Very packed, lots of food, vendors and good music and shuttles at the Suwanee location.read more

I had heard about this event from the earlier event locations - this is a "pop-up" style market…read morethat moves around Atlanta, typically over a holiday weekend. On this occasion, it was the Memorial Day weekend on 2018.10.5 - 2018.10.07 and the market took place at the North Point Mall at 1000 North Point Cir, Alpharetta, GA 30022, along the side facing the JC Penny's anchor store. This is an outdoor vendor-oriented market featuring imported goods and a huge assortment of food. In Asia markets like these are done at night to escape the heat of the day - typically they go on pretty much all night but of course this US market is a bit more pragmatic. I met a friend after work on the first night (Friday) right when it opened, about 5:00 PM. The market was just getting started so some of the food vendors weren't quite ready and some tents were unoccupied, but this was remedied by the time we left. Admission was $10 but could have been less if we'd bought online prior to the event day - we decided to just pay at the gate. Oh and most of these vendors were cash only so keep that in mind - there are several ATMs but you get to pay those fees. I'd say that the "International" aspect was very well represented by a super diverse assortment of vendors and a crowd to to match. There were the typical saree and handbag sellers plus one booth that had leather jackets. I saw many, many different ethnic groups from all over the world - lots of fun to be had. There's also a stage with music that continued for most of the night with some live local acts and a DJ spinning a broad-time-spanning assortment of well-mixed dance music. But of course the real reason I attended was to sample the food. The food ranged from near-local to far reaching Asian - there were at least two different Lao vendors, Snackboxe Bistro and a Thai/Viet/Lao vendor that served Pad Thai, Papaya Salad and skewers of meat. There were also several Indian vendors including the nearby Dekkan Spice (very good) so a good mix of local restaurants, caterers and food trucks. I saw a couple of Halal places including a whole BBQ goat. We settled on a mix of Thai and Island cuisines, the latter being a veggie and noodle stirfry with teriyaki chicken. I thought both were quite good and less than $10. The Hawaiian rotisserie looked amazing but wasn't quite ready or I def would have gotten the pork ribs or turkey leg. There was also a vegan section with many restaurants within if what I described above scared you. I think there was plenty to sample something unusual and come away full. There were many drink vendors selling lassies and other cold drinks including many fruity drinks. I only saw one beer vendor but it was large and well placed sith several local craft brews - I ended up with a Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA but also say a Three Taverns sour and a Steady Hand Farmhouse Ale (Saisson) as options. Overall I liked the event but coudn't stay much more than the hour or so (commitments elsewhere) but did have fun while there. The people serving were really nice and accommodating and good about answering questions. It was starting to get crowded so that was my queue to get out anyway - I don't deal with the jostle of the crowds - when my beer gets bumped it's time to leave!

This place is a great alternative for local Gwinnett residents to see some pretty holiday lights…read moreinstead of traveling elsewhere like Atlanta. Granted, it is a lot smaller but they packed a lot of lights in there for a $10 entry. ($10 is the online price, $12 at door) It is in a random residential area with a gravel driveway so you might miss the entrance, especially in the dark (We had to make a U-turn) but the GPS does take you there, just follow it carefully. It turns out this festival is on some farmland. It has a gravel parking lot and you walk through dirt/grass...so wear comfortable flat shoes. There are different light themes throughout. You first enter the "Under the Sea" theme. Other themes scattered around are Christmas, Chinese, etc. It is a quick walk through, but if you stop to take perfect Instagram worthy pics like I did, you can easily be there for an hour or 2. There's also a few fire pits, a little makeshift ice skating area, some farm animals, and a food/vendor tent. Inside the tent is where we saw the huge panda mascot! It was dancing and brought great energy to the crowd. I'm a HUGE panda fan so obviously I had to take a picture and even made it dance with me. Hehe. Everyone loved the panda and it truly made our visit. That pretty much ended our night, so we headed back to the car after an hour and a half. This place is only operational until Jan 1, 2022 so I would go before it closes!

