Help us grow our newsletter! Do you know a friend or neighbor who would enjoy our weekly newsletter on Norcross? Please have them subscribe here.
Nashville comes to downtown Norcross
Friday, July 10 — This is Hayden with my weekly Friday newsletter on Norcross. It’s still pretty hot, but I’ll take a high of 90 degrees.
🎸 City officials want residents and business owners to plan for increased traffic around downtown Norcross tonight due to the privately hosted All Nashville Roadshow concert at Thrasher Park from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
The Friday evening festival includes Nashville-inspired food and beverages and three hours of live music, but does not allow outside food or beverages. Tickets range from $39 to $59 and are limited to 400 people per show.
⬇️ Quick round-up of things to know:
📽️ Next week’s Movie Monday at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center includes two showings of “Karate Kid: Legends” (2025) at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Candidly, I didn’t know there was a new one. It’s got Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio.
⚽ Explore Gwinnett, the county’s tourism arm, and the City of Norcross are partnering to host an official watch party at Lillian Webb Park on July 15 for the FIFA World Cup semifinal match being held at Atlanta Stadium. Festivities begin at 2 p.m., an hour before kick-off.
🏛️ The Discovery Garden Park Board meets at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 13, at city hall, and the Norcross Parks, Green Spaces & Trails Commission meets at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 16. Check out the city meetings and events calendar here.
🗳️ The Georgia legislature okayed the use of the current digital system for tabulating votes in November during the June special session. Members of the state election board are coming around to the idea.
Have a great weekend,
🕵️ Hayden
⚽ When the matches end, the dining begins. After cheering on your favorite teams across Atlanta, savor the city’s best tables during Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 27 through Aug. 1. More than 50 restaurants serve exclusive prix-fixe menus. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Norcross revamps citizens academy to promote civic involvement
☕ A handful of Norcross officials spoke about a new city program for residents, the Academy of Citizen Engagement, at the July 8 Norcross PDC meet-up at 45 South Cafe.
Council member Josh Bare, leading an effort to transition city leadership to the next generation, brought his Norcross 101 binder from 2002 to introduce the city’s revamped citizens academy, Norcross ACE.
“We’re looking out into the future and realizing that we’re coming up on a big change when it comes to leadership at the city,” Bare said. “Eric Johnson, our current city manager, is retiring and moving to Florida.”
🧑🏫 Read more about the city’s revamp of its citizens academy here.
Stomp Grapes at Crush Fest 2026!
SPONSORED BY YONAH MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS
🎉 Join us at Yonah Mountain Vineyards for our annual Crush Fest.
🍇 Experience the excitement of traditional grape stomping with live music and food trucks all day long. Sip our award winning wines while enjoying beautiful views of the mountains. It is the perfect summer day out for wine lovers and families alike.
🍷 Grab your tickets now before they sell out and get ready to make some unforgettable memories.
City seeks volunteers for citizen-led parks board
🙋 Norcross is looking for two community-minded volunteers who want to “help create a better outing experience for future generations” and serve on the city’s Parks, Green Spaces & Trails Commission.
As a commission member, routine tasks include planning improvements at parks, gathering community input, supporting conservation and sustainability efforts, recommending enhancements to public spaces, and promoting recreational programs and community events.
The commission meets on the third Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. at Norcross City Hall, 65 Lawrenceville St.
🏞️ Learn how to get involved in parks and green spaces here.
⚽ When the matches end, the dining begins. After cheering on your favorite teams across Atlanta, savor the city’s best tables during Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 27 through Aug. 1. More than 50 restaurants serve exclusive prix-fixe menus. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Norcross finalizes business tax hike, awards street paving contract
🛣️ The Norcross City Council approved a roughly $1.8 million contract for road resurfacing on July 6 and brought the city’s business occupation taxes more in line with surrounding jurisdictions.
Council member Josh Bare said the 150% increase amounts to as little as a $250 increase on the average business’s annual bill, while speaking to a group of residents on July 8 at 45 South Cafe.
“We realized that we had gotten behind in terms of keeping up to date with how other cities were charging occupational business taxes,” Bare said. “You might have heard recently that a lot of the downtown merchants were getting concerned … but we’re not talking about a lot of money.”
💵 Read more about the city’s revenue changes here.
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation tour to highlight Norcross’ rich architectural history
🏠 The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is showcasing the rich history and architecture found in Norcross on Saturday, Aug. 15, as part of the ongoing Georgia Trust Expedition.
The day-long, self-guided tour gives visitors and residents “a rare opportunity” to peruse more than 20 of the city’s historic homes and sites, according to a June 30 announcement.
The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. with a brief historical orientation at One Heart Church on North Peachtree Street, where people will learn about Norcross’ history and its architecture.
🎫 See a preview of some of the homes on the Norcross tour here.
Share your love of Rough Draft with a friend
Use the personal referral link below and get cool stuff.
Get 10 referrals and we’ll send you some stickers.
Get 20 and you’ll get a t-shirt!
