690, www.stonemountainpark.com.

SATURDAY

• Benefit Horse Show. Gaited and racking horses with multiple classes. Sanctioned by the National Racking Horse Association. Benefits the Bald Ridge Lodge emergency shelter for boys ages 12-17. 6 p.m. $5. Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Road, Cumming. 770-887-1220, www.baldridgelodge.org.

• "The Celebration" With Fred Hammond and Dottie Peoples. Gospel music. 6 p.m. $35-$50. Jim R. Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta. 770-528-8875, 404-249-6400, www.cobbcounty.org.

• "Barefoot in the Park." A young couple, Corie and Paul Bratter, move into their first Manhattan apartment, a five-flight walkup. The very romantic start to their life together is given a humorous shake-up as the conservative young lawyer and vivacious wife work through instrusions from her mother and their eccentric neighbor. Presented by Button Theatre. 8 p.m. premiere. $20; $15 senior citizens and students. Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300, Duluth. 770-831-0591, www.buttontheatre.com.

• Chris Brown. R&B and hip hop singer-songwriter and dancer. 7 p.m. $78.75-$88.75; $58.75 lawn (no chairs allowed). Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com.

The Punchline. Greg Morton. Once described as a person who watches too much cable news, Morton is known for his elastic features, his thought-provoking material and his two-minute condensation of the entire "Star Wars" movie series. 7 and 9 p.m. $20. 280 Hilderbrand Drive N.E., Sandy Springs. 404-252-5233, www.punchline.com.

SUNDAY

• Atlanta Pride Parade. Floats, marchers and motorcyclists in a procession that celebrates the city's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. 1 p.m. . Free. Midtown-Downtown Pride Parade Route, 10th Street at Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta. 770-491-8633, atlantapride.org.

• Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. Four-time Grammy award winner, singer-songwriter and actor whose highest-peaking single to date is 1986's "Cowboy Man." 7:30 p.m. . $57.50-$67.50; $37.50 lawn. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.livenation.com.

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