If you live in Johns Creek, you’re likely familiar with the award-winning Newtown Dog Park. What you may not know is that every year the city of Johns Creeks hosts a Pup-A-Palooza for furry friends across the Atlanta area.

On Saturday, September 21 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Mark Burkhalter Ampitheater at Newtown Park, the City of Johns Creek invites you and your furry friend to partake the 2019 Pup-A-Palooza. There will be a Best Dressed Dog and Best Dog Trick contest as well as live music. There will even be a caricature artist, so you can take home a custom photo of you and Fido.

Newtown Dog Park officially opened in 2011 after local resident Pat McNeely won a national contest sponsored by Beneful Dog Food. Since its opening, it has won multiple awards, most recently winning the Best Dog Park in Atlanta by Access Atlanta. The Johns Creek dog park sits on one acre and features artificial turf, sprinklers, water drinking stations, a walking trail and a separate area for small and large dogs. It’s open from 8:00 am - 9:00 pm each day except for Wednesdays, when the park is closed from 8:00 am to 10:00 am for weekly maintenance.

The world changed eighteen years ago today on September 11, 2001. Today we take time solemnly reflect and pray for the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on that fateful day and for the people here and abroad who have sacrificed so much since then to rebuild our country.

As our nation continues to rebuild and thrive, the strength and resiliency of the United States of America makes me thankful for what we have in this great country. I remember that fateful day 18 years ago and I remember how the weeks after was a time renewal when Americans came across religious, political, social and ethnic lines to stand as one people. If we work hard enough, we Americans can carry that sense of unity moving forward and renew our nation and the world.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We're kicking off football season with a breakdown of each Johns Creek high school football schedule. Follow Johns Creek, Northview, Centennial, and Chattahoochee with us!

Whether you're a Johns Creek Gladiator or a Northview Titan, here is a full season schedule of each high school in Johns Creek.

Centennial High School

9/6 vs. Roswell

9/13 @ Pope

9/20 vs. Cambridge

10/4 vs. Alpharetta

10/11 vs. Chattahoochee

10/18 @ Dunwoody

10/25 vs. Johns Creek

11/1 @ North Atlanta

11/8 @ Northview

Chattahoochee High School

9/13 @ Northview

9/20 vs. Johns Creek

9/27 @ Pope

10/4 vs. Cambridge

10/11 @ Centennial

10/18 vs. Alpharetta

Johns Creek High School

9/13 vs North Atlanta

9/20 @ Chattahoochee

9/27 @ Northview

10/11 @ Pope

10/19 vs. Cambridge

10/25 @ Centennial

11/1 vs. Alpharetta

11/8 vs. Dunwoody

Northview High School

9/6 vs. North Forsyth

9/13 vs. Chattahoochee

9/20 @ Dunwoody

9/27 vs. Johns Creek

10/4 @ North Catlanta

10/11 @ Cambridge

10/25 @ Alpharetta

11/1 vs. Pope

11/8 vs. Centennial

11/1 vs. Dunwoody

11/8 @ North Atlanta

Mount Pisgah Christian School

9/6 vs. St. Francis

9/13 @ Whitefield Academy

9/27 @ King’s Ridge Christian

10/14 vs. Mount Paran

10/11 vs. Pinecrest

10/25 vs. Fellowship Christian

11/1 @ Walker

11/8 @ Walker

Providence Christian Johns Creek

9/6 vs. King’s Ridge Christian

9/13 vs. Prince Avenue Christian

9/20 vs. Commerce

10/24 @ George Walton Academy

10/11 @ Riverside Military Academy

10/18 vs. Glascock County

11/1 vs. Athens Christian

11/8 TBC

As summer winds down, Labor Day weekend offers a great opportunity to celebrate the end of summer with friends and family around Johns Creek. We have gathered some of our favorite events for you to explore around town.

Freedom Bowl - Milton

The Freedom Bowl will be played at Milton High School this weekend. The event features 12 varsity high school football teams from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio. There will be six games, with one on Thursday night, two on Friday night and three on Saturday. The mission of the Freedom Bowl is to educate student athletes, coaches and communities on what a true hero looks like to inspire those to support the ones who protect our great country. Admission is $15 and parking is $5. For more information, click here.