JapanFest -- A Nostalgic Visit It really brought back…read morememories of those days in Norcross High School, when my friends and I used to come to JapanFest together. It's been three or four years since I last went. There were classic cultural highlights like Sumo and Kendo, and even hands-on experiences such as archery and sword-cutting demonstrations. Up on the second floor, the Hands-on Experience area featured bonsai, ikebana (flower arrangement), and shodo (Japanese calligraphy) -- all worth visiting and exploring. The biggest highlight this year was definitely the "LINQ" idol group performance -- their sweet voices, energetic choreography, and youthful vibe filled the entire stage. I couldn't help but feel, deep down, "Ah, youth is truly wonderful." Picked up a "To You" CD, grabbed some Japanese street food, and just soaked in the atmosphere.

So overcrowded. I've never bumped into more sweaty basement dwelling discord mods than I have here…read more They obviously oversold the event with no consideration about the experience, only worried about profit. Don't get me started on the CONCERT INSIDE OF AN ECHOING ARENA BUILDING. Ear splitting and miserable. Extremely overstimulating for my young kids.

Last night, the City of Duluth celebrated summer with the community with a FREE concert…read more We all gathered, picnicked, relaxed, danced & enjoyed a beautiful night!! I really don't know the name of the bands, but the headline was a Tom Petty Tribute Band, REALLY REALLY good! Lots of cute shops, restaurants, paint pottery, walk around, playgrounds, play/splash fountain (bring a towel), cute coffee bar, etc. come enjoy a few hours. Plenty of parking around, just please be carof foot traffic. Security is always around; Duluth's Finest!!!

Downtown Duluth's Old Town is such a gem! Every year the Fall Festival brings thousands of people…read moretogether, and the energy is amazing. At the center is a big water fountain that makes the whole area feel like a gathering spot. There are tons of little shops and restaurants to explore, plus a paint-your-own pottery place that's really fun. Families will love the playground and splash fountain (definitely bring a towel if you've got kids). I also love the cute coffee bar--it's a perfect stop when you're just walking around. Overall, it's a charming spot that's great for an afternoon stroll, grabbing a bite, or bringing the family out. Always something to enjoy here!

FIRST ANNUAL DULUTH ARTS FESTIVAL!…read more This past weekend, I attended the Inaugural debut of the Duluth Arts Festival featuring live music performances, and art vendors. The artists displayed a variety of art forms such as photography, painting, glass, jewelry, leather goods and others. It was a very small turn out of vendors which surprised me because I am just accustomed to the massive throng of vendors that are all over the place during the Duluth Fall Festival. The greatest aspect of the festivals is that they are held on the beautiful Town Center lawn. It is the primary gathering place for community events and the perfect setting thanks to his expansive space and beautifully landscaped areas. I was simply looking forward to relaxing in my favorite chair, enjoying a cool breeze and listening to some great music. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GOOD: The venue and weather was perfect on this day The professional guitarist was great. They had a GREAT play area for kids. They had great picnic tables with umbrellas placed right near the stage for diners. It was really a nice touch. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS WORK: I would love to see a larger variety of vendors because we tend to travel to fairs and festivals quite often and are growing tired of seeing the same vendors over and over again. I love creativity and I just know that there are artists out there who work with different and unusual materials. This problem will probably resolve itself over time as more vendors sign up for the event. The first musical act happened to be students and not professionals. At an Inaugural event, you really need to put your best foot forward and make a great first impression. If the students cannot perform at a professional level, they simply should not be featured. For us, the first act sets the tone because if the music is bad, we can't stay. There were only three food trucks, hotdogs, burgers and quesadillas. They simply needed more variety and healthier options. Although they considered their bean and cheese quesadilla the healthier alternative, I did not. They needed at least one food venue with a lighter menu but, this was not a major issue for us because we tend to pack our own food. Hopefully, they will tweak things and next year's festival will be bigger and better. ***This is a two-day weekend festival. ***Feel free to bring your favorite chairs and snacks. ***Arrive early for great parking and choice seats. Normally, you have the entire lawn available but this time much of the available space was taken over by the large kid's area and the food trucks.

