Adiós, September
Wednesday, Sept. 30 — Peak season is winding down, and the Atlantic Ocean has yet to produce a hurricane in 2026. Eight named storms have formed, but a powerful El Niño has kept them in check. The latest start on record came in 1905, when the first hurricane arrived on Oct. 8.
☀️ Sunny with a high of 84° today.
🗳️ Georgia voters have until Oct. 5 to register for this November’s midterm elections.
💼 Dallas beat Alpharetta for Morgan Stanley’s $1.3 billion regional office hub and its promised 3,800 jobs, backed by more than $61 million in state and city incentives.
🏃 Organizers announced yesterday that the torch relay for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will start in Atlanta.
🏳️🌈 Rep. Dr. Everton Blair Jr., who represents Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, will be the Honorary Grand Marshal of the 2026 Atlanta Pride Festival.
💸 A memorial scholarship fund was established at Ole Miss for a North Atlanta High School graduate who was found dead at the University of Mississippi last week.
⚾️ Austin Riley hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Braves beat the Phillies 5-3 in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series. Atlanta can advance with a win in Game 2, which is today at 2 p.m. at Truist Park (93.7 FM; NBC/Peacock).
🏀 The Dream can clinch their WNBA quarterfinal series against the Mystics tonight at 7 p.m. in Washington, where tickets start at $247, the priciest get-in price of any MLB or WNBA playoff game this week (ESPN).
ELSEWHERE
🇮🇱🇸🇦 Israel and Saudi Arabia scrambled jets this morning after a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv rapidly dropped 17,000 feet. Passengers said one pilot stabbed the other before passengers subdued the attacker. The plane landed safely in northwestern Saudi Arabia. (Live updates).
🇺🇸🇮🇶 After 23 years, the U.S. military withdrew the last of its troops from Iraq today.
🎖️ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to call for a 20% cut to the military’s more than 800 generals and admirals today, doubling the 10% reduction he ordered last year.
🤖 President Donald Trump said AI executives signed a “constitution” to police themselves. He called the voluntary accord “morally” binding.
💍 Smart ring maker Oura postponed its Nasdaq IPO, citing market uncertainty despite “strong demand.”
🎗️ Dennis Haskins, known for playing Principal Belding on the sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” died at the age of 75.
PICTURE THIS: Monarch butterflies are beginning their autumn migration through North Georgia and can now be seen at Gibbs Gardens’ Wildflower Meadow in Ball Ground, GA.🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• September restaurant openings
• The Reset
• Fall rides on the Beltline
• Upcoming Events
AND
• Concert Picks
🚆 Think working in Perimeter means sitting in traffic? Doug Nagy gets there from Midtown with a 20-minute MARTA ride. Follow along in this Heart of Perimeter video to see what a stress-free commute can look like. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Did you miss these September restaurant openings?
🎺 Nearly 20 new restaurants opened around metro Atlanta this month.
New dining options range from a Trinidadian food truck’s brick-and-mortar spot in Underwood Hills to a previously long-closed jazz cafe in Decatur. Meanwhile, just as many upcoming restaurant openings were announced this month, with some expected to open as soon as October.
🌮 Check out this roundup you might have missed.
Ready for a Game of I Spy?
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🔍 Step inside the miniature worlds that shaped a generation of readers. I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders brings together Wick’s meticulously hand-built photographs, optical illusions, and search-and-find puzzles in the largest survey of his work to date.
2. Screen-free activities in Atlanta
THE RESET | SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
Edited by Laura Scholz, The Reset is a weekly newsletter with health and wellness content, and you can subscribe with one click.
💬 “How was your day?” “Fine.” Your teen probably isn’t shutting you out. Being asked face to face costs more at that age. Intown Psychology helps parents of anxious kids and teens. Get a free consultation.
📴 Last week in Brooklyn, Phoebe Bridgers’ “boygenius” bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker surprised fans when they joined her onstage during her first-night show at Barclays Center. But you won’t find any viral videos of fans scream-singing “Not Strong Enough” on social media. That’s because no phones were permitted in the arena.
