Wednesday already
May 28 — A faulty water valve along Northside Parkway near Howell Mill Road that caused an outage to homes, apartments, and businesses on Sunday night has been repaired, but a boil water advisory is now in place. 🌧️ Rainy with a high of 80° today.
🎓 Emory University President Gregory Fenves will step down Sept. 1, becoming the university’s chancellor. Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears will become interim president while a nationwide search begins.
🗣️ HIV prevention advocates are hosting a town hall today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss the layoff of Fulton public health workers.
💸 President Donald Trump will pardon Atlanta reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were both convicted of bank fraud.
🐝 Two Georgia students made it through the first two rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee yesterday.
🚲 Lime, an electric vehicle sharing company, has launched a new e-bike model in Atlanta.
🛥️ The Georgia Department of Natural Resources cited 29 people for boating under the influence and reported four injuries and seven boating accidents over the holiday weekend.
ELSEWHERE
🎓 The Trump administration said it would end all federal contracts with Harvard. The State Department ordered embassies to pause new student visa appointments.
⚖️ NPR and three member stations are suing the Trump administration over an executive order that bans using federal funds for NPR and PBS.
PICTURE THIS: This fall, the City of Chamblee will deploy its new trucks – Leafal Weapon, Snuffaluffaleaf, and Mona Leaf-A – across neighborhoods to collect fallen leaves. Residents voted on the names of the colorfully painted trucks earlier this year.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Atlanta Fringe Festival
• Broad Street BBQ
• The legacy of Friedman’s Shoes
AND
• Concert Picks
🛍️ Midtown Alliance invites you to support Black and Caribbean artists, makers, and small businesses on Sat., June 7 from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. along the Midtown Art Walk. Enjoy a mix of live music, food, shopping, and creative expression at this free event. RSVP here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. 13th Atlanta Fringe Festival features 30+ Georgia-based performers
🎭 The Atlanta Fringe Festival returns for its 13th year with two weeks of weird, hilarious, and uncensored performances across 10 local venues.
This year’s festival features a whopping 361 performances from May 28 to June 8. The lineup includes 31 Georgia-based performers, who previewed their acts on May 20 at the Supermarket.
The shows span subject matter and medium, from magic and clownery to puppetry and storytelling.
🍿 Learn more about the Atlanta Fringe Festival here.
Kim Chong Hak’s American debut at The High!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🏔️ At The High, Kim Chong Hak: Painter of Seoraksan bursts to life with vibrant colors and dynamic landscapes. Experience the energy of Korea’s Mount Seorak through Kim’s expressive brushstrokes—perfect for celebrating the vibrancy of spring!
➞ Don’t miss this breathtaking exhibition. Open now!
2. Barbecue restaurant joins El Tesoro next year in South Downtown
🍖 Jason Furst and Chef Sam Pinner (pictured), the owners behind Sammy’s sandwich shop in Adair Park, will open Broad Street BBQ in South Downtown next spring.
Located on 96 Broad St., the barbecue restaurant takes over three storefronts around the corner from the restaurants and shops along Mitchell Street and Hotel Row.
Broad Street BBQ will include an on-site smokehouse and to-go area overlooking the smokers, kitchen and bar, and dining room within the combined spaces of 96, 98, and 100 Broad St.
🍴 Learn more about the restaurant here.
3. Legacy in leather: The story of Friedman’s Shoes
👞 At the corner of style, legacy, and innovation in Downtown Atlanta sits a quiet powerhouse that has outfitted legends for nearly a century – Friedman’s Shoes. Our friends at Lucie Content recently stepped into the storied past (and stylish future) of Friedman’s Shoes, a family-owned business that turned footwear into a full-blown cultural moment.
Founded in 1929 by Phil Friedman, the shop began humbly – eight shoemakers, racks of used shoes, and a local nickname: “The Rack.” But what started as a modest operation quickly evolved.
🛍️ The Friedmans transitioned to high-fashion shoes, experimenting with exotic materials like alligator and crocodile. By the 1980s and ’90s, the store was a vibrant explosion of pinks, purples, greens, and custom fits that couldn’t be found anywhere else. And they didn’t just stock big sizes – they made fashionable ones.
📼 Learn more and watch the video here.
🛍️ Midtown Alliance invites you to support Black and Caribbean artists, makers, and small businesses on Sat., June 7 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. along the Midtown Art Walk. Enjoy a mix of live music, food, shopping, and creative expression at this free event. RSVP here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA?
Wed., May 28:
🖤 Ashe @ Variety Playhouse
🦋 Raveena @ The Loft
🪵 Billy Woods @ Aisle 5
💵 Kai Ca$h + Niko Brim @ Vinyl
Thurs., May 29:
🍯 Grouplove + Honeyknife @ Terminal West
🎵 RINI @ The Masquerade (Hell)
🎹 OMD @ Buckhead Theatre
Fri., May 30:
💡Lights @ The Masquerade (Hell)
✍️ In Her Own Words @ The Masquerade (Altar)
⛰️ The Mountain Grass Unit @ Terminal West
Sat., May 31:
🔄 Turnover @ Tabernacle
🇮🇳 Sunidhi Chauhan @ Gas South Arena
🎧 HOL! @ Believe Music Hall
Sun., June 1:
👬 The Righteous Brothers @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
🎤 Eem Triplin @ The Loft
🎶 Kyle Dion @ The Masquerade (Hell)
Mon., June 2:
💃 Shakira (pictured) @ State Farm Arena
😺 The Cat Empire @ Terminal West
🥁 Provoker @ The Masquerade (Purgatory)
Tues., June 3:
🎸Metallica @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
🎙️ Barenaked Ladies @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Wed., June 4:
🪩 Disco Biscuits @ Terminal West
🧊 Ice Nine Kills @ Tabernacle
TUNE IN
🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with the AJC’s Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE.
🔥 Get ready, ATL! Render Fest brings the ultimate Caribbean concert experience on June 13 with Dancehall, soca & reggae with Elephant Man, Alison Hinds & more! 🎶 Get tickets here – don’t miss it!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
