Finally Friday
Nov. 7 — Atlanta’s own OutKast will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tomorrow night, and MARTA is marking the occasion with an art-wrapped bus that also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the band’s “Stankonia” album. Congratulations, Big Boi and André 3000!
☀️ Sunny with a high of 73° today.
🗣️ Speakers, including a Brookhaven ex-mayor, have implored Brookhaven City Council to reconsider a proposal to remove the millage rate cap, letting voters decide the fate of a tax increase.
🪖 Veterans Day observances will begin this weekend, including a parade in Midtown on Saturday at 11 a.m.
🗳️ The municipal clerk’s office has officially announced that two Atlanta City Council races and three Atlanta Board of Education seats are headed to a runoff election on Dec. 2.
✂️ The National Center for Civil and Human Rights officially reopens to the public tomorrow.
🏫 As first reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Heritage Preparatory School has officially closed on the purchase of 1700 Piedmont Ave. NE, the longtime home of its lower school.
ELSEWHERE
💸 Tesla shareholders approved a new pay plan that could make CEO Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire if the company hits its goals.
🏛️ Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will not seek re-election to the U.S House of Representatives. Her term will end in early 2027.
🛂 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can ban the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp
• Film Review: ‘Hedda’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
🚙 Tired of the solo drive to Perimeter? Sign up for Rapid Ride and join a shared vanpool that makes commuting simple and affordable. Pay just $75/month for a comfortable ride with all commuting costs covered. Learn more about Rapid Ride. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Chomp & Stomp returns to Cabbagetown
🥬 The Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp, one of Atlanta’s most anticipated fall festivals, is returning with an expanded lineup of activities this weekend.
For the first time in its history, the yearly festival will host a kick-off event today at 8 p.m. with live music and improv comedy from Dad’s Garage taking place in Cabbagetown Park.
The Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp also has a jam-packed Saturday planned, featuring its annual “Romp” 5K run in the early morning and signature chili cook-off contest in the afternoon. Seventy amateur cooks and 20 restaurants will be competing, including the reigning champion, Grindhouse Killer Burgers.
🌶️ Learn more about what to expect here.
MORE EVENTS
🇮🇪 IrishFest Atlanta returns this weekend for its 13th year, bringing traditions of Ireland to the Roswell Cultural Arts Center and City Hall Fairgrounds.
🎨 The Brookhaven Art Splash is Saturday and Sunday at Brookhaven Park, with food trucks, holiday gifts, and more.
Add a touch of magic to your holiday season
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA BALLET
🩰 Step into a mesmerizing winter wonderland with Atlanta Ballet’s enchanting production of The Nutcracker.
Witness a beloved holiday tradition come alive through captivating storytelling, breathtaking choreography, and the stirring melodies of Tchaikovsky performed by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. With innovative staging, vibrant costumes, and cutting-edge video projections, this reimagined production promises a visually stunning experience that will delight audiences of all ages.
✨ Join Atlanta Ballet in celebrating the holiday spirit and rediscover the magic of The Nutcracker. At the Cobb Energy Centre from Dec. 6-27. Learn more and buy tickets here.
2. ‘Hedda’ is a delicious power trip
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
📖 Toward the beginning of “Hedda,” we find our titular heroine (Tessa Thompson) standing alone atop her vast estate wielding a pistol. Down below, Judge Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock) makes his way across the grass. He’s arrived early for Hedda’s party, thrown in celebration of her marriage to George Tesman (Tom Bateman).
Hedda admonishes Brack for his earliness. “Shall I punish you?” she drawls, pointing the gun at Brack. She suddenly aims wide and fires, chuckling at Brack’s horrified reaction. She wins this round.
“Hedda,” written and directed by Nia DaCosta and adapted from Henrik Ibsen’s play “Hedda Gabler,” is all about punishment and power, centering around the woman on top of the parapet who’s as likely to turn her gun on herself as anyone else. “Hedda” is a whirling dervish of power struggles, featuring a powerhouse performance from Thompson at the eye of the hurricane. Setting the story in the 1950s, DaCosta beautifully updates Ibsen’s play to explore questions of sexuality and race within one woman’s quest to find even an ounce of control.
🥂 Click here to read Sammie’s review. This week, you can also read her reviews of Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” and the sports biopic “Christy.”
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. Tata returns to ATL UTD;
BY RYLIE LIVINGSTON | SPONSORED BY NYO
🏀 The Hawks host back-to-back home games against the Raptors tonight at 7:30 p.m. and the Lakers Saturday at 8 p.m.
⚽ Atlanta United announced that Gerardo “Tata” Martino will return as head coach next season. The Argentine was the club’s first coach and led the Five Stripes to the MLS Cup in 2018.
🇩🇪 The Falcons will try to end a three-game losing streak in Berlin against the Colts on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (FOX; 92.9 FM).
🏈 Marshawn Kneeland, defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, was found dead by apparent suicide yesterday after a car chase.
🏈 Here are this weekend’s local college games:
- No. 5 Georgia travels to Mississippi State Saturday at noon (ESPN).
- No. 17 Georgia Tech is off this week.
- Georgia State heads to Coastal Carolina Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).
- Georgia Southern held on to beat Appalachian State 25-23 last night in North Carolina.
- Kennesaw State travels to New Mexico State Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).
- Mercer heads to Western Carolina Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+).
- Morehouse and Clark Atlanta face off at CAU Panther Stadium Saturday at 6 p.m. for both teams’ last games (SIAC Network).
- West Georgia travels to North Alabama Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).
🏈 The Score Atlanta crew will be broadcasting the Drive for the GHSA State Title Bracket Show, a three-hour special that will air live from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Atlanta News First (Channel 46) and the Peachtree Sports Network (cable and YouTube TV).
🚙 Tired of the solo drive to Perimeter? Sign up for Rapid Ride and join a shared vanpool that makes commuting simple and affordable. Pay just $75/month for a comfortable ride with all commuting costs covered. Learn more about Rapid Ride. 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 Sandy Springs mayoral race headed to runoff
② Election Results: Light turnout, runoffs, and a Democratic upset
③ Kennesaw Pride Alliance mourns the death of President Marisol Payero
④ 2025 Michelin Guide to the American South drops and includes these Atlanta restaurants
⑤ Atlanta officials talk takeover of dilapidated Greenwood Cemetery (pictured)
🥂 On Fri., Nov. 14, Community Farmers Markets’ Red Clay Soirée returns to Summerour Studio for a mission-driven evening uniting some of the finest farmers, chefs, and bartenders of the local food movement. This feast of flavor and fellowship promises to be every locavore’s dream! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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