DeKalb County, GA — Several events are happening this week in and around DeKalb County, including early voting for the runoff elections, a food and toiletry drive hosted by the Decatur Youth Council and performances at 37 Main. A couple of local government meetings are also scheduled for this week.

After the municipal elections on Nov. 2, two races in our coverage area are going to runoff election that will be on Nov. 30. In Tucker, Imani Barnes and Cara Schroeder are in the runoff for the City Council District 2, Post 1 seat. In Atlanta, Liliana Bakhtiari and Mandy Mahoney are in the runoff for the District 5 seat.

Early voting for the runoff elections begins this week. Early voting will be held on Nov. 22-24 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Early voting locations are Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, 5234 LaVista Road, Tucker 30034; Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia, 30038; Bessie Branham Recreation Center, 2051 Delano Drive, Atlanta 30317; and DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections Office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur 30032.

Each early voting location will have a drop box for absentee ballots until Nov. 24. Voter must return an absentee ballot on Nov. 30 to the DeKalb Elections Office at Memorial Drive.

For more information, click here.

Editor’s note: Decaturish and the Tucker Observer have published an Elections Guide, a 76-page e-edition featuring Q&As with nearly every candidate running in our communities. To see it, click here. This special e-edition features candidates running for public office in Decatur, Avondale Estates, Atlanta City Council District 5, Clarkston Tucker and Stone Mountain.  There is a PDF version of this, which you can see by clicking here, but due to the format of this e-edition, we strongly encourage you to use the e-reader version.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Christmas Town at the Center for Puppetry Arts

Christmas Town, named after the fictional town in the 1964 stop-motion production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, will be set up at the Center for Puppetry Arts this holiday season. It will include a special exhibition, live performance, and hands-on workshop. The exhibition will offer guests a glimpse into the history behind the creation of Rudolph, while the performance and puppet-making workshop bring these iconic seasonal figures to life. Christmas Town is sponsored by WarnerMedia. The exhibition opens with a member-only VIP reception on Thursday, Nov. 11. The exhibition will be on display until Jan. 2, 2022. Christmas Town festivities continue on Nov. 20 as the center hosts a Yukon Cornelius Look-Alike Extravaganza.

For more information, click here.

Outside the Lines exhibit at High Museum of Art 

Over the summer, High Museum of Art debuted the “Outside the Lines” exhibit, an immersive maze of accessible, sensory environments by Bryony Roberts Studio. The installation continues’s the museum’s multiyear series of inclusive and inviting projects to activate its outdoor space and encourage community engagement. “Outside the Lines” came out of conversations between Bryony Roberts and self-advocates with disabilities and their allies throughout Atlanta, with the goal of creating a space that is engaging for everyone. It provides an accessible and playful environment for those with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities, supporting discovery and social connection.

For more information, click here.

Avondale Elementary School Foundation Poinsettia Sale 

The Avondale Elementary School Foundation is hosing its poinsettia sale and orders should be placed by Friday, Nov. 26, for red or white 6.5-inch poinsettias for $15 each. Drive-through pickup will be on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Beth Breit Gym at the school. The proceeds will go toward teacher grants for classroom needs and activities, staff and teacher appreciation, and opportunities for AES students.

For more information, click here.

Each/Other: Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger exhibit

The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University presents Each/Other: Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger, the first exhibition to feature together the work of two leading Indigenous contemporary artists whose processes focus on collaborative art making. The exhibit explores the collective process of creation and features over 20 mixed-media sculptures, wall hangings, and large-scale installation works by Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger, along with a new monumental artist-guided community artwork also entitled Each/Other. The exhibition will be on display at the Carlos Museum until Dec. 12.

For more information, click here.

Decatur Youth Council Food and Toiletry Drive 

The Decatur Youth Council is collecting food and toiletries until Dec. 17 that will be distributed to the Decatur-are Emergency Assistance Ministry, the Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Free99Fridge. The council has divided the city into four neighborhood zones using the railroad and main north-south streets as boundaries in an effort to spur healthy competition and community pride among the neighborhoods. The neighborhood zone that donates the most goods, in terms of pounds, will win bragging rights for being an outstanding community helper.

For more information, click here.

Chris Thile Live in Concert 

MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile will perform on Monday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. at the Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree Street NE in Atlanta. Thile is the founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. Most recently, Thile recorded Laysongs, released June 4 on Nonesuch. The album is his first truly solo album.

For more information, click here.

Electric Avenue at 37 Main 

Electric Avenue will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at 8:30 p.m. at 37 Main Avondale Estates, 106 N. Avondale Road. Electric Avenue offers an 80’s MTV experience that is fun and an accurate tribute to the 1980’s new wave and dance floor pop music.

For more information, click here.

Oakhurst Farmers Market 

The Oakhurst Farmers Market will be open on Saturday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sceptre Brewing Arts, 630 East Lake Drive in Decatur. Find all of your freshest produce, meat, delicious baked treats, and more among the weekly vendors. Additional offerings include live music and chef demonstrations featuring seasonal recipes.

For more information, click here.

Small Business Saturday and Santa on the Decatur Square 

Decatur’s businesses invite customers to shop small all year, but especially on Small Business Saturday, which will be on Saturday, Nov. 27. Stores will offer free wrapping of gifts, warm cookies and cocoa. Santa will also spread holiday cheer as he rides around Decatur in a fire truck on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For more information, click here.

Elton Live at 37 Main 

Elton Live, Atlanta’s Elton John tribute, will perform on Saturday, Nov. 27, at 9 p.m. at 37 Main Avondale Estates, 106 N. Avondale Road. Elton Live offers an authentic reproduction of Sir Elton John’s sounds and stage performance. Established in early 2018, Elton Live — The Ultimate Elton John Tribute Act, hails from the metro Atlanta area and has performed for audiences all over the Southeast. Lead vocalist and the band’s founder Steven Dodd brings an unmatched emulation and portrays Sir Elton John with a powerful delivery of voice and stage presence.

For more information, click here.

Fernbank Forest Night Walk 

Join Fernbank on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m. for a walk in Fernbank Forest and learn how the forest changes as the sun sets and dusk falls into nighttime. Participants can test their senses to see how they’d fare as a nocturnal animal, and maybe even observe some if they’re lucky. The event is recommended for those ages six and up. Space is limited to 15 people, so participants are required to register in advance.

For more information, click here.