Weekly Lineup of Free + Cheap Events 9/8

ATLANTA

Sinfo-Nia Youth Orchestra to host open house

All musicians ages 7 to 18 are invited to join Sinfo-Nia Orchestra for a free day of instruction, door prizes and fun during its open house on Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to noon, at 1st Congregational Church Commons in Downtown Atlanta, 125 Ellis Street.

Learn more about quality instruction on violin, viola, cello and double bass and tuition for the school year session. For more information, call 404-328-0840 or visit www.sinfo-nia.com.

DEKALB

Learn about services, benefits for elderly at DeKalb Medical seminar

DeKalb Medical and Senior Provisions invite all seniors to a special two-hour event to hear from experts on aging Thursday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m., at DeKalb Medical, 2701 N. Decatur Road, Decatur.

Attendees will learn about Medicare benefits, law for the elderly, Veteran’s Administration benefits and different levels of senior care.

The event will take place in the theatre located on the ground floor. It is free and open to the public, but requires reservations. Call 404-501-WELL (9355). Light refreshments will be served.   For more information, call 404-501-7481.

DeKalb History Center sets Lunch and Learn

Two DeKalb History Center staff members, Fred Mobley and Jenny Goldemund, will discuss the history center’s home, the DeKalb County Courthouse. The Lunch & Learn will be held Sept. 20, noon to 1 p.m., at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur (second floor in the Superior Courtroom).  

Join the DeKalb History Center to learn more about the Historic DeKalb County Courthouse, with a focus on the fire that consumed it 100 years ago. The talk will include background information on Decatur’s square and the courthouse’s location.

The talk will cover the history and architecture of the 1898 courthouse and the fire that partially destroyed it in 1916. Learn about the changes made to the remains of the fourth courthouse in order to reopen it for court functions in 1918. The talk will conclude with a brief summary of the fifth courthouse’s history up to the present.

Speaker Jenny Goldemund has been a museum professional and consultant for more than 20 years and has worked with both art and history museums. She specializes in program development and volunteer management. Prior to her museum career, Goldemund lived in Europe and earned a master’s degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Museum Studies.

Commencing on a second career after 31 years of running his own company, speaker Fred Mobley received his Master’s degree in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University in August 2010. He has earned numerous certificates, including from these programs: the Georgia Archives Institute, Jefferson Historic Landscape Institute, the Society of American Archivists, and Association of State and Local Historians. In April 2015, he accepted the position of Archivist for the DeKalb History Center.

The Lunch & Learn is free to attend. Bring your own lunch for the one-hour session. For more information, call Fred Mobley at 404-373-1088, ext. 23.

Greater Hidden Hills sets Battle of the Bands & Festival

The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation will presents its Second Annual Battle of the Bands & Festival on Sept. 17, 2 to 5 p.m., at Redan Village located on the Northeast corner of S. Hairston and Redan roads.

The event will showcase local high school bands and businesses. Enjoy music, prizes, outdoor boutiques and services. Also, back by popular demand: the Battle of the Barbers. Several lucky contestants will get a free haircut and the public votes on the best style.

Vendors who would like to set up pay $25 if they bring their own table or $35 for those without a table. Pay by Aug. 17 and receive $5 off.

All money raised will be used for the streetscape beautification project at South Hairston and Redan roads.

The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit committed to helping the community prosper and thrive.

For more information, visit GreaterHIddenHillsCDC.org or call 508-591-3526.

Greater House of Hope Atlanta to host health and finance fair

The House of Hope Atlanta (formerly Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church), 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur, will host the One Response Health and Financial Fair on Saturday, Sept. 17.

The health portion of the fair will include health organizations and services that are normally not easily accessed by this community. Emory’s Alzheimer’s Research Center will host a forum to discuss Alzheimer’s Disease and how music therapy benefits the aging brain, as well as, how exercise may delay the effects of the disease.

The financial portion of the fair will include discussions and assistance from, financial experts to help answer questions regarding personal finance. There will be short breakout sessions on wills and estate planning, student loans, beginner’s investing, credit repair, and retirement planning.

GWINNETT

BOC Chairman to host “Dinner & Dialogue”

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte J. Nash will be dining with citizens in an effort to promote citizen engagement Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6 to 8 p.m. at an undisclosed location. The new community program, Dinner & Dialogue, is designed to connect and build relationships with residents in an informal setting and encourage open dialogue to give residents an opportunity to share issues and concerns with Chairman Nash.

This event is open to Gwinnett residents 18 and over and is limited to 10 guests per dinner. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis and restaurant locations will be confirmed only with registered attendees.

All guests will be responsible for the cost of their own meals. Dinner & Dialogue will be held monthly at various locations around Gwinnett County.  For more information or to register, email nicole.hendrickson@gwinnettcounty.com.

Gwinnett County hosts mega yard and craft sale

Local residents looking to clean out their closets, basements, attics and garages are invited to one of the largest yard and homemade craft sales in metro Atlanta, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Shorty Howell Park Activity Building, 2750 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth.

Must pre-register for vendor spaces by Sept. 15. $26/indoor space (8’ table provided) online code SHP41402; $21 for outdoor space (no table provided) online code SHP41401. No refunds. Event will be held rain or shine.

Gwinnett County reserves the right to disallow items deemed inappropriate and/or oversized. For more information, call 678-277-0906.

ROCKDALE

Conyers Library hosts meetup for anime and manga enthusiasts

Join the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library’s Anime and Manga Club and meet with other anime and manga fans for discussions, snacks and the Anime Movie of the Month. The meetup will be on Thursday, Sept. 15, 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Library’s lower level meeting room, 864 Green Street.

This program is free and open to ages 13 to 18. To register or for more information, call 770-388-5040, ext. 113 or visit the Youth Services desk.

Carnival set for special needs children

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1275 Flat Shoals Road, Conyers, invites children with special needs and their families to the third annual carnival for special needs students on Saturday, Sept. 17, 3 to 5 p.m.

The event is free and includes lots of activities for children of all ages such as pony rides, petting zoo, games, carnival food, face painting, obstacle course, crafts and prizes. For more information, contact Julie Kimble at kimbletaxi@gmail.com or 770-856-3274.

Tied in Stitches group to meet Sept. 12

Gather with stitchers on Monday, Sept. 12, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library, 864 Green Street, Conyers for tips on knitting, crocheting and quilting.

Bring working or completed projects and share ideas, tips and tricks with fellow stitching enthusiasts. All skill levels are welcome. The group meets on the first Monday of every month in the library’s meeting room on the lower level.

For more information, contact the Adult Services Department at 770-388-5040, ext. 118.