Fountain pen: a publication of Centennial Olympic Park, Vol. 7, no. 1 (Spring 2003)

Fountain Pen

A Publication of Centennial Olympic Park

Volume 7 No.1 Spring 2003

Summer Fun AROUND THE CORNER

Winter has given way to spring and with the warmer

weather Centennial Olympic Park is ramping up for

a summer full of free, family-oriented events for you

to take advantage of, including Wednesday

WindDown, Music at Noon and Fourth Saturday

Family Fun Days.

Beginning the first week in April, the popular midweek concert series, Wednesday WindDown, will kick off in the Southern Company Amphitheater. Last year, the lineup, which included jazz artist Jonathan Butler, renowned flutist Nestor Torres and legendary trumpet player Rick Braun, brought thousands of people to the Park. This year, the list of performers promises to get even more music enthusiasts over hump day and through the week. If you have not been to a Wednesday WindDown concert, mark your calendar! The free shows, featuring everything from jazz to reggae, are held every Wednesday through September from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Music at Noon will also return to the Park in April. Starting April 15, the Park invites you to bring your lunch
On the fourth Saturday of every month, April through September, head to Centennial Olympic Park for Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day. The theme changes from month to month, making for a perfect family mini-festival full of arts and crafts, entertainment and educational demonstrations.

Last year's final Wednesday WindDown concert of the season attracted hundreds of people to the Southern Company Amphitheater. This year, everything from gospel to jazz will be performed live for you to enjoy.
and enjoy an outdoor concert from noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. If you don't have a packed lunch, food and drinks are available in the Park's Visitor Center.
If your workweek keeps you running non-stop and weekends are the only chance you have to spend time with family, the Park has a free alternative you don't want to pass up. On the fourth Saturday of every month, April through September, the Park is home to an afternoon of interactive, educational activities and entertainment. No two Fourth Saturdays are the same. Each month is centered on a different theme such as "All About Art," "The Great Outdoors" and "Cultural Arts," so you will always learn something new. Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days are from noon to 4 p.m.
As April approaches, be sure to check out the Park's Web site at www.centennialpark.com for a list of upcoming performers and events the whole family will enjoy. The site is frequently updated with new information to help you plan a summer full of music, activities and fun. You can also find information by calling the Park's event line at 404.222.PARK.

PARK BLOSSOMS in Spring
Spring is fast approaching. Come and see the Park's colorful blossoms make their debut!

The Park was aglow during Holiday in Lights, but it wasn't just the lights that brightened downtown Atlanta's favorite gathering place. Throughout the winter months, Centennial Olympic Park was adorned with an extra burst of color, which included a patriotic theme of red, white and blue pansies. These new flowers were added after a local, professional color bed designer, Angie Mueller, was brought in last fall to give the Park's landscape a facelift. With winter

behind us, the Park is welcoming a season full of events and its new neighbors, including Centennial Park West residents and Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta, with a variety of new flower beds.
In addition to the red, white and blue motif, more than 1,600 red tulip and pink hyacinth bulbs will blossom and make their debut this spring. Each bed is carefully planted and tended to by the Park's operations staff, making the Park a brighter place as the gray winter turns to spring!

Volunteers Thanked
WITH DESSERTS AND EVENING OF ICE SKATING

EEvery visit to Centennial Olympic Park is a memorable one thanks, in part, to our volunteers. Whether it is planting new flowers, manning the information desk in the Visitor Center or answering questions during events, the volunteers help make time spent in the Park a great experience. To show our appre-

Schmick's and Chick-fil-A. Volunteers were also given the chance to don ice skates and try their luck on the ice.
"Centennial Olympic Park is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who make visiting
the Park a special experience for all," said Jennifer Tinker, volunteer

ciation for all that the volunteers do,

coordinator for the Park. "We

the Park threw an appreciation night

could not do it without them!"

