Friday festival
April 11 — It’s a busy weekend of events around Metro Atlanta. We’ve got some suggestions below and you can find even more at our How Do You Atlanta? event calendar.
☔ After overnight storms, rain continues today with a high of 61°. The weekend is looking sunny with highs in the upper 60s.
⚖️ The removal of Antavius Weems and Lamar White from the Fulton Housing Authority will stand after they failed to attend a court hearing.
💵 U.S. Senate Democrats, including Georgia’s Raphael Warnock, are pushing to expand the child tax credit.
🎓 UGA and Emory confirmed some international students were affected by the recent wave of visa cancellations hitting universities nationwide.
🧑🎓 The Rotary Club of Buckhead is seeking host families for international high school exchange students.
📺 “Trial Watchers” – a docuseries created by local authors Mike Petchenik and Neil Gordon that explores true crime fans who travel to watch trials – is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
ELSEWHERE
🚁 Six people, including three children, died when a passenger helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in lower Manhattan.
⚖️ The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot prison.
➡ After rallying on Wednesday, the stock market tumbled again as President Trump raised tariffs on China to a cumulative 145%.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Weekend events
• Film Review: ‘The Amateur’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
🏃 Join Move For Grady on April 26! With three cycling distances and two run/walk options, there’s something for everyone. Then celebrate your accomplishment – and support for Grady – with a fun finish line celebration at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Dogwood Festival, Record Store Day, Kylie Minogue, and more
🌸 If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, there’s plenty going on.
The 89th annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival runs from April 11-13 in Piedmont Park. Visitors can enjoy fine art, live music, international entertainment, food and drink, kid-friendly activities, and much more.
🏃 Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m., the festival is holding the Mimosa 5K, sponsored by Rough Draft, where you can get in a little exercise and a great drink when you finish.
🗓️ Other events include Record Store Day, the Atlanta Spring Wine Festival, the opening day of the Georgia Renaissance Festival, and so much more.
🍾 Find more information about these weekend events here.
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🐾 Contact our Buckhead, Dunwoody, and Tucker locations to schedule an appointment.
2. ‘The Amateur’ is asleep at the wheel
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🖥️ In “The Amateur,” directed by James Hawes and co-written by Gary Spinelli and Ken Nolan, Rami Malek plays Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, blackmails the CIA into sending him out into the field so he can avenge her death.
But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill spy revenge thriller, oh no – this one is different, you see, because Charles – nerdy, quiet Charles – hates killing people. Or, more truthfully, he’s really bad at killing people. At least with a gun. Give him an explosive? He’ll get the job done.
Charles Heller might be the smartest guy at the CIA, but “The Amateur” isn’t a very smart film at all. It’s a far cry from the best of the films about men seeking vengeance for their dead wives – a spy thriller with more lulls than twists, and a waste of a talented cast.
💣 Read Sammie’s full review here. If you’re in the mood for something a little more cozy, check out her review of “The Ballad of Wallis Island” here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. A tradition like no other; Final weekend before NBA Playoffs
🏌️♂️ England’s Justin Rose leads The Masters by three strokes after the First Round. Play begins today at 8:45 a.m. with streaming coverage. ESPN’s broadcast starts at 3 p.m.
⚾ Braves beat the Phillies last night. Atlanta is 3-9 and travels to Tampa for a weekend series with the Rays with tonight’s first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. (FanDuel Sports; 93.7 FM)
🏀 The Hawks beat the Nets last night, and are the current eighth seed in the playoffs, with two games remaining. Atlanta travels to face Philadelphia tonight at 7 p.m. (FanDuel Sports South; 92.9 FM). The final regular season game is Sunday at noon when they host Orlando.
⚽ Atlanta United hosts New England Revolution tomorrow at 2:45 p.m. (Apple TV+; 92.9 FM).
🏈 Former Falcons star Julio Jones retired earlier this week, ending a 13-season career. “This one’s for the city,” Jones said, acknowledging his decade in Atlanta.
🏒 Alex Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, with his 895th career goal.
🌼 Springtime in Atlanta means it’s time for the 89th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Held in Piedmont Park April 11-13, this three-day outdoor event has fine art, live music and entertainment, children’s activities and more — and it’s free to attend! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top stories of the week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Community rallies against Amsterdam Walk development ahead of council vote
② Horse found dead on Peachtree Street suffered medical emergency
③ Sandy Springs secures $8.1 million in federal funding for road and trail projects
④ Thousands march in ‘Hands Off’ protest against Trump administration (pictured)
⑤ One year after prize-winning Shiba Inu was stolen, a tearful reunion
🏃 Join Move For Grady on April 26! With three cycling distances and two run/walk options, there’s something for everyone. Then celebrate your accomplishment – and support for Grady – with a fun finish line celebration at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
🦋 Connect with us on Bluesky.