Block Party on Main Baha Men Concert - Downtown Duluth

Wind down the dog days of summer and bring your four legged friend with a free concert from the Baha Men in Downtown Duluth on Friday, August 30. Food trucks will have food available for purchase and the entire Downtown Duluth area is an “open zone” which means you can bring your own coolers and beverages as well. There will also be many of pet vendors for your pooch. The concert starts at 8:00 pm in addition to live music in Parsons Alley starting at 6:00 pm leading up to the concert. For more information, click here. 

Dragon Con 2019 - Downtown Atlanta

Held annually in Downtown Atlanta for more than 30 years, Dragon Con is the largest multi-media pop culture convention on science fiction, fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film. It’s truly a phenomenon and offers a fun time for your whole family. Perhaps the most fun part of Dragon Con is the Dragon Con parade on Peachtree Street, which offers an opportunity to see costumed characters line up and march the streets of Atlanta. The parade will be held on Saturday, August 31 at 10:00 am and more information can be found here.

Labor Day Donut Dash - Cumming Forsyth County

The Labor Day Donut Dash will be held on the Big Creek Greenway in Cumming in Forsyth County and start at the Fowler Park track. Runners can register in store at North GA Running Company at 5456 Bethelview Rd, Suite 102, Cumming, GA 30040 or online here. The race offers a half marathon starting at 7:30 am, a 5K starting at 7:45 am and a Munchkin Run for kids starting at 9:00 am. Costs vary per race and proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Forsyth. More information can be found here. 

Explore nature and learn some local history near Johns Creek homes at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center. This property has had a varied and fascinating history. The Cherokee and Creek Indians were the first inhabitants. After the Indians were forced from the area, the land was sold for farming. The Autrey family built a mill which was in use from 1877 to the early 1900s. The mill was primarily used for making wheat flour, though ground corn was also produced. By the 1890s, people could easily purchase flour, and the mill was used less and less.

Today, visitors are welcome to this Johns Creek real estate location to take a self-guided audio tour of the Heritage Village. Three of the buildings were built by former inhabitants of the property, while the other four were saved from demolition and moved here. The buildings are opened for special events or for pre-arranged group tours. See the large Summerour Family House, a smaller tenant farmer’s house, a barn, church, and store. An Indian village is currently under construction and will fill out the story of this land.

Autrey Mill is also a favorite hiking spot for people from Johns Creek homes. There are several miles of trails, which take hikers through old growth hardwood forest and past the creek. You’ll see native plants and wildlife along the way, too. It’s a great place to get younger kids into hiking, as the trails are fairly flat and a manageable distance. There’s also a full schedule of events, classes, and tours. Visit Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center from 8 a.m. to dusk. 

A great benefit to living in the Johns Creek and Alpharetta area is the access to local fruits, vegetables and goods offered at the Alpharetta Farmers Market. Held every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. through October 26, the Farmers Market offers an opportunity to shop locally grown produce, natural meat, fresh flowers and plants, hand-crafted gifts, jellies, sauces, soaps, homemade bread, desserts and baked goods and local raw honey. 

The Alpharetta Farmers Market is sponsored by the Alpharetta Business Association and Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau  and is set up at Market Street Park on the corner of Market Street and N. Broad Street, which is also directly across from our Robb Realty Atlanta Berkshire Hathaway office in Liberty Hall.

In addition to hosting over 80 vendors, the Farmers Market offers live music each Saturday as well as a Kid’s Zone sponsored by Kaiser Permanente where kids can come make a craft, listen to music and have fun while learning something new. 

Through the Alpharetta community the farmers Market has won the “Best of North Atlanta” Farmers Market award for five years in a row since 2015. You’re able to search by product before you by clicking here. For a full list of market vendors, click here. Free parking is available in the decks on Main Street as well as street parking. Free parking is available in the decks on Main Street as well as street parking.

