Summer kicks off in a few weeks for many Metro Atlanta schools and Home Depot workshops can be a great opportunity to keep your kids busy throughout the break. Our local Home Depot in Johns Creek (5950 State Bridge Rd Duluth 30097) offers a variety of DIY workshops for kids and parents alike that will help kick off home improvement workshops with confidence through expert instruction and hands-on learning. Workshops are free to the public, but attendees need to register in advance to secure their spot. 

Upcoming Home Depot Workshops include:

Pegboard Shelves - Thursday, May 16, 2019 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Increase productivity and maximize your space with customizable pegboard shelves in the Home Depot Pegboard Shelves Workshop. Home Depot Store Associates will show you how to measure, cut, stain and assemble a transitional shelving unit to organize multi-functional spaces like your work space, craft room or mudroom.

Interior Painting and Drywall Repair - Saturday, May 18, 2019 from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Designed to rejuvenate the look and feel of your walls, Home Depot’s Interior Painting and Drywall Repair Workshop will teach you how to repair dings, holes, pops, scrapes and cracks. A Store Associate will cover all the steps to transform your old walls, repair damages and liven things up with a fresh coat of paint. Loaded with helpful tips to achieve a professional finish to your project, the Store Associate will share insight on selecting the proper tools, bleed preventive tapes, low shrinkage joint compounds and supplies to prepare your walls and trim and demonstrate step-by-step how to repair corner bead damage, nail pops, cracks and holes of all sizes.

Installing Tile Backsplash Saturday, May 25, 2019 from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Rethink the most visited rooms in your home with a backsplash install. During the Installing Tile Backsplash Workshop, a Home Depot Store Associate will cover trending and classic tile options, demonstrate how to prepare your surface and instruct you how to cut your project time down by mounting tiles with SimpleMat adhesive. SimpleMat adhesive allows for immediate grouting, turning your backsplash installation into a one day project.

Kids Putting Green Workshop - Saturday, Jun 1, 2019 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Bring your kids to experience and exercise mental strength with a game of tabletop golf at the Home Depot Putting Green Workshop. In this hands-on workshop you and your child can discuss the mindset, jargon and strategy of the sport as you build a putting green to master your hole-in-one. Once your course is built, your child can look forward to decorating it with paint and stickers. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last. 

For a full list of Home Depot workshops in Johns Creek and to register, click here.

The Alpharetta Food Truck Alley season kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, May 9, 2019 and will last through mid-October 2019. Each Thursday, Alpharetta will offer a fun opportunity to kick off the weekend early by providing a rotating selection of 6-8 food trucks on Old Roswell Street in Downtown Alpharetta. Truck options will include five savory food trucks and two dessert options each week. Bring your whole family along with a picnic blanket and experience all downtown Alpharetta has to offer.

This year Alpharetta's Food Truck Alley will also offer a different promotion weekly inside participating local businesses for an extra fun time each Thursday. Some of these promotions include Make Your Own Margaritas at Ceviche, The Art of Smoking Drinks presented by Mercantile Social, and Beer 101 classes at Truck & Tap. Other pop-up activities will take place throughout the season at All Fired Up, The Pink Valise Boutique, Flatlands Bourbon & Bayou, Exquisite Living, and more!

In addition, Alpharetta Food Truck Alley will also highlight a different non-profit organization each week and host a social project that invites attendees to engage with their neighbors. Examples include a collaborative sticker mural with the Fulton County Library, a puppy photo booth with Canine Assistants, and a seed planting activity with the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program.

While you're in downtown Alpharetta take a look at our brand new beautiful office building located in Liberty Hall at 33 S Main Street. Downtown Parking Lot on Roswell Street (at 37 Old Roswell Street) or the City Hall Parking Deck (2 Park Plaza).

The Secret Gardens of Johns Creek Tour will be held this Saturday, May 4, 2019 from 9:00 a.m, to 4:00 p.m. and showcase some of the Johns Creeks’s most stunning gardens that are rarely seen beyond homeowners' backyards. Visitors will visit seven private gardens in Johns Creek, featuring beautiful landscapes, koi ponds, sculptures, and just a little bit of whimsy. All tour stops are conveniently located along the Old Alabama Road corridor, which should make it very easy for a relaxed visit to enjoy each unique property.  

Docents and volunteers will help guide the way along with art and live music to set the perfect mood at each garden spot. The event will raise funds for the local organization known as Johns Creek Beautification. Their mission is to provide landscaping enhancement and preservation, as well as architectural installations and public works of art to grace the common areas of the city. The Tour itself is a wonderful way for the community to support the momentum of JCB while being personally inspired by the possibilities displayed in these secret gardens located throughout Johns Creek.

