Monthly Social Calendar: July


 Fresh Plate Series at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

With summer in full swing, we’ve got celebrations, crisp cocktails, fresh food and anything alfresco on the mind. Here’s our round-up of summery diversions for July. 

July 4: The Peachtree Road Race is kicking off its 44th year. Starting in Buckhead and ending in Piedmont Park, the race is a Fourth of July tradition for runners and spectators alike. Register here to volunteer, or click here to find out the best spots to watch the race.

July 5: Celebrate summer with JCT. Kitchen & Bar’s Summer Bar Bash. Enjoy live music by Alchemy, chefs grilling out and food and cocktail specials from 3-6 p.m. Follow @JCTKitchen on Twitter to stay up-to-date on Summer Bar Bash food and cocktail offerings.

July 7-14: More than 40 Georgia-based chefs and restaurants are coming together to show their support for Pastured Poultry Week. Restaurants including Gunshow, Holeman and Finch, The Optimist and more are featuring pastured poultry on their menu from several of the state’s best poultry farms to help promote humane and sustainable pasture-raised poultry. View full list of participating restaurants here.

July 11: Designers and design enthusiasts are invited to discover ADAC through the eyes of Atlanta’s Margaret Kirkland, one of this year’s Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles “15 Under 40” designers. From 10 a.m.- noon, Kirkland will lead an exclusive tour through some of her favorite ADAC showrooms. Register for the event here.

July 12: The Atlanta Street Food Festival sets up shop from noon-8p.m. in Piedmont Park with more than 40 of Atlanta’s best food trucks. In addition to the fare, guests will enjoy browsing items by local merchants and live music from area musicians. A portion of the proceeds go to The Giving Kitchen. Click here to purchase a wristband.

July 13: Cook Hall will be hosting “Belgian Brewing 101” with brewmaster Brian Purcell of Three Taverns Brewery. This three-hour, at-home brewing class includes instruction from Purcell, samples of Three Tavern Beers and light bites from Cook Hall. Tickets are $45 and are available for purchase here.

July 17-Aug. 2: Huff Harrington Fine Art’s “Bastille Day” exhibition celebrates the French national holiday with a mix of works by artists including Pascal Bouterin, Nancy Franke and Lesley Powell.

July 20: The Goat Farm Arts Center plays host to Ford Fry’s sixth-annual JCT. Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival from 1-5 p.m. This year, more than 40 of the South’s top chefs, along with 17 skilled mixologists and over 30 farmers are teaming up to create tasty tomato-based bites to benefit Georgia Organics and The Giving Kitchen.

July 22: Learn how to create signature dishes from your favorite local chefs as the Atlanta Botanical Garden continues its Fresh Plate Series. This month, guests will enjoy an evening in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen with David Bradley of Lure.  Sip, dine and learn as Bradley prepares a four-part small plate menu. 6:30-8:30 p.m., $59 per session. Register here.

July 23: Join Southern Living recipes author Carolyn O’Neil from 7-9 p.m. in Brookhaven as she reveals the secret to keeping a healthy, balanced diet while still enjoying the Southern foods you know and love.  Register here to learn the strategies and a few favorite recipes from her latest book, “Slim Down South Cookbook: Eating Well and Living Healthy in the Land of Biscuits and Bacon.”

By Lindsey Wohlfrom