A new year often is a time of reflection and resolutions. One resolution that everyone could agree on is to go out and enjoy 2025. Here are 25 suggestions for ‘25:
Credit: Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Credit: Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
1. See a Broadway play. Instead of going to the Great White Way, save your money and see the best of Broadway at the Fox Theatre thanks to the Regions Broadway Atlanta series. There are a wide variety of plays coming next year — “& Juliet” to “Mamma Mia” to “Parade.” For pop and soul music lovers, get tickets for “The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise” and “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.” foxtheatre.org
2. Taste the best of Atlanta. Twenty-five years ago, Taste of Atlanta began showcasing the best food and beverages the area offered with large-scale food tastings, and it’s still going strong. In 2025, Taste of Atlanta will host a Grand Tasting Buckhead, Food the Rocks in Sandy Springs, Grand Tasting Alpharetta and Grand Tasting Midtown. The city hosts other food tastings to discover, as well. tasteofatlanta.com
3. Tap your toes to live music. Atlanta boasts many clubs where up-and-coming musicians as well as established acts perform live. Check out the iconic Northside Tavern that has offered lively blues music for more than 50 years; Blind Willie’s features live blues music six days a week in Virginia Highland; and Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, where artists such as John Mayer, Sugarland and Justin Bieber appeared early in their careers. Over in Gwinnett County, catch the beats at Everett’s Music Barn (it’s alcohol-free) and 37 Main, where there are frequent rock ‘n’ roll tribute bands and dueling piano performances (on Thursdays). northsidetavern.com; blindwilliesblues.com; eddiesattic.com; everettsmusicbarn.net; 37main.com
4. Check out the Atlanta History Center’s new children’s exhibit. The 5,000-square-foot Goizueta Children’s Experience opens Jan. 11 and offers hands-on activities such as storytelling, fossil creation and puppet making. The exhibit, which will change themes annually, launches with “Our Great Big City,” offering youngsters a chance to learn about Atlanta’s landmarks and history while having an immersive, fun experience. Intended for “crawlers” up to age 8. atlantahistorycenter.com
5. Enjoy a parade. Fortunately, the metro area has parades that celebrate everything from holidays (Little Five Point Halloween is a must) to ethnicity (there’s always a St. Patrick’s Day parade somewhere) to sexual orientation (Gay Pride Parade) to special interests (Dragon Con) and human rights (Juneteenth). l5pbiz.com; atlantastpats.com; atlantapride.org; dragoncon.org; juneteenthatl.com
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wussy Events
Credit: Photo courtesy of Wussy Events
6. See a drag show. “Drag is art and it’s also for everyone,” said Jon Dean, owner of Wussy Events, which presents drag shows at City Winery. “We see people of all ages, from all walks of life coming and having the time of their lives every weekend at drag brunch. It’s an incredible experience to come and enjoy the excitement and queer entertainment in a comfortable, non-club environment. Plus, Atlanta has the best drag of any city in the world.” A different option for “drag dining” is Lips on Buford Highway. citywinery.com/atlanta; lipsatl.com
7. Pick your own food. The area’s many farmers markets offer fresh produce to households. But how about going to the farm and stocking your cupboard with apples, cabbage, corn and strawberries that you picked yourself? For a list of participating farms, check out pickyourown.org/GA.htm
Credit: Photo courtesy of Spruill Center for the Arts
Credit: Photo courtesy of Spruill Center for the Arts
8. Take a class. There’s always golf or tennis lessons (not to mention the latest trend — pickleball), but you can imitate Demi Moore in “Ghost” and take up pottery. Kilnfire offers a directory of studios. If making art is something you’d like to explore, there are several independent studios around town as well as nonprofit places such as the Spruill Center for the Arts and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center that offer a variety of classes year-round. kilnfire.com; spruillarts.org; callanwolde.org
9. Learn another language. Try out French at the Alliance Française of Atlanta, Spanish at the Latin American Association or Chinese at the Taiwan Atlanta Chinese School. The Atlanta Institute of Language offers lessons in a variety of languages including Dutch, Korean, Arabic and Russian. afatl.com; thelaa.org; tcmlatl.org; ailanguage.org
10. Pamper yourself. Let 2025 be the year of you taking care of you. Exercise — even if its walking around the block or doing chair exercises. Get a massage; sit in a sauna or meditate. Breathe and let the stress go away. Try Perspire Sauna Studio for an infrared sauna, Restore Hyper Wellness for cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy and Aviary Beauty-Wellness Collective for facials and haircuts. perspiresaunastudio.com; restore.com; aviarybeauty.com
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Krog District / Brittany Wages
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Krog District / Brittany Wages
11. Dine at a Michelin star-recommended restaurant without breaking the bank. Atlanta is home to 57 Michelin-recognized restaurants. Yes, many are expensive. OK, some are super expensive, but there is the “Michelin Gourmand” category that honors restaurants offering good food at moderate prices. Try the sandwiches at Fred’s Meat & Bread, the arepas at Arepa Mia in Avondale Estates or Sichuan Chinese cooking at Duluth’s Masterpiece. fredsmeatandbread.com; arepamiaatlanta.com; masterpieceduluth.com
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