Discover meandering pathways that lead to waterfalls, as well as formal, innovatively designed gardens featuring multitudes of perennials & hardwoods. Passes are $25 per person and can be purchased here. and children 12 and under are free. 

The Johns Creek International Festival is being held this Saturday, April 27 from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm and will offer the opportunity to sample food from around the world, watch musical and dance performances, view international art and browse retail vendors.

Held at Heisman Field across from the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, this second annual Festival is free to the public and is a celebration of the best traditional food, music and art from our own backyard. According to the City of Johns Creek local government, Johns Creek is home to more than 83,000 people and is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the state and nation. 

Plenty of food trucks will feature Asian, Indian, Mediterranean and Latin American food available for purchase as well as an international beer and wine garden. There will also be a global marketplace that will have works from cultural artisans and handcrafted art.

The Kids Zone will include face painting, cultural storytelling, art stations and plenty of other activities provided by the Johns Creek Arts Center. A musical stage will have sounds of Salsa, live drums, rock performances and instrumentalists from countries around the world.

Attendees can park onsite at the festival. You can enter the festival at the traffic light/intersection of Medlock Bridge Road and the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek. The entrance to the fields is directly across from the Atlanta Athletic Club. Handicap parking will also be available. 

The City of Alpharetta will host its 29th Annual Taste of Alpharetta on Thursday, May 2 from 5:30- 9:30 p.m. in downtown Alpharetta and feature samples of appetizers, desserts and entrees from over 60 Alpharetta restaurants. The event will also feature cooking demos, culinary collaborations and music vignettes throughout the streets of Downtown alongside a variety of music genres.

Admission is free, you may purchase food tickets on site for $0.50 each. Restaurants participating in the Taste of Alpharetta will not accept cash (tickets only). Restaurants charge $1-4 per food sample.

According to the City of Alpharetta, A Culinary Competition Stage will pair top area chefs against one another in five categories – Best Appetizer/Salad, Best Fast Casual, Best Fine Dining, Best Presentation and Best Dessert. Award winners are presented at approximately 8:30 p.m. Vote for the People’s Choice Award at the Culinary Competition Stage prior to 7:00 p.m.

Come visit us at the Berkshire Hathaway table at the event and while you're in downtown Alpharetta take a look at our brand new beautiful office building located in Liberty Hall at 33 S Main Street. Attendees can park in the City Hall Parking Deck at 2 Park Plaza or take a park and ride shuttle from Wills Park at Wacky World or Wills Park Equestrian Center.

Featured restaurants include:

• 2B Whole Gluten-Free European Bakery
• 3:8 Juice & Eatery
• Andretti Indoor Karting and Games
• Another Broken Egg Cafe
• Atlantic Seafood Company
• Bagel Boys Cafe
• Benihana
• Bite Bistro & Bar
• Black Walnut Cafe
• Brine Seafood Shack
• BurgerFi
• Butcher & Brew
• Cedar Cafe
• Ceviche Taqueria
• Chuy’s
• Citizen Soul
• Central City Tavern
• Clean Juice
• Coalition Food and Beverage
• Colletta
• DaVinci’s Donuts
• Dominos Pizza
• Dos Margaritas
• Dreamland BBQ
• E.M. Bop
• Favors & Flavors Cajun Twist
• Fire and Brimstone Tavern
• Flatlands Bourbon & Bayou
• Flavor Juicery and Eatery
• Four Fat Cows Ice Cream
• Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
• Heidi’s Heavenly Cookies
• La Casa Italian Grill
• La Teda Tapas and Tequilas
• Lapeer Seafood Market
• Loyal Q and Brew
• M Thai Street Food
• Madras Chettinaad
• Mama’s Pizza
• Maple Street Biscuit Company
• Miller’s Ale House Restaurant
• Minnie Oliva /Wood Fire Pizzeria
• Mondo Italian Kitchen
• Nothing Bundt Cakes
• Oak Steakhouse
• PITA Mediterranean Street Food
• Publix Aprons Cooking School
• Ray’s at Killer Creek
• Restaurant Holmes
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Sally’s Gluten Free Bakery
• Salt Factory
• Scream’n Nuts
• Secreto Southern Kitchen & Bar
• Seven Seas Mediterranean Cafe
• Shade Street Food + Bar
• Smallcakes of Alpharetta
• Smokejack BBQ
• South Main Kitchen
• Southern Baked Pie Company
• Taqueria Tsunami
• Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe
• The Melting Pot
• Vitality Bowls
• Wildflour

Springtime (and pollen) is finally here and Alpharetta and Johns Creek are hosting a variety of Easter Egg Hunts in the coming weeks for children of all ages.  

