The deadline for the October Focus is Thursday, September 1. Send information for this issue to decaturfocus@decaturga.com (as a word document or in the body of the e-mail only; please no PDFs) or to ATTN: Decatur Focus, PO Box 220, Decatur, GA 30031.
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This is a weekly blog post that lists all of the events and sales going on around town. It will be updated daily. If you would like to add an event, email Catherine.lee@decaturga.com.
Wednesday, Aug. 31
• Decatur Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m
Thursday, Sept. 1
• Oakhurst Jazz Nights, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2
• Decatur Book Festival, Keynote, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3
• Decatur Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Decatur Book Festival, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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Do you know one of the things that makes Decatur so great? Its community of residents that come out every year – many times per year – to be a part of its festivals. Seriously, Decatur would not be Decatur without without thousands of folks donating their time to help out at events.
If you’ve never volunteered for a festival or if it’s been a while, you can sign up online here: Volunteer Decatur! Become a true Decaturite and help out at the Decatur Book Festival next weekend. In fact, invite your neighbors and friends to join you and make a weekend of it! If you’re a return volunteer (we love you, btw), you can log into your volunteer account here.
The Decatur Book Festival is the city’s largest event and it takes a huge crew of awesome volunteers to make it happen. We’d love to have you as part of the Volunteer Decatur Team!
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Tickets are on sale now for the 4th Annual Decatur’s Dinner Party where the Decatur’s most talented chefs join forces with Global Growers farmers to prepare a dazzling array of delicious dishes to raise money to support local agricultural projects.
Global Growers and the City of Decatur will host more than 150 food lovers, community leaders, chefs, and the incredible farm families of Global Growers to enjoy a family-style meal on the beautiful grounds of the Historic Decatur Cemetery.
The event will feature a multi-course meal, handcrafted cocktails, local beers, and a superb wine collection. Guest will have the opportunity to participate in both silent and live auctions offering one-of-kind experiences and gifts to take home.
Please contact desiree@globalgrowers.org with any questions about the event or if you would like to contribute to the auction or register as a sponsor.
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This is a weekly blog post that lists all of the events and sales going on around town. It will be updated daily. If you would like to add an event, email Catherine.lee@decaturga.com.
Wednesday, Aug. 24
• Decatur Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m
Thursday, Aug. 25
• Trois Dames beer tasting at Ale Yeah, 5-8 p.m.
• August Fourth Thursday Stroll, Decatur Recreation Center, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 26
• Book As Art opening reception, Decatur Library, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 27
• Decatur Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Decatur Square Bar Crawl, 6 p.m.
• Creating Community 4 Decatur Vigil on the Community Bandstand, 7:30 p.m.
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DeKalb County Watershed Management currently has one lane closed on East Ponce De Leon Ave at Poplar Road, eastbound in front of Avondale Marta Station, for repairs.
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This Thursday, August 25th, will be an important date for those who would like to volunteer and be a vital part of our community. The Citizens Assisting Public Safety will have a meeting at 7pm at Station One to discuss our vision for the Fire CAPS team and how it will work with the City of Decatur Fire and Rescue 
Department. Whether you are already active with CAPS or simply interested in learning more about the program, we would love to have you attend this meeting and share your thoughts and questions.
If you know others in the community who enjoy being actively involved while learning and being part of a team, please let them know about this meeting. For more information, click here. This video also gives a brief overview of the Fire CAPS program, but we are looking to even further expand the scope of opportunities to volunteer and serve in our city.
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Milagros Collective, the artists chosen to design the mural for the MARTA Overpass at the corner of W. Trinity & Atlanta Ave., have completed their initial design. We have scheduled a community engagement meeting on Wednesday, August 31 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Ebster Recreation Center, 105 Electric Ave.
If you live, work, play, or drive/bike/walk/ride MARTA under or around the proposed mural location, or if you care about public art and are curious, come give us your input.
We held two community input meetings earlier this year designed to solicit feedback about the Overpass and the area around it including how it is used and how it is viewed by the community. Milagros Collective took that information and came up with a design that incorporates what they heard and saw. Additionally, participants drew images and/or pasted pictures on tabletop butcher block paper that the artists took to use for reference.
The meeting will include an unveiling of the proposed design, information from the artists on their thought process and the design itself, and ways we might want to celebrate once the mural has been completed.
Questions? Contact Angie Macon, admin@decaturartsalliance.org or Linda Harris, linda.harris@decaturga.com.
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Photo: Jonathan Phillips
Sage Powell steers a squid down Madison Ave. in Decatur during the 4th annual Madison Ave. Soap Box Derby on Saturday, September 27, 2014.
The Madison Ave Community Fund (MACF) is excited to announce the 6th annual Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2016.
Registration for the race is now open at www.madisonavesoapboxderby.org
Founded in 2011 by the Madison Ave Community Fund (MACF), this unique competition challenges amateur racers to design, build and race non-motorized, gravity-powered soapbox cars. With the support of the community and neighborhood businesses, it has grown from about 20 drivers in 2011 to almost 100 drivers in last year’s derby. Derby day will include local vendors with food and drinks along with live music after the race.
This year, one hundred percent of all proceeds raised by the Derby will benefit Reading is Essential for All People (REAP).
It’s crucial for a child’s educational development that he or she become a proficient reader by the end of third grade. This is when kids start reading to learn instead of learning to read. Unfortunately, 32% of Georgia’s 4th grade students read below grade level.
Reading is Essential for All People (REAP) is a non-profit dedicated to improving reading proficiency in public school students through teacher training and enrichment. Teachers leave college without all the tools they need to reach all their readers. Shrinking school budgets and increasing time constraints make is difficult for teachers to access the necessary professional development required to meet all their readers’ needs once they are in the classroom. REAP provides teachers with specialized approaches to reading instruction that makes all readers stronger but are critical for those students who struggle.
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The Decatur Downtown Neighbors are hosting a Park Presentation on Saturday, August 20 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street. All Decatur residents and interested parties are invited to attend.
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