The food was super expensive. The sample tickets were $1 and esch sample would range from 1-5…read moretickets. All the samples were cold. They claimed there was free activities for the kids not true $15 for bounce houses. The only good thing was a dessert stand they had fair prices and excellent desserts. other than that very dissapointed.

I really loved the home town feel of it. Loved the music and…read moreshow. Food was fairly priced. About 50¢ each. Our favorite was the she crab soup (2 tickets) and the Irish car bomb ice cream (5 tickets). Tasty samples all over the place for 2 to 3 tickets. The free shuttle parking was not well marked. We abandoned that and wound up parking at the library, which was free as well.

I love festivals and I am glad that they are becoming trendy across the US. This one can't really…read morebeat the Duluth Fall Festival in September but it's not bad! This one is in June 11-12. Careful, it gets VERY hot on a June day in Atlanta. I recommend coming in the morning if you're afraid of it getting super hot. My friends and I had tents selling crafts here and it can get miserable so make sure you bring lots of water. This festival had crafts on the far right end of the street with soaps, art, carvings, and all kinds of things. THere are some local businesses of course handing out info and free giveaways such as chiropractic, roof cleaning, and other services. I thought the free food giveaways were a bomb. There was a local peach stand which was awesome, free bags of local organic quinoa chips, and other fun give aways. The local P'tree corners stand will hand out tote bags, I love P'tree corner banners,and free hand paddle fans which you definitely need. There is a giant guy about 7'2 walking around in a peach costume and another guy on stilts as a tree so make sure you see those two. There is live music and I honestly thought for a small festival, the entertainment was VERY good. GOod voices and very good talent. Definitely worth listening to and crucial to keeping everyone happy in such a warm day. Check out the stands that have hot dogs and funnel cakes! There are portable bathrooms at the end and there are cars at the end with some fancy car show going on for car enthusiasts!

FESTIVAL TIME, (Peachtree Corners)…read more I attended this festival a couple of years ago with my family and we all had a very nice time. The parking is great and there are shuttle carts that take you from your car to the venue or you can easily walk. It was a hot day and we were lucky enough to have the mayor as our driver. The festival is great for families because they have activities for everyone. The little ones will love the bounce house, face painting and other activities, everyone will enjoy wandering from table to table checking out the arts and crafts and who doesn't LOVE classic cars! It is just the perfect opportunity to get out, listen to live music, get some fresh air and just meet people. This year the festival will be marked by a pre-festival concert on Friday night, (June 12th) and the actual festival begins on Sat at 10am and continues until Sunday evening. Clear your calendar and save the date!

2016 is the twelfth year for the Alpharetta Arts Streetfest - this year there were 95 participants,…read moreranging from photography to pottery to jewelry to metalwork and everything in between. The festival is located in the heart of downtown Alpharetta - the city closes a block of Milton Avenue (at the intersection of Main Street) and the participants set up in rows along this block, and along certain sections of Old Roswell Street and Old Canton Street. It's a condensed area but never feels too crowded - the layout makes it easy to stroll through and see everything. There are usually a few food vendors, but in this location you're also surrounded by several restaurants - Hop Alley, South Main Kitchen, Smokejack BBQ, Ceviche, Mugs on Milton. In addition to the artisans, there are a number of booths dedicated to kid activities, so the event is absolutely family friendly. Because it's an outdoor event, many people bring the canine members of their family - while I definitely love this idea, just remember that late May can be very hot and this event is set up on pavement, which can be painful to paws. Double check the temperature before bringing Fido. If the pavement is too hot for you to walk barefoot, it's too hot for your pup's paws! The one improvement I would recommend for the event is based on temperature - when the weather hits the high 80's/low 90's (as it did this year), having a few mister fans at each end of the festival would be a real relief to attendees.