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What’s Happening in Peachtree Corners — Town Green Summer Events

by elizabethkaypinder

Peachtree Corners’ newest development, the Town Green — located in the popular Town Center, offers a variety of events over the summer months. From movies to concerts to livestream sports broadcasts on the giant screen, to early-morning yoga, there is surely something for everyone to enjoy!

PTC Town Center

The 21-acre Town Center is the new heartbeat of PTC community, with over 15 restaurants (Fire and Stone Italian Pizza Kitchen, Marlowe’s Tavern, Salata…), retail shops (Hollywood Feed, Boardroom Salon, Hand and Stone…), office space, and now, 75 new townhomes that overlook a 2+ acre Town Green park. The park is a central gathering place for many in our community, and hosts live outdoor concerts and seasonal events. The city’s landmark bridge located at the main entrance to the Town Center guides pedestrians over Peachtree Parkway and connects with the Corners Connector, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle trail system, and The Forum Shopping Center where many retail shops and more wonderful restaurants await.

PTC Town Green

The Town Green, designed as space for outdoor activities, includes so many wonderful features: an active water play space, open air pavilion, café tables, fire pit, 22′ digital display screen, open lawn, playable art, a fitness trail, and a 2,500 square-foot veterans’ monument featuring sculptures of military service people.

Town Green Summer Events

Summer Concert Series — Reservations Required

Night Music Series — Live, Local Music!

Flicks on the Green

  • Hook, Jul 3, 7:00 pm
  • Thor, Aug 7, 7:00 pm
  • Cars, Sept 4, 7:00 pm
  • Labyrinth, Oct 2, 7:00 pm

Sports on the Screen

  • Braves v Cardinals, Jun 19, 7:15 pm
  • Atl. United v New England, Jul 17, 5:00 pm
  • Atl. United v Columbus, Jul 24, 3:30 pm

Yoga on the Green provided by Sun Dragon Yoga

  • Every Tuesday 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. through Sep 28

All events are tentative. Check city website a week prior to event for confirmation.

Summer Concert Series

The third annual Summer Concert Series features bands from across the nation at the Town Green in the Town Center at 7:00 PM. Admission is FREE (with reservations, see below) to enjoy live music with bands from all over the country. Concerts are the last Saturday of the month, through September. Fans can bring food or visit one of the many restaurants located within the Town Center for carryout. 

June’s concert will feature the ultimate Eagles tribute, On the Border. Treating fans to an authentic concert experience while journeying through The Eagles songbook, the band covers favorites such as “Desperado” and “Lyin’ Eyes” as well as rockin’ hits such as “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Heartache Tonight” with such accuracy, that listeners may permanently confuse “On the Border” with the real Eagles!

Opening for On the Border will be Atlanta’s own Carly Burruss. Carly’s whimsical, tongue-in-cheek disposition combined with her lilting sound make her the country music singer/songwriter who stands out from the rest.

Concert Tickets: To ensure everyone’s safety Summer Concert Series will require tickets this year. Visit the Town Center Events page here for a link to reserve tickets. Tickets will be available about a week before each of the concerts and there is a 6-ticket limit per household. You will be given wristbands the day of the concert, according to the number of tickets you have reserved, when you show your tickets. Participants will be able to get their wristbands and set up their spot after 2:00 PM on the day of the show. All areas will be first come first serve on the day of the event. Attendees may set up lawn chairs throughout the event area.

All tickets must be redeemed by 7:30 PM. Any tickets that have not been redeemed by that time will become available to those waiting on a first come first serve basis.

Guests are asked to social distance and wear masks as often as possible while attending the event. Space is very limited and expected to fill up quickly. Once all reservations are filled, the event will be at capacity and no additional guests can be accommodated.

Night Music Series

No reservations are required to attend this music series, which features live local bands. June’s Night Music concert features The Sawgrass Blues Band. As described on their website, they are “homegrown, Roswellian, blues-loving machines, specially selected for smoothness and taste. Acoustic, eclectic, bluesy, electric, — toe-tapping, foot-stomping rock, rhythm, & blues!”

Flicks on the Green

Join your PTC neighbors on the Town Green for Flicks on the Green a FREE movie series featuring iconic movies on their anniversary, on the 22′ digital display! Mark your calendar for the first Saturday of each month through October 2. Movies will be begin at 7pm; bring a blanket and stretch out on the lawn and experience movies under the stars. Bring a picnic or grab food from your favorite Town Green restaurants.

Sports on the Screen

Come tailgate with fellow fans on the Town Green in July! A Braves baseball game and two Atlanta United soccer games will be live cast on the big screen (22′ digital display) at the Town Green. Sports fans are encouraged to bring their own coolers or purchase food and drink from one of the many restaurants in the Town Center. 

*Times and games could change last minute due to network availability

Yoga on the Green

Stretch and strengthen wit your neighbors at Yoga on the Green every Tuesday at 8:30 am, April 27 through September 28. Everyone from beginners to experienced yogis are welcome to this FREE class taught by David Penn from Sun Dragon Yoga.

What to Bring — Water (no glass containers), a small towel or two, and a mat if you have one. Please note the ground can be wet for these early morning classes so a towel under your mat can be helpful.

What to Wear — Wear comfortable clothes that allow a range of motion. Consider a close-fitting shirt, or a shirt that can be tucked in.  Come in whatever shoes you would like, as practice will be done barefoot.

