This story has been updated.

By Lucas Hill, contributor

DeKalb County, GA — Various events are happening this week in and around DeKalb County, including multiple tree lightings in and around the Tucker area, the Stone Mountain Christmas parade, and an event at the rek Gallery in Tucker. Several local government meetings are also scheduled for this week.

Here’s what’s happening this week:

Twain’s Brewpub and Billiards 27th Anniversary

On Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 5 p.m. to midnight, Twain’s Brewpub and Billiards will celebrate 27 years at the corner of Church and Trinity streets in downtown Decatur. They’ll be smoking a whole pig, and serving it up with some classic sides, beer specials, cocktail specials, and a special toast.

For more information, click here. 

Decatur Town Center Plan 2.0 Community Kickoff Meeting

The city of Decatur is kicking off the Decatur Town Center Plan 2.0 with a community meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street. The Decatur Town Center Plan 2.0 process is the first comprehensive look at downtown since the 1982 Town Center Plan. The plan will help guide growth and establish priorities for the years to come. This meeting will include a brief presentation followed by activities to help us identify downtown’s assets, issues, and opportunities. Participants are encouraged to RSVP to the community kickoff meeting.

For more information, click here.

Terrific Thursdays

Twinkling lights, cheery music, festive window displays, and family-friendly events – Decatur is filled with surprise and delight throughout the holiday season. Enjoy shopping on Terrific Thursdays, extra special shopping days in November and December. Customers will find deals, discounts and warm welcomes at independent and local shops in the city. Participating businesses will stay open late and offer beverages and snacks. Look out for in-store pop-ups, open houses, and receptions too.

For more information, click here.

Tree Lighting on the Decatur Square

On Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m., head out to the Square for Decatur’s annual tradition of holiday carols, hot cocoa and “snow.” At 7 p.m. sharp, Santa himself will flip the switch to light the tree above the east entrance of the Decatur MARTA station, on the Church Street side. This event is free and family-friendly, and will take place at Decatur Square, 101 E Court Square.

For more information, click here.

Cooke Noontime Concert at the Carlos Museum

The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta and the Carlos Museum welcome husband and wife pianists Kyung and Michael Kim for a Cooke Noontime Concert on Friday, Dec. 2, from 12-1 p.m. Sign-ups are required for this event.

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter. 

Out of Our Hands Art and Craft Sale

The Out of Our Hands Art and Craft Sale been held yearly since 2005 by a small carefully chosen group of Atlanta artists. This year there are 18 artists and craftsmen. Included in the sale are original works including paintings, drawings, collage, pottery, jewelry, fiber arts, and sculpture. They also sell crafts from Ghana and 100% of those sales benefit Children Inspiring Hope. The sale will be open for business at the Atlanta Friends Meeting House on Friday, Dec. 2 from noon to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, click here.

The Apocalypse Defiance Circus – Bread and Puppet Theater

On Friday, Dec. 2, at 3:30 p.m., join the Decatur Arts Alliance for a night of spectacle, humor and wit as they welcome back the political puppet theater, “Bread and Puppet.” The Apocalypse Defiance Circus attempts to address the heart of the current moment with a bright barrage of acts spanning many moods, from slapstick to the sublime, all powered by a riotous brass band. Help is provided by stilt-dancers, blue horses, paper maché clouds and tigers. Building on the tradition of the circus as a popular spectacle, performed in the round, and somehow encompassing the ecstasy, sadness and absurdity of the world as a whole, Bread and Puppet’s circuses have become an iconic form in their own right, 51 years running. 

For more information, click here.

West Ponce Tree Lighting

On Friday, Dec. 2, from 6-8 p.m., come to West Ponce de Leon Avenue for Decatur’s newest holiday tradition, a second tree lighting on the lawn of the First Christian Church of Decatur, 601 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. The tree will be lit at 7 p.m. This event is free and family-friendly.

For more information, click here.

Tucker First Fridays At the rek Gallery

The rek Gallery invites Tucker to come out every first Friday of the month for a meet and greet with featured artists. The Gallery will open at 6 p.m. and run until 8 p.m., and will take place at the Tucker rek Gallery, 3383 Lawrenceville Highway.