🎲 Here in Atlanta, spots like the Wylde Center and Seventh House are curating similar analog experiences to help people connect and recharge, sans screens. Read Laura’s story on these phone-free events.
❤️ Therapy that helps you feel seen, supported, and understood – while building practical skills to navigate life with confidence at Intown Psychology.
🕯️ As the sun sets over Atlanta, the past comes alive. Now in its 20th year, history, theatre, and Halloween thrills converge at Oakland Cemetery for “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland” Halloween tours on Oct. 15-18 & 22-25 from 5-11 p.m. SPONSOR MESSAGE
3. Fall rides on the Beltline
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ATLANTA BELTLINE
🚴 The Beltline looks good this time of year. Hop on your bike and explore this season with two guided routes: the Southwest Trail, starting at Pittsburgh Yards, and the Northwest Trail, at the PATH Parking Lot.
Tours run Oct. 3 & 17, Nov. 7 & 14. All rides are 9 a.m.-noon, ages 13+. Need a rental? Clutch Bicycles has you covered.
4. Upcoming Events
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TEDXATLANTA
✨ Come ready to think, taste, move, sing, and be surprised. TEDxAtlanta takes over Oct. 2 & 3 – and just a few tickets remain. Grab yours.
📽️ “Malcolm X” Screening; tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Emory.
🍷 Taste Brookhaven; tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Brookhaven City Centre.
🎻 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Opening Weekend; tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
📕 The Decatur Book Festival; Oct. 2-3 in Downtown Decatur.
🌳 Virginia-Highland Tree Tour; Sat., Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. Meet at the triangle at Virginia Avenue and Highland Avenue near Murphy’s restaurant.
🎭 Macbeth; Sun., Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m. at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse.
📧 Find out how you can get your event featured in Rough Draft.
🗓️ For more events, visit RoughDraftAtlanta.com/events.
🚆 Think working in Perimeter means sitting in traffic? Doug Nagy gets there from Midtown with a 20-minute MARTA ride. Follow along in this Heart of Perimeter video to see what a stress-free commute can look like. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Concert Picks
Wed., Sept. 30
🇵🇸 Saint Levant @ Buckhead Theatre
🪄 Kacey Musgraves @ State Farm Arena
💭 Logan Mize @ Eddie’s Attic
Thurs., Oct. 1
😇 Angel Du$t @ The Masquerade
🚪 Kany García @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🏫 ScHoolboy Q @ Tabernacle Atlanta
📻 Sylvan Esso @ The Eastern
Fri., Oct. 2
🌌 José Madero @ Buckhead Theatre
🏈 Chinese Football @ The Masquerade
⚡️ Electric Feels @ The Masquerade
🔭 Indigo Girls @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
🧂 TLC & Salt-N-Pepa @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Sat., Oct. 3
🤠 Daniel Donato @ Buckhead Theatre
🇲🇽 Grupo Duelo @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🏰 Ed Sheeran @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
🥲 Smokey Robinson @ The Fox Theatre
🍷 Role Model @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
Sun., Oct. 4
🧶 Hannah Cole @ Aisle 5
🪩 PROBLEMS @ The Masquerade
🛏️ Jacquees @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
🐻 Bear Ghost @ The Masquerade
Mon., Oct. 5
🎢 Bleachers @ Coca-Cola Roxy
✨ Kevin Atwater @ Terminal West
Tues., Oct. 6
🟩 Charli xcx @ State Farm Arena (pictured)
😡 Cryogeyser @ The Masquerade
🔵 Lilly Hart @ Aisle 5
🌎 wave to earth @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Wed., Oct. 7
🇯🇵 Band-Maid @ Buckhead Theatre
🔥 Haley Smalls @ The Masquerade
🍯 The 502s @ Vinyl
🔤 Play News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
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