If you’re a foodie living in Johns Creek you won’t want to miss Taste of Johns Creek on August 17, 2019. This year’s event will be held at Chattahoochee High School on Taylor Road and benefit the Chattahoochee Booster Clubs. From 4:00 - 9:00 p.m. attendees will be able to sample food from over 25 restaurants. Admission to the event is free and tickets to each restaurants sampling tent range from $1.00 to $4.00 per booth. 

This year’s restaurant line up includes:

• AKU Sushi Ramen
• Farm Sourced & Fresh
• Flavor Juicery
• Frontera Mex-Mex Grill
• Grecian Gyro
• Hurricane Grill & Wings
• Joe's  & Glo's Hawaiian Shaved Ice
• Kathleen's Catch
• Kona Ice Alpharetta
• Ma's Irish Kitchen
• Mavericks Cantina
• Moe's Southwest Grill- Roswell
• Nancy's Chicago Pizza
• Pampas Steakhouse
• Pepperoni's Tavern
• Piece of Cake
• Pita Mediterranean Street Food
• S & W Seafood
• Sitar Indian Cuisine
• Star BQ House
• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream
• The Spaniard
• Taco Mac
• Vito's Pizza & Ristorante
• Where's The Scoop?
• Wild Wing Cafe - Johns Creek
• Williamson Brothers BBQ

Taste of Johns Creek will also feature an art walk, live music and a kids zone with a bungee jump, inflatable slides and obstacle courses. Kids zone tickets are separate from the restaurant ticket sampling prices and are available for purchase. You’ll even be able to dunk your favorite Chattahoochee High School coach and players in the dunk tank onsite.  Local officials expect more than 7,500 attendees. Bring your appetite and head out to support our local Johns Creek community!

Can you believe the beginning of our school year is less than two weeks away? We have gathered the best deals and insider tips for back to school shopping in and around Johns Creek. Do your shopping sooner rather than later to get the most bang for your buck!

Tip #1 Utilize The Dollar Store for Savings on Specific Items

The Dollar Store is the perfect place to purchase basic calculators, clipboards, planners and combination locks since you likely won’t find these items for cheaper at any major retailer. The Dollar Tree closest to Johns Creek is located at 5805 State Bridge Rd #300 in Duluth.

Tip #2 Buy Markers and Paint Supplies at Michaels or Jo-Ann’s

Michaels and Jo-Ann’s both have mobile apps that offer weekly coupons ranging from 25% off your entire purchase or 40% off one regular-priced item. Coupons are also available for download on the websites for both stores. According to Krazy Coupon Lady.com, both stores also allow multiple coupons per transaction as long as they’re different types of coupons. For example, you can stack dollar-off coupons with a percentage off coupons from a different source (mobile app or hard copy coupon). The closest Michaels is located at 3630 Peachtree Pkwy Ste 400 in Suwanee and Jo-Ann’s is located at 965 North Point Drive in Alpharetta.

Tip #3 Shop at Target or Walmart for One-Stop Shopping Savings

The best place for one-stop school shopping is you guessed it - either Target or Walmart. Target’s Up and Up brand currently has crayons on sale for $0.25 cents each, glue for $0.49 cents each, washable markers for $0.50 cents each, two-packs of glue sticks for $0.50 cents each and this just scratches the surface of the deals they’re offering in store. Don’t forget to download the Target app to check for even more savings. Target is located at 5950 State Bridge Rd in Duluth.

Walmart offers backpacks for as low as $2.77 in stores - yes you read that right, $2.77. Additional rollback Walmart savings include Cra-Z-Art Washable Watercolors for $0.97 cents each, Schoolworks Kids Scissors for $0.74 each, Cra-Z-Art Super Washable Markers for $0.64 each, glue for $0.30 cents each, Papermate Pens for $0.97 cents each and pocket folders for as little as $0.15 cents each. Walmart is located at 5200 Windward Pkwy in Alpharetta.

