Atlanta Magazine Guide to Atlanta Life

1. If you insist on driving this weekend, start your engine at Malibu SpeedZone, in Kennesaw. Slide behind the wheel of a 300-horsepower machine and race from 0 to 70 in a mind-blowing 3 seconds on the Top Eliminator Dragster. Competing against three other cars on the 140-yard strip, you'll leave all memories of bumper-to-bumper headaches in the dust. FOR DIRECTIONS AND INFO: (770) 514-8081. 2. Friday night bid the traffic goodbye and cool off at Fernbank's "Martinis and IMAX." The only thing you'll have to think about is which movie to watch - The Living Sea, at 7 p.m., hosted by Meryl Streep and featuring music from Sting, or Special Effects, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., featuring the how-tos of such Hollywood blockbusters as Independence Day. FOR TICKETS: (404) 370-0019. 3.Get a made-to-order picnic and relax with a good book at Stone Mountain Park. Try the smoked chicken sandwich with Greek pasta salad and a key lime tart from Proof of the Pudding's Gourmet to Go. Order your picnic lunch 48 hours in advance and stop at the bookstore to pick up David B. Freeman's new book, Carved in Stone: The History of Stone Mountain. You'll be set for the most stress-free Labor Day yet. FOR INFO: Proof of the Pudding, (404) 892-2359. Georgia's Stone Mountain Park, (770) 498-5690.

The Arts Festival of Atlanta assumes Olympic proportions this year as a 17-day gala stretching throughout Centennial Olympic Park, downtown's Fairlie-Poplar Historic District and Woodruff Park. The festival kicks off Fri., Sept. 5, with the U.S. premiere of "Pôles," an innovative performance combining dance, holography and virtual reality to tell the story of two men who survive their spaceship's crash and are forced to learn to tolerate one another. "Everyone will be talking about this performance," raves festival Artistic Director Leslie Gordon. And since "Pôles" won't continue its American tour until late 1998, now is the time to reserve your tickets for the two-night premiere at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. Opening weekend get your first glimpse of festival flavor when you take MARTA to either the Civic Center, Peachtree Center, Five Points or Omni station. Street performers might meet you as you disembark from your train, playfully setting the mood for the art to come. Peek into The Healey Building, on Forsyth Street, for an introduction to the "Changing Spaces" exhibit, and stop to pick up a map of the entire exhibit, which stretches throughout the city. In The Healey Building don't miss Colombian artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso's Flea Circus, a marriage of Latin American tradition and modern technology. Thanks to a flea-focused camera crew, spectators will be able to see the little tricksters magnified on television screens as they jump off a high dive platform, pull wagons and get shot out of a cannon. Continue your festival adventure with featured artist Don Byron's "Bug Music," on Sun., Sept. 7, at the Rialto. A jazz clarinetist and composer influenced by Schumann, Motown and Nirvana, Byron transcribes early swing pieces in "Bug Music," recalling the likes of John Kirby and Duke Ellington. Get a seminar schedule from the Rialto box office, and don't miss either of Byron's other Arts Festival performances - a poetry slam/rock music jam called "Existential Dred" and "Scar of Shame," Byron's original score in accompaniment with the historic silent film about African-American urban life in the 1920s. The artists' market, at Centennial Olympic Park, and the Bazaar Bizzoso, at Woodruff Park, open simultaneously on Sat., Sept. 13. Start at Centennial Olympic Park, keeping an eye out for traditional Arts Festival favorites such as Woody Jones' animated wooden sculptures, Obayana Ajanaku's sparkling handmade jewelry and Gordon Bruno's eclectic photographs. Listen for Guinea's Prince Diabaté and Amara Sanoh playing a fusion of reggae and rock music at the amphitheater, and take the whole family to Creation Location. In collaboration with the Center for Puppetry Arts and The High Museum, Creation Location makes everyone who visits an artist. Head for the Bazaar Bizzoso, where "Urban Geeks and Sideshow Freaks" populate the park. The market here is wacky and offbeat; artists are encouraged to create their own unique booths for the bazaar. The Arts Festival's ticketed performances, beginning with "Pôles," continue Sept.12-14 with Philip Glass and Susan Marshall's haunting dance-opera spectacle Les Enfants Terribles. Together, Glass and Marshall will host a lecture preceding the opening night performance, Thurs., Sept. 11, about the transformation of Jean Cocteau's novel into a chilling dramatic performance. At Georgia Tech's Robert Ferst Center for the Arts, Les Enfants Terribles is modern opera paired with classic dance, projections and super-titles to create a dreamlike vision of a brother and sister who simply cannot exist apart. Try the Symphonic Work Assembly of Rhythm and Movement, or S.W.A.R.M., at the Rialto on the 13th and 14th. Predicted to be the next Stomp, S.W.A.R.M. is a choreographed percussion ensemble from Vancouver whose performance is heightened by invented instruments that double as handmade sculptures. Pick up a festival map and schedule at the Rialto Center's box office before Sept. 5 and plan your festival fun accordingly. Your best bet? Make like you did during the Olympics and park it downtown for the entire 17-day affair. WHEN: Sept. 5-21. HOW MUCH: The Arts Festival is free. "Pôles," opening night, $100, includes ticket and benefit party; Friday and Saturday nights, $17.50-$22.50. Cardoso's Flea Circus, $10. "Bug Music," $20. Les Enfants Terribles, $27-$45. "S.W.A.R.M.," $16; children under 12, $10. FOR TICKETS, SCHEDULE AND INFO: (404) 651-0546.