For more information, click here.

Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge Monthly Breakfast

On Saturday, Dec. 3, Stone Mountain Masonic Lodge will hold its usual monthly breakfast from 7-10 a.m. The event will be held at 840 VFW Drive, and the cost for admission is $10 for all-you-can-eat. Breakfast will include eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy. This is a Lodge fundraiser that helps support the Lodge overhead and maintenance.

For more information, click here.

Oakhurst Farmers Market 

The Oakhurst Farmers Market will be open on Saturday, Dec. 3, 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.

Tree Planting in Avondale Estates with Trees Atlanta

Avondale is once again partnering with Trees Atlanta to plant 35 large trees such as oaks, redbuds and bald cypress throughout the city on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. These trees will provide cleaner air, cool shade and improved habitat for humans and wildlife living in the community. Planting tasks include digging holes with shovels/mattocks, untangling roots by hand, mulching, watering and cleaning up the area. Volunteers will meet at the mulch pile by the south woods at Wiltshire and Berkeley.

For more information, click here.

ARCE GA Lecture with Dr. Aidan Dodson on “The Amarna Sunset” at the Carlos Museum

On Saturday, Dec. 3, from 2-3 p.m. at the Carlos Museum, in a lecture titled “The Amarna Sunset,” Aidan Dodson, professor of Egyptology at the University of Bristol, will explore what we know and can infer about the period of less than a decade that spanned the triumphal ‘durbar’ of Akhenaten’s Year 12 to the point at which Tutankhamun’s Restoration Stela marked the eclipse of the heretic king’s vision. In doing so, Dodson will consider the evidence for the identities of Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten, who ruled alongside Akhenaten during his last years, as well as the parentage of Tutankhamun. This event is a Zoom-only lecture. 

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter. 

North Pole at Tucker

North Pole at Tucker is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Church Street Greenspace, 4316 Church Street in Tucker. Santa will be in attendance to take pictures and listen to children’s wish lists and special requests. The evening will include musical guests, artistic performances from local groups, crafts, games and food for the family. Stay until dark to see the city tree and menorah lit by a special guest.

For more information, click here.

Stone Mountain Village Christmas Parade, Tree-Lighting and Fireworks

On Saturday, Dec. 3, from 4-7 p.m., Stone Mountain Village will host their annual Christmas Parade celebration. This event will include arts and crafts vendors, letter to Santa writing stations, performances by community groups, hot cocoa, cider and cookies and a kiddie train. The parade will start at 6 p.m. on Main Street, with a tree lighting and fireworks at 6:45 p.m. 

For more information, click here. 

Avondale Estates Farmers Market 

Join neighbors, visitors and vendors on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Avondale Estates Farmers Market, located in the parking lot of My Parents’ Basement, 22 N Avondale Road. Browse a colorful array of locally sourced food and goods. Items offered include baked goods, cheeses, eggs, homemade jellies, meats and produce.

For more information, click here.

Sunday FUNdays at the Carlos Museum

An aerophone is an instrument that produces sound by vibrating air. On Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1-4 p.m. at the Carlos Museum, explore the panpipes, ocarinas, and whistles – all types of aerophones – in the Art of the Americas galleries, and then sign up outside Ackerman Hall on the third floor for a 20-minute slot to make your own panpipe with teaching artist Chris Willoughby. Sunday FUNday is a free drop in program for all families and includes admission to galleries. No registration is required. 

For more information, click here.

Event listing provided by a community supporter. 

Upcoming Local Government Meetings​​

The Stone Mountain Downtown Development Authority will meet on Monday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Stone Mountain Welcome Center, 922 Main Street.

The Tucker City Council will meet on Monday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at Tucker City Hall, 1975 Lakeside Parkway, suite 350.

The Decatur School Board meets on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. for a work session at the Wilson School Support Center, 125 Electric Avenue.

The Clarkston City Council will hold a public hearing on the FY 2023 budget and a work session on Tuesday, Nov 29, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The Decatur Environmental Sustainability Board meets on Friday, Dec. 2, at 9 a.m. at the Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street.

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