The Alpharetta Welcome Center will host the Easter bunny and offer free photos and visits for children of all ages from on April 13 from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at the Alpharetta Welcome Center at 178 South Main Street. No reservations are required and the event is free to the public. A photo will be printed onsite and emailed for you to take to share with family and friends.

Alpharetta’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on April 13 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the North Park Softball Fields and include face painting, balloon art, train rides and a petting zoo. The Egg Hunt for ages 3-6 will start at Noon.  Instead of a hunt area, a special goody bag will be given to the first 250 children ages 2/younger and 7/older. The event is free to the public.

Johns Creek’s Annual Easter Egg Dash and Spring Park Party will take place at 11:00 am on April 13 at Shakerag Park for children ages 10 and under. The event will feature over 20,000 eggs and is free to the public. Egg dash start times vary by age and times include: Ages 0-2: 11:30 a.m., Ages 3-4: 11:30 a.m., Ages 5-7: 12:30 p.m., Ages 8-10: 12:30 pm

A Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt is being held by the City of Johns Creek at 10:00 a.m. on April 13 in Newtown Park. The event is free to the public and will include games, activities, an Easter egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Avalon in Alpharetta will host an Easter Egg Hunt on April 20 and will include live bunnies from the Georgia House Rabbit Society. Children will collect ten eggs from the Plaza and bring them to the trade-in tent to receive a bag of treats. No registration is required and the event is free to the public. Ages 0-3 start at 8:30 am and ages 4-7 start at 9:30 a.m.

The city of Johns Creek is consistently recognized as one of the most affluent golf communities in the Metro Atlanta area because of its seven champion 18-hole golf courses. Offering over 50,000 yards of golf and recognized by both the U.S. Golf Association and Professional Golfers Association, these private and public courses offer year round golfing because of our mild climate.

Johns Creek has hosted many championships over the years, including the 1976 US Open Championship, the 1981, 2001 and 2011 PGA Championship, the 1990 US Women’s Open, the Champions Tour Nationwide Championship from 1991-1994 and the U.S. Amateur in 2014. These courses were designed by some of the sport’s best, which include Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Thomas Fazio, Joe Lee and Arthur Hills.

The popularity and prestige of these courses consistently produces nationally ranked top area junior golfers from men’s and women’s golf teams at each of the four area high schools in Johns Creek. With the help of the City of Johns Creek, we’ve brought you a breakdown of each golf course located within the city. Call us today for a private VIP home tour within and around these luxurious communities.

Atlanta Athletic Club (private)

Founded in 1898 in downtown Atlanta, the Atlanta Athletic Club moved to Johns Creek in 1967, and is the home club of golf legend Bobby Jones. It offers two 18-hole championship courses (Highlands, Riverside) designed by Robert Trent Jones and one nine-hole, par-3 course. The Atlanta Athletic Club hosted the 2011 PGA Championship.

Country Club of the South (private)

Founded in 1987, the Country Club of the South is a 900-acre, gated residential community with an 18-hole championship course originally designed by Jack Nicklaus. Its 18-hole championship course is 6,950 yards, par 72. Of all the Jack Nicklaus golf courses in Georgia, the Country Club of the South presents one of the most challenging layouts.

Rivermont Golf and Country Club (private)

Founded in 1973, the Rivermont Golf and Country Club's 18-hole course is 6,767 yards, par 72. Originally designed by Joe Lee, the course saw a $3.6 million renovation in 2007 by Michael Riley and offers a relaxed, family friendly retreat from the busyness of Atlanta.

River Pines Golf (public)

Founded in 1990, River Pines is nestled along the Chattahoochee River, and features one 18-hole championship course and one nine-hole, par 3 course. Designed by Denis Griffiths, the 18-hole course is 6,002 yards, par 70. Mike Perpich, a Golf Magazine "Top 100 Instructor," is based at River Pines.

St. Ives Country Club (private)

Founded in 1989 and completely renovated in 1999, St. Ives Country Club is a gated residential community with an 18-hole championship course. Designed by Thomas Fazio, ASGCA, the course is 6,932 yards, par 72.