Fly away to Never-Never Land with John, Michael and Wendy at the Atlanta Ballet's season opener, Peter Pan. Featuring never-before-seen choreography by John McFall and original music by Carmon DeLeone, of the Cincinnati ballet, Peter Pan is packed with swashbuckling and plenty of flying among the stars. If you really want to get in on the performance, sign up for the Neverland Luncheon, at the Georgian Terrace, at noon on Sat., Sept. 20. Hobnob with preteens from the Centre for Dance Education who play the Lost Boys and get the news of fairyland from members of the professional company. Follow them to the matinee, and you'll be guaranteed one of the best seats in the house. WHERE: Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. WHEN: Opens Thursday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m.; runs weekends through Sept. 21. Friday performances, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. HOW MUCH: $10-$45. Neverland Luncheon, $75, includes lunch and ticket. FOR TICKETS AND INFO: (404) 817-8700. For luncheon tickets call (404) 892-3303. http://www.atlantaballet.com

Oh bother! That willy-nilly, silly old bear, Winnie the Pooh, is at the Center for Puppetry Arts, and he's more lifelike than either you or Christopher Robin remember. Done in the Czech black style, the performance will feature hand and rod puppets of Pooh and his pals moving behind a curtain of light. The puppeteers, clad in black and hidden from view, will transform the main stage into the hundred-acre wood, and after the show they'll explain the techniques of the illusion. Then, follow the giant feet of Pinocchio to the center's world-class museum, Puppets: The Power of Wonder. Don't be scared when a trash can starts to rumble and grow as you enter - it's only Michael Curry's animatronic sculpture Trash Can Phoenix, representing the power of puppetry as art. On the way out go face-to-face with a giant praying mantis, but beware the moment when the insect fades away and you're left controlling a puppet that looks just like . . . you. WHERE: 1404 Spring St., at the corner of Spring and 18th streets. WHEN: Winnie the Pooh opens Sept. 25 and runs through Dec. 13, except on Oct. 17 and 18 and Nov. 27. HOW MUCH: Adults, $7.50; children under 13, students and seniors, $6.50. Prices include museum tour. FOR TICKETS AND INFO: (404) 873-3391. http://www.puppet.org