EV charging is available at the Town Center

  • 4 Electrify America DCFC Stations 150kw – 350kw (parking deck, lower level)
  • 12 Tesla DCFC stations 350kw (parking deck, lower level)
  • 6 Level 2 charging stations (parking deck, two on each level)
  • To access charging, when entering Town Center from Hwy 141, head straight through the traffic circle and turn right, in front of Cinebistro. You’ll find chargers on the lower level there, and more on every level.

Some tips to keep in mind when attending PTC Town Green events

  • Items Allowed: Chairs & Blankets, Coolers 
  • Items Not Allowed: Tents, Grills, Glass Bottles
  • All events are tentative; Please check city website one week prior to event for confirmation.
  • Park and Walk — Parking is available at the Town Center parking deck, and additional parking is provided at 3720 Davinci Court. You’ll park there, cross PTC Circle, and access the Town Green via a pathway. Look for signage.

I hope all our locals will come out this summer and enjoy this beautiful space we have here at the Town Center in Peachtree Corners. I hope that we will have the chance to welcome lots of visitors, too! I’d love it if you would leave a comment to share your favorite summer outdoor community event!

A corner of my kitchen

by elizabethkaypinder

I have a spot in my kitchen that is all set up for making espresso drinks. I can remember how, when I was growing up in the 70s, my mother would sit for hours and hours at the kitchen table with her sister and their friends, laughing, talking, and pouring and sipping their coffee. Mama drank hers black. She liked good strong coffee! Coffee for her was something to be savored and enjoyed and crafted. As an adult I liked the coffee she made, but I never had a big cup, a small cup was plenty for me — and I definitely had it black, too. I like to taste it!

That’s why an espresso machine is perfect for my taste in coffee. It’s just a small amount at a time, and it’s nice & rich. It’s crafted. I like it.

About 6 years ago I got my first espresso machine. I paid $5 for it at a thrift shop. It was a little Krups machine that probably cost $99 new. I wasn’t fancy. It just had one button and one knob, and a steam wand for the milk. It was a perfect intro to espresso making. Through trial and error I learned how to make a good espresso and I enjoyed that machine for a few years.

Usually when I’m having a latte, I brew the espresso directly into the cup then pour the steamed milk on top.

This time, with my Krups machine, I steamed the milk first, poured it into my cup, and then brewed the espresso into the milk, just to see what it would be like. This is what appeared: an image of Mother and Child. I couldn’t have designed this myself if I’d tried!

Eventually the portafilter (where the grounds sit) started leaking, so I gave it to my son, who took it to our basement workshop where it will be taken apart (probably for the pump inside). 

I spent some time (ok, a LOT of time) online, researching espresso machines. I wanted a new one that was simple to use, with not too many bells and whistles, that was affordable, and one that would be a step up from the Krups. I did find a great machine — the Italian-made Gaggia Classic.

It makes terrific espresso shots, and the steamed milk is pretty decent, although I think the newer models have improved the technology in that area. Anyway I don’t have lattes too often — I usually just enjoy just having a simple espresso shot in the morning.

I upped my game and got a fancy grinder Christmas 2019. That was fun! It’s niiiiiice.

I have some lovely accoutrements which bring me great pleasure while I have my coffee. This little café caddy belonged to my late mother and houses my collection of special cups and mugs and flavorings.

Some are thrifted, some were gifts, and some were Mama’s. I bought the two pretty glasses in Valencia, Spain and they cost about 50 cents each. The shop owner recalled to me how her father and his friends used to drink their coffee out of those exact kinds of glasses every day. I liked the idea of that! (Why didn’t I buy more than two??)

One of my favorite things in the caddy is this little coffee pot salt & pepper set I inherited. Mama bought it online about 15 years ago. She was very surprised when the set arrived, because she was expecting a full-sized double-burner coffee warmer! She didn’t know it was a miniature salt & pepper set. “I wondered why it was so cheap…” she mused! Mama had such a great sense of humor and she didn’t mind laughing at herself. She always kept the little Lockhorns cartoon with it, tucked underneath!

The very best part of my espresso experience is the coffee itself. No matter how awesome the equipment is, if you don’t have good coffee beans, it won’t taste good. It just won’t. I am very lucky because my brother Rob owns a coffee shop, Java Lords Coffee House & Bar, in Little 5 Points, Atlanta, GA. He roasts the coffee beans himself — they are super fresh and Fair Trade, too.

My favorites are the beans from Yirgacheffe and Tanzania. There is a natural, subtle variation with every batch Rob roasts, but these particular beans tend to have a warm, sweet, fruity aroma! Rob always has a terrific house blend on hand, which he calls “Lord’s House”.

Other special roasts include Mourning Blend (that “u” changes the meaning, right) Dead Souls’, and Darkness Blend. He also roasts beans from Sumatra, Thailand, Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua, and other places as well. In my opinion, Java Lords sells the best coffee beans. When I can’t get over L5P to replenish, I do like to buy Allegra Coffee Beans from Whole Foods. They are pretty good and I enjoy those espressos, but when I get back to my Java Lords beans…it’s just soooo good! 

I’m lucky to have come up with a great combination of elevated equipment, my pretty tableware, and the unparalleled coffee beans. It’s a nice start to my day and I just love it! Do you have a coffee ritual, or a machine you love? Do you have special mugs or other accoutrements that give you warm feelings? Leave me a comment! I’d love to hear…