12. Cheer on Atlanta’s other sport teams. Atlanta is a sports mecca — both for professional and college teams. But there are less familiar squads here worth checking out, too. Go root for the Atlanta Vibe Pro Volleyball team, the Atlanta Old White Rugby Football, the Atlanta Hustle (Ultimate Frisbee) or the Georgia Swarm (lacrosse). Don’t forget the Atlanta Bouncers (pickleball) and Atlanta Roller Derby to get a sports fix. provolleyball.com; atlantarugby.com; watchufa.com/hustle; georgiaswarm.com; majorleaguepickleball.net; atlantarollerderby.com
13. Go gaming. Remember playing Pac-Man? No, well never mind. But, for those young and not-so-young, gaming is a great way to pass the time, meet folks and keep your fingers — and brain — nimble. There are a number of gaming places, and some have hobby workshops, game demos and league play, including Ginga-Bites Cafe, Discover Games, Battle & Brew and Joystick Game Bar. giga-bitescafe.com; discover-games.net; battleandbrew.com; joystickgamebar.com
14. Try forest bathing. This is a Japanese therapy that involves immersing yourself in nature’s sights, sounds and smells in a setting such as a forest. Among the health benefits are improved mood, sleep and reduced stress. Go forest bathing with Renewal by Nature or Just Love Forest, renewal-by-nature.com; justloveforest.com
15. Help others. There is no better feeling than helping someone or something. Pick a cause near and dear to you — homeless families, abandoned pets, the environment or sick children, to name a few — and devote a few hours a month to make a difference. volunteermatch.org
16. Record music. Your mother said you have a great voice and you’re posting videos of yourself singing, so take it to the next step — record an album. There are several recording studios where you can showcase your talent. It’s surprisingly inexpensive, with studio time going for $45 and up an hour. In some cases, you pay extra for an engineer as well as for mixing and mastering. musicgateway.com
17. Support Atlanta theater. The metro area is rich with talented theater groups that produce well-known plays as well as world premieres. In addition to the city’s biggest company, the Alliance Theatre, make sure to get tickets to troupes including Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, Marietta’s Theatre in the Square, Horizon Theatre, OutFront Theater and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. alliancetheatre.org; auroratheatre.com; mariettatheatresquare.com; horizontheatre.com; outfronttheatre.com; truecolorstheatre.org.
Credit: Jason Thomas Crocker Photography
Credit: Jason Thomas Crocker Photography
18. Take a staycation. Sometimes you just need to get away … but can’t. Well, the metro area has more than 90,000 hotel rooms, and one is waiting for you. Whether you want to stay in bed, order room service and watch TV or use the room as a base to explore the city, a quick getaway can be refreshing.
19. Join a sports league. Whether you want to meet someone, lose a few pounds, relive your glory days or just have some good old-fashioned fun, there are lots of ways for amateur athletes to participate. Whether it’s church bowling team, a singles-meet volleyball team or a work-based pickleball challenge, be a part of a team.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
20. Visit museums off the beaten path. Atlanta is home to many highly regarded museums, but there are others that are less celebrated — yet no less fascinating. In Cobb County, visit the Aviation History & Technology Center that has 10 military aircraft, including the “Ghost Rider” and a Tomcat. Chamblee’s Oddities Museum presents a collection of taxidermied animals, including one with two heads, and a funerary collection, among other exhibits. It’s also a worthwhile hike to Blue Ridge to see the world’s largest Bigfoot attraction, Expedition Bigfoot: The Sasquatch Museum. ahtc360.org; theodditiesmuseum.org; expeditionbigfoot.com
21. Attend a movie festival. Atlanta is a big and still-growing entertainment center, so it makes sense that it boasts a number of movie festivals. Among them, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (Feb. 19-March 16) is the largest Jewish film festival in the world, while the Atlanta Film Festival (April 24-May 4) is an Academy Award-qualifying film fest. Come fall, Out on Film (Sept. 25-Oct. 5) is one of the country’s top LGBTQ film festivals and also an Oscar-qualifying event. atlantafilmfestival.com; ajff.org; outonfilm.org
22. Tour of homes. See how the other half lives by going on tours of homes and gardens around the area. Some key ones are the Historic Druid Hills Home & Garden Tour, Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes and the Master Gardeners’ Garden Tour in Cobb County. druidhillstour.org; festival.inmanpark.org; cobbmastergardeners.com
23. Get outside your comfort zone. It’s time to get over your fear of public speaking, heights or, well, butterflies. Take comedy classes at Jeff Justice Comedy Workshoppe to overcome your fear of public speaking. Jump out of a plane at Sky Dive Atlanta. And, if you have a phobia of butterflies (lepidopterophobia), head over to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which is addressing native pollinator conservation (the butterflies are most profuse in late summer); or experience the Butterfly Encounter (June 9-Aug. 31) at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. (Folks without butterfly fears are welcomed at both places, too!) comedyworkshoppe.com; skydiveatlanta.com; atlantabg.org; chattnaturecenter.org
Credit: Tom Wilson
Credit: Tom Wilson
24. Enjoy nature. Whether it’s a neighborhood park or one of the state’s amazing parks (not to mention the federal Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area), the outdoors beckon. Take a walk, fish, kayak, have a picnic or — as the cliché says — stop and smell the roses. gastateparks.org; nps.gov
25. Go on a beer tour. Metro Atlanta has so many craft breweries it could take all of 2025 to visit them all. Worry not! You can hop on a bus and hit several breweries on one tour. atlantabeerbus.com; southernculinarytours.com
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