Standard Club (private)

Founded in 1866, the Standard Club is the oldest golf club in Atlanta. It moved to its present location in Johns Creek in 1987. Its 18-hole championship course (7,075 yards, par 72) was originally designed by Arthur Hills and redesigned in 2005 by Michael Riley. In addition to the golf course, the Standard Club offers a 125,000 sq. foot clubhouse that features 4 indoor air-conditioned tennis courts, 8 outdoor clay courts, 4 outdoor hard courts, a state of the art fitness center, pool complex, racquetball and basketball courts.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell has partnered with American Adventure Park Systems and Historic Banning Mills to bring thrill seekers an experiential adventure in the trees. Guests can now take an adventurous trek around the treetops on an Aerial Adventure Course or take to the skies a get a bird’s eye view of the nature center with the Zipline Canopy Tour.

The Aerial Adventure Course is designed for children ages “2 to 204” and participants can expect to experience up to 28 challenge elements after harnessing up in cutting edge safety gear. Challenge elements include up to four ziplines, suspension bridges, ropes and more. The cost for the Adventure Course is $34.95 per person not including the Chattahoochee Nature Center admission fee paid on arrival.

The Zipline Canopy Tour is designed for children ages “8 to 208” and takes participants on a tour of the aerial ecosystem of the Nature Center while zipping twice over Beaver Pond and experiencing up to 55 feet in the air on one of the 7 ziplines that stretch up to 500 feet long. The Eco Zipline Canopy tour offers up to 12 challenge elements and costs $49.95 per person not including the Chattahoochee Nature Center admission fee paid upon arrival.

And if you’re feeling extremely adventurous, you can book a combo tour which includes 3 hours of adventure challenge elements and ziplines for $79.95 not including the admission fee. Chattahoochee Nature Center is located at 9135 Willeo Road in Roswell. 

We are excited to welcome 6 Bridges Brewing to Johns Creek as our city’s first brewery. Father/son duo Charles and Clay Gridgley opened 6 Bridges in November 2018 and their taproom features 10 different taps of beers and an outdoor beer garden. 6 Bridges is named after the six bridges that once crossed Johns Creek. 

Beers on tap include Shelby Golden Ale, Newtown American Pale Ale, State Bridge American Stout, Sour Continuum with Pink Guava, State Bridge S’mores Stout, State Bridge w/Cold Brew Stout, Kaiser’s Last Stand Sour Berliner Weisse, Tag Along Shake Porter and No Not Really American IPA. Full pints, half pours and small tasters as well as flights of each beer are available. You’re also welcome to bring in outside food to consume at the taproom although some nights 6 Bridges has food trucks available for your dining pleasure.

6 Bridges Brewing is open from 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm most days and you can find their full business hours here. In addition, Taproom tours are offered at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Thursdays and 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Sundays. Big screen tvs are set up for sporting events and dogs and children are also welcome. March Madness offers the perfect opportunity to give Johns Creek’s first brewery a try. Let us know what you end up sampling!

The warmer weather and start of Daylight Saving time is the perfect opportunity to tackle your spring home maintenance must-dos. We’ve put together the checklist below to undo any damage from winter and start your warmer months with your Johns Creek home in great condition with a spring home maintenance tune-up.

Tree Trimming
Look in your yard for any dead branches or areas that need to be trimmed. It’s much easier to clean up these trees before they’re fully bloomed. Don’t forget to check that dead branches aren’t hanging over your house since this can cause leaf backup in your gutters.

Roof 
Check for cracked shingles, failed fasteners and nail pops. Also check for any branches that may have landed on your roof during winter. Hint: you don’t have to get on your roof to observe potential issues, just grab a pair of binoculars as a safe option.

Gutters
Make sure your downspouts are still pointed away from your home’s foundation and that your gutters are clear of debris leftover from winter.

Windows
Double check that your caulking and weather stripping is still in tact. You can also easily clean your outside windows with one cup rubbing alcohol, one cup water and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

Air Conditioning
Either call an HVAC technician to perform a tune up on your A/C or head outside yourself to ensure your air conditioning is in good working order before summer hits. You can easily change your A/C filters, check that drain pans are draining freely and ensure hose connections are free of any leaks.

Attic
It’s always a good idea to check your attic for signs of colonization of insects and critters that make have occurred over the winter months. Also check for roof leaks and potential mold spots.

If you’re weary of handling spring home maintenance yourself, hiring a licensed handyman or contractor to go through your checklist is never a bad idea. We have a whole network of contacts and contractors, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need help.