in their honor, complete with ice

The Park is always on the

skating and delectable desserts and

lookout for volunteers. If you are

warm beverages donated by down-

looking for a rewarding opportunity

town restaurants! More than a dozen volunteers
turned out for the dessert social held Dec. 12. Every dessert, from cheese-

Volunteers gather in the Visitor Center to enjoy an evening of sweets and skating during a dessert social in their honor for all the work and time they give to the Park.

where you can help people while soaking up some Atlanta sun, visit the Park's Web site at www.centennialpark.com and

cake to apple pie, was up for the

click on "Volunteer Info." There

tasting, as well as hot apple cider and coffee thanks to The you can sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Commerce Club, Dailey's Restaurant & Bar, Icon Bar & You can also call Jennifer Tinker at 404.223.4412 for

Bistro, Mumbo Jumbo, The Ritz-Carlton, McCormick & further information.

2

Holidays Bright
WITH LIGHT IN THE PARK

Getting into the holiday spirit was easy to do at Centennial Olympic Park. From the last week in November through the end of January, the Park was aglow with thousands of lights and holiday cheer as part of the annual Holiday in Lights. The wintertime tradition even included an ice skating rink!
Many people swapped their leather soles for a pair of ice skates. The skating rink is the only outdoor rink in Atlanta and is a special feature of Holiday in Lights.

Giant displays, dazzling lights and a larger-than-life tree that no one could miss blanketed the Park. As people strolled through the decorated 21 acres, they were treated to songs of the season. Visitors also enjoyed the only outdoor ice skating rink in all of Atlanta, complete with music, covered seating and theatrical lighting on the ice.
Throughout the holiday season, Centennial Olympic Park's Holiday in Lights provided a festive backdrop for other special events. Thousands of people headed to the Park to hear the Marietta Big Chicken Chorus and piano sensation, Jim Brickman, perform at the fourth annual Peach Carols in the Park, sponsored by Peach 94.9. Visitors were also able to learn a few tricks on the ice and get their favorite hockey player's autograph during Thrashers Day, a special part of Thrashers Week, which included two-for-one Thrashers game vouchers and discounted skating in the Park's Southern Company Amphitheater.
If you missed Holiday in Lights, be sure to keep it in mind for next year. It is quickly becoming a downtown Atlanta tradition sure to get everyone into the spirit of the season.

3

Museum Brings Families and Fun
to Park Neighborhood

Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta is opening its doors March 1, providing young children and families with fun and creative hands-on learning. The museum and Centennial Olympic Park's existing family-oriented events and features, coupled with the 2005 opening of the Georgia Aquarium and the new World of Coca-Cola, is sure to make the neighborhood the fastest growing, child-friendly place to visit.
The museum, located at the intersection of Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Baker Street, is focused on providing an environment where fun and learning are synonymous for the whole family. Upon entering, families are invited to put their imagination to the test as they participate in critical thinking activities through visual, literary, dramatic and musical arts, such as becoming a gardener, collaborating on building a giant maze or being the architect of

Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta's entrance entices visitors to see what's inside through the use of color and design. The museum opens March 1.

a sand castle. They can pretend to be the next Monet and paint on the walls, learn to dance, even make their own musical instruments. With all the different hats children can put on, learning history, social studies, science, math, geography and cultural arts becomes a fun and exciting experience that parents will enjoy, too!
Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $11 per person and children under the age of two are free. Groups will enjoy a discounted rate and family membership packages are available. Due to the size of the exhibits and space, advance reservations are strongly encouraged. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the museum's Web site at www.imagineit-cma.org.
If you would like to receive e-mail updates on Centennial Olympic Park, simply call 404-223-4203 or e-mail kbarnes@gwcc.com.

FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMT NO. 596 ATLANTA, GA

Activities and Information Hotline 404.222.PARK www.centennialpark.com
For more information, contact: Kellie Barnes 404.223.4203
kbarnes@gwcc.com
285 Andrew Young International Blvd., N.W. Atlanta, GA 30313-1591