Opened in 1916 as a silent movie theater in Atlanta's bustling business district and then closed for restoration in 1989, the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts kicks off its first independent series with, appropriately, the silent movie classic Flesh and the Devil, starring real-life lovers Greta Garbo and John Gilbert. A romantic melodrama packed with duels, promises and one of the first horizontal love scenes in cinema history, Flesh and the Devil launched Garbo to stardom. The film is heightened by Carl Davis' score, presented by the Rialto Symphony Orchestra, featuring an advanced harmonic style to capture the actress' elusive nature and conducted by Davis himself. Pay special attention to the cinematography following the duel between Leo and Ulrich; you'll be blown away by what Garbo can communicate without the luxury of a single spoken word. WHERE: Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, on the corner of Forsyth and Luckie streets, downtown. Park in the Allright parking deck at 108 Luckie St. WHEN: Sept. 25-26, 7:30 p.m. Get there early Thursday night for an opening pre-party in the lobby. HOW MUCH: $21-$29. FOR TICKETS AND INFO: (404) 651-4727.

Tucked among the mountains along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, N.C., celebrates its bicentennial this year, declaring "Yes, You Can Go Home Again," and inviting everyone to a hometown reunion. Friday, the 19th, head for the historic Grove Park Inn Resort. Have dinner on the Sunset Terrace for the best view of the rolling mountains and Asheville skyline in the area. Peek into Room 441 in the Main Inn; it's where F. Scott Fitzgerald lived during the summers of 1935 and '36, and the period decor has been restored in his memory. WHERE: Take I-85 north to 26 west. From 26 west, take 240 east to Asheville and get off at Charlotte Street, Exit 5. Turn left at the light and follow Charlotte for about a half mile. Turn right on Macon Avenue. Inn is at 290 Macon Ave. HOW MUCH: $180-$325 per night. FOR RESERVATIONS AND INFO: 1 (800) 438-5800. http://www.groveparkinn.com Saturday, follow Charlotte Street downtown toward Pack Square and City-County Plaza, site of the Hometown Reunion. Immerse yourself in Asheville's folklore at the Memory Wall, a monument of personal stories and photographs submitted for the bicentennial by residents and visitors. See mountain heritage craft demonstrations, listen to storytellers and walk a few blocks north to 52 N. Market St. Tour the boarding house of Asheville native Thomas Wolfe. WHEN: Sat., Sept. 20, 12 p.m. HOW MUCH: Reunion is free. Wolfe house tour is $1 for adults, 50 cents for students. FOR INFO: Reunion, (704) 253-1009. Wolfe house, (704) 253-8304. Before you leave Sunday, stop at George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. Start your self-guided tour on the first floor, where you'll see paintings by Renoir and Ming Dynasty goldfish bowls. Venture down to the basement and see how the servants kept the estate running. For lunch try a wood-fired pizza at The Bistro, adjacent to Biltmore's winery. WHERE: From the inn follow Macon Avenue back to Charlotte Street, turn left. Follow Charlotte Street to Biltmore Avenue, turn left. Cross the railroad tracks and turn right at the next light. You'll be facing the estate. WHEN: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. HOW MUCH: Adults, $27.95; children 10-15, $21; 9 and under, free. FOR INFO: (800) 543-2961. http://www.biltmore.com

Before Millie and Socks pitter-pattered their way into the Oval Office, another "first Pet" barked right into America's heart. Beloved by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fala the Scottish terrier is honored with "Fala Day" at the Little White House. Bring your own Scottie along and head for the lawn in front of the museum, where dogs and owners alike will assemble for the parade. Led by a bagpipe player, your pup can catch up with his heritage to the tunes of the old country. The Order of the Tartan will describe the significance of their traditional regalia and demonstrate the Scottish jig, a challenging dance that forbids knee bends and foot elevation. Get tips on grooming your Scottie and watch as Fala stars in FDR's home movies. Before you leave, explore the museum, which traces Roosevelts, rehabilitation in Warm Springs. See the 12-minute movie, which shows the president playing in the pool with children afflicted with polio, and learn about the healing water springs, about 70 miles from Atlanta. WHERE: Little White House. 1-85 South to Exit 8. Exit to left on U.S. alternate 27. Head south 35 miles to Warm Springs. At the traffic light in Warm Springs turn right, and the little White House is a quarter mile ahead on the right. WHEN: Sept. 21, 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. HOW MUCH: "Fala Day" festival and museum admission, $4; $2 for children 6-18. FOR INFO: (706) 655-5870.

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