It can be really beneficial to take a step back and think about making good financial decisions when looking for a Johns Creek home. Purchasing a home is a big decision that can impact your life in many ways. It is a good idea not to rush into things and really consider a wide variety of aspects. A good place to start is doing some research to understand all of the different types of mortgages that are out there. Many young people sign on the dotted line for a mortgage with an adjustable rate (ARM). This can look enticing because it starts with a very low interest rate and most people think that they will be making far more money down the road, so why not get into a house now? This often turns out to be a mistake when the rate goes up and the person’s finances are no better off. Never bank on the fact that you will be making significantly more money later on. There are many other mortgage options and programs to help out first time buyers. Ask questions and learn as much as you can.

Research Mortgages and Neighborhoods to Find the Right Johns Creek Real Estate

It is also a good idea to make sure that you can see yourself living in your Johns Creek home for many years in the future. Think about what your life might be like in five or ten years. If you are hoping to have a family by then, look for a home that you can grow into. If you start out by buying a house or condo that is way too small you could end up having to sell at a really bad time to buy something bigger and end up losing money. Another place where buyers get into trouble is buying more house than they can really afford. Just because a mortgage company approves a person for a certain amount does not mean that it is wise to go that high. Think about what your monthly mortgage will be. Compare that to what you are paying now and see how feasible that seems. If you are part of a two income household, think about how much you could pay if one person got laid off or decided to stay home with children. Don’t forget about possible HOA dues and home repairs as well.

Lastly, be sure to be wise about the location where you are buying your Johns Creek real estate. What is the commute time like? Even though you try to convince yourself that the house is so perfect that a long commute time won’t matter, that might not help while stuck in traffic. Take a look at the neighborhood at different times of day and think about needs such as schools, healthcare, and proximity to friends and relatives. It is expensive to move. Make sure to take the time to make the right decision.

If you think you're ready to begin your home search, check out some of the most popular neighborhoods in Johns Creek such as Doublegate, The Falls of Autry Mill, Medlock Bridge, Farmbrook and Kingston Crossing.

Mid-summer heat is in full swing and an inexpensive option to keep your kids cool and entertained is visiting one of our many area splash pads in and around Johns Creek. Many of them are free or very low cost and provide at least an hour of two of entertainment for your kids who are in the midst of summer boredom. Here are our favorite water parks and splash pads to stay cool in and around Johns Creek this summer.

Duluth Town Green Fountain

Located in the middle of Duluth’s Town Green, this kid friendly fountain sprays water two stories tall in the air and lights up in different colors at night time. Trees provide plenty of shade to enjoy an adult beverage from Truck and Tap and plenty of green space provides room to kick a ball or throw a frisbee. Taylor Park is also located a short walk up the hill by city hall and offers a railroad themed playground if your kids get tired of the fountain.  Cost: Free.

Suwanee Town Center Big Splash Interactive Fountain

One of Gwinnett's largest interactive fountains, Suwanee's Big Splash features 43 jets and uses up to 1,400 gallons of water per minute. Suwanee has a large green space for kicking a ball and bringing a picnic lunch. If you don’t want to bring your own lunch, pick up food to-go from Brown Bag Deli or stop by Rita’s across the street and grab an Italian ice before you leave! Cost: Free

E.E. Robinson Park Interactive Fountain in Sugar Hill

The interactive fountain at E.E. Robinson Park in Sugar Hill offers a large fountain space specifically geared toward toddlers. It’s located next to a large playground, covered pavilion and walking trails. Make sure you use the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard entrance of the park located at 650 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Sugar Hill for easy access to the fountain. Cost: Free

Spray Station at East Roswell Park

East Roswell Park’s premier sprayground offers many varieties of spray features as well as concession stands including popsicles, chips and hot dogs. A covered pavilion offers shade for cooling off. The cost is $2 per child for children over 1 year of age. Adults are free when accompanying a child. East Roswell Park is located at 9000 Fouts Road in Roswell.

Cumming Aquatic Center

For all day fun lasting longer than a splash pad visit, check out the Cumming Aquatic Center. It features a lazy river, play structure and two water slides. Cabanas are available to rent and family discounts are also offered. Adults are $7 each, ages 2-17 are $6 each and ages 2 and younger are free. The Aquatic Center is located at 210 Aquatic Circle in Cumming.