Big fun on the horizon for August and beyond

Summer’s impending end doesn’t stop the good people of Smyrna and Vinings from amping up the fun with birthday parties, motorcycle rides, cocktails, fundraisers and more.

First up is the , Saturday, Aug. 6. The party begins at 6 p.m. and features live music by Banks & Shane and the Brandon Perry Band. football players and cheerleaders will serve a giant birthday cake and cupcakes from and the evening will culminate with a fireworks show.

City officials reported Monday that it has sold out of tables for the event, so be sure to pack lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music and fireworks. Also, parking is limited due to the range of the fireworks. Walking and carpooling is encouraged.

The following weekend, be sure to support local law enforcement officers in need at the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation’s first Standing Together Benevolent Motorcycle Ride and Raffle. The event kicks off Saturday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. with registration at the . The ride revs up at 11 a.m. with a 40-mile motorcycle ride through Cobb and Paulding counties and is followed by a picnic at Cobb Park.

Participation in the ride costs $20 per motorcycle and $10 for each additional passenger excluding the driver. Admission to the event includes entrance into the raffle. Lunch following the ride costs $5. Event t-shirts are available for $10.

All proceeds from the ride and the picnic will benefit the SPSF Benevolent Fund, which benefits public safety officers in need. Tickets can be purchased online or at Earl Small’s Harley Davidson, C-COM 911 or Smyrna Fire Station No. 1. Only 1,500 tickets will be sold.  

Down the road in Vinings, is hosting a Save the Hooch benefit in conjunction with the Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper and Sweetwater Brewing Company. The party kicks off Saturday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m. Canoe’s Chef Carvel Grant Gould will serve barbecue made with ingredients from local farms and Canoe’s own garden. Sweetwater will serve its signature brews. Advance tickets are $25 and include barbecue, a live musical performance, Sweetwater beer and a one-year membership and donation to UCR. Admission is $30 at the door. 

Later that night enjoy cocktails, cupcakes and hors d’oeuvres at the  benefit at at 6 p.m. There will be performances by Leon Trimbo and other jazz artists. The proceeds from this event benefit the American Cancer Society and AIDS research in Atlanta. A minimum $20 donation is required to attend.

The following day, will hold an beginning at 11 a.m. with doors opening at 9 a.m. There are more than 500 lots featuring one-of-a-kind antique and vintage furnishings like desks, chairs, trunks sideboards and more. These items will be on display for preview the week before the auction, Monday, Aug. 8, through Friday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As summer draws nearer to its end, participate in Atlanta’s Fastest 5K, the Vinings Downhill 5K, which benefits Calvary Children’s Home, The Good Samaritan Health Center and Charity Fund. This year’s race is Saturday, September 10. The 5K begins at 8 a.m. at the top of Mount Wilkerson in Vinings and is followed by the one-mile fun run at 9 a.m. that begins at Vinings Jubilee.

The registration fee for the 5K is $25 before Aug. 31 and includes a Dri Fit or cotton race t-shirt. Registration from Sept. 1 to the day of the race is $30 and does not guarantee a t-shirt. Registration for the one-mile fun run is $15 before Aug. 31 and also includes a Dri Fit or cotton race t-shirt. Fun run registration after Sept. 1 to the day of the race is $20. Online registration for both the 5K and the fun run closes Sept. 7 at 5 p.m., but participants can still register by mail by sending a check and registration form to the Vinings Rotary Charity Fund c/o Heinz & Associates, 3825 Paces Walk, Suite 200, Atlanta, Ga., 30339.