Hey, May!
May 1 — Longtime Tucker resident and two-term former city council member Anne Lerner announced in an exclusive interview with Rough Draft her intention to run for mayor this November.
☁️ Mostly cloudy and 83° today.
🏈 The NFL fined the Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich after his son admitted to prank calling draftee Shedeur Sanders.
🗳️ Democrats have a 3-2 majority on the Cobb County Commission after Tuesday’s special election.
🎒 Early childhood development program Head Start faces possible federal budget cuts, which are likely to affect rural Georgia the most.
🔎 The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education is reinstating its DEI policies after courts halted the Trump administration’s ban.
📽️ The Atlanta Film Festival plans to honor multiple artists and organizations during its IMAGE Film Award Gala on May 4.
ELSEWHERE
📉 The U.S. economy contracted at a 0.3% annual rate last quarter—its first decline in three years.
💰 The U.S. and Ukraine signed a landmark natural resources agreement, granting access to minerals, oil, and gas while establishing an investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
🎓 President Donald Trump will address the University of Alabama’s graduating class tonight.
🇮🇱 Wildfires near Jerusalem forced evacuations and closed major roads.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Beltline Lantern Parade
• Underground restaurants
• May food events
AND
• Standups & Startups
🗣️ Join renowned educator Brendan Murphy on Sun., May 4, at 3 p.m. at The Breman Museum for a powerful exploration of antisemitism — past and present — and how we can confront hate in today’s world. Free event – register here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. 15th anniversary Beltline Lantern Parade returns Saturday
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE HERE
🏮 When a few hundred glowing lanterns first floated down Atlanta’s Beltline in 2010, the vision was simple: create a space where anyone could light up the night with imagination.
Fifteen years later, the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade is considered a defining moment in the city’s cultural calendar — and a catalyst for Atlanta’s public art renaissance.
On Sat., May 3, the 15th anniversary celebration will take a new route along the Beltline’s Southwest Trail, beginning at Adair Park I and ending at the Lee + White Food Hall. Thousands are expected to march, carrying handmade lanterns of all shapes and sizes, in a living, luminous testament to what public creativity can build.
🎉 Check out the story here.
MORE CELEBRATIONS
🎊 DeKalb County’s oldest Black neighborhood, Lynwood Park, is celebrating the 47th Lynwood Park Community Day on Saturday from noon-6 p.m. in Brookhaven.
Celebrate Pride Night with the Braves June 3!
SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA BRAVES
⚾ Don’t miss the Pride ticket package at Truist Park on Tues., June 3 as the Atlanta Braves take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This specialty ticket package includes a game ticket, access to a pregame party at the Coca-Cola Roxy, a Braves Pride t-shirt, and $4 from every ticket package sold will go back to The OUT Georgia Impact Fund powered by United Way of Greater Atlanta.
➞ Capacity is limited so lock in your Pride ticket package before they are sold out!
2. Monday nights are for supper clubs and underground restaurants
🍲 It should come as no surprise that Monday is the slowest day of the week for restaurants. It’s the day most people return to the work grind and daily routine after the weekend. The drastic drop in diners on Mondays means many restaurants close at the beginning of the week.
But for some restaurants, the “We’re Closed” sign on the front door provides an opportunity to lend out the kitchen to chefs and pop-ups, while filling tables with people seeking exclusive dining experiences.
This symbiotic relationship between restaurants and chefs and pop-ups has become one of the hallmarks of Atlanta’s underground food scene, with Monday being the top night to hit up these restaurants within restaurants and attend intimate supper club dinners hosted at private homes.
🍷 Learn more about Monday night dining here.
3. May food and dining events
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE
🌮🍹Looking for food and drink events to attend in May? Check out these 14 food festivals, dinners, and charity events happening around Atlanta, including Czech Beer Days at Halfway Crooks Beer, Taste of Alpharetta, the Marietta Greek Festival, Brew at the Zoo, and the Meals on Wheels fundraising gala.
➡️ Click here for the full lineup of May food events.
🗣️ Join renowned educator Brendan Murphy on Sun., May 4, at 3 p.m. at The Breman Museum for a powerful exploration of antisemitism — past and present — and how we can confront hate in today’s world. Free event – register here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Standups & Startups is back and bringing you the laughs
😂 Fuel your hustle with comedy, improv, and high-energy networking at May’s Standups & Startups show!
Get ready for a night of unstoppable laughter, unforgettable connections, and electric energy as Standups & Startups takes over ASW Distillery! This isn’t your average networking event. It’s where ATL’s sharpest minds meet the city’s funniest comics for a night you’ll be talking about long after the last punchline lands.
➡ The event is May 21. Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
🗣️ Join renowned educator Brendan Murphy on Sun., May 4, at 3 p.m. at The Breman Museum for a powerful exploration of antisemitism — past and present — and how we can confront hate in today’s world. Free event – register here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
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