April 4 to May 15, 2012 at the Alliance Theatre – 1280 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309. For more information, visit AllianceTheatre.org.

The mission of the Atlanta Jazz Festival is to expose and entertain a diverse audience of Jazz aficionados, young Jazz enthusiasts and musical artists to the rich heritage and variety of Jazz as an authentic form of traditional American music. Regarded as one of the country’s largest free jazz festivals, they are proud to continue a tradition of presenting Jazz in its purest form as a cultural and educational event for millions of citizens and visitors. The Atlanta Jazz Festival provides the City with an opportunity to unify Atlanta’s diverse population, to celebrate Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage and to promote tourism.

In 1977 organizers of the first “Atlanta Free Jazz Festival” wanted to host a celebration where the music would be a liberated art form at no cost to the community. Only the best jazz would do. They pulled together the 29 act festival on a shoestring budget with sponsors such as Coca Cola and Peaches Record Store. By 1984 when ‘Free’ was dropped from the name the Atlanta Jazz Festival had major national sponsorship and a reputation for pulling in some of the top Jazz artists in the world but the commitment to keep the jazz free flowing and the festival free of charge remained. Over the years the Atlanta Jazz Festival has been backdrop to musical legends such as Miles Davis, Dizzie Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Herbie Hancock, The Heath Brothers, Nina Simone and others.

For more information, visit www.atlantafestivals.com.

This one day festival includes southern Bluegrass musicians on stage, street jams, Contra dancing as well as an arts & crafts show for up to 150 self-taught artists and artisans. There will also be local food and beverages and a children’s area.  The event is held on Main Street in historic Stone Mountain Village, just a 15 minute drive from Atlanta. This event is co-hosted by AFFPS and is organized by artists for artists.

Up to 150 artists and artisans will brighten the historic charm of Stone Mountain Village.  A small stage will showcase group Contra dances and bluegrass music, plus bluegrass “street jams” will be featured throughout the festival.  This event will bring much needed attention to the restoration of this historic village.

Location:  922 Main Street, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Times: Sat., March 31 from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Music: Bluegrass music on stage plus Contra dancing
Jam sessions on the sidewalk
Admission: Free to attend

For more information, visit www.stonemountainvillage.com

“We are excited to present a forum to showcase the centuries of history heritage and accomplishments of African-Americans,” says Earl Little, founder of the Black History Month Parade.

The Black History Month Parade and festival will feature some of the nations top marching bands, entertainers, dignitaries, civic groups, non-profits, celebrities, corporate groups, entertainment and fun for the whole family.  The post-parade festival will feature live entertainers performing modern music, live arts performers & artist, public speakers, comedians, food, beverages, art and family oriented programs.

“We are asking all companies to participate in this magnificent event and show their support for the market that supports there brands which ultimately will allow us to build a larger parade that will inspire, while providing, positive entertainment for all those in the community” says Carlos Coleman Executive Director of the BHMP.

The Black History Month Parade is scheduled to take place in the MLK Sweet Auburn District of Downtown Atlanta the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, sporting facilities, and is the central most traveled historic tourist attraction of the city. The Sweet Auburn District was a major organizing center of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s and is home to Dr. Martin Luther King. The city of Atlanta is also home to thousands of students from Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities whom will play a large role in the success of this event.

For more information including information on participating or sponsorship of the Black History Month Parade please visit www.blackhistorymonthparade.com or call 1- 866-551-5666.

The kick-off Roundtable at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center; artists to artists workshops; Edge/PUBLIC, an all-Atlanta artists free to the public performance series in Woodruff Park; and the International Guest Artists Series, occurring for two nights at the Rialto Center, includes dancers from the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Gallim Dance, zoe|juniper, Keigwin + Company, and BODYTRAFFIC, among others.

This ambitious, first of its kind performance occasion is one that lovers of dance will not want to miss! Visit www.rialtocenter.org/EDGE.html for complete details. Get Your Tickets Now at 404•413•9849 or www.rialtocenter.org

The two-day Storytelling Festival features a cast of 30 colorful, national, local and regional storytellers who will present a line-up of 13 events and activities that will appeal to storytelling fans of all ages. These events include concerts for children, families and grownups. To appeal to young people, the Festival offers a chance for school children to create their own stories and present them in a workshop designed for K-3 and grades 4 and up. For aspiring and practicing storytellers, there are three workshops geared toward educators, librarians, and those interested in the art of professional storytelling. There are even two storytelling performances especially planned for grownups. The festival coincides with the winter break for several area school districts, thereby offering school children, parents and teachers alike some family fun that also celebrates and reinforces learning.

Headlining the two-day, family-friendly festival is Bill Harley, a two-time Grammy award-winning musician and a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “All Things Considered.” Harley opens the festival on Friday at 3:30pm with a storytelling workshop titled “Storytelling as an Art” and continues on Saturday at 10am with a second workshop titled “From Page to Voice and Back Again.” The 30th Storytelling Festival culminates on Saturday with Harley’s performance for adults at 7:30pm at Decatur Presbyterian Church. Harley’s storytelling concert for grownups will feature his trademark blend of song and story, wit and wisdom.

The 30th Storytelling Festival has its downtown Decatur debut with events at Decatur Presbyterian Church (205 Sycamore St.) Atlanta Friends Meeting House (701 W. Howard Ave) and Eddie’s Attic (515 N. McDonough St, Suite B.) For full festival schedule and bios of featured storytellers; prices for tickets and festival passes; and venue and parking information, go to www.SouthernOrderofStorytellers.org. For more information, contact Festival Director Ann Ritter at asritter@earthlink.net or 404-569-1434.

Picasso to Warhol presents approximately 100 works of art created by 14 of the most iconic artists from the 20th century: Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Giorgio De Chirico, Joan Miró, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. The exhibition is one of the largest concentrations of modern art masterpieces to ever be exhibited in the southeastern United States.

The achievements of these pioneers of modern art is  presented in depth, exploring each artist’s stylistic development and highlighting their role in the most important artistic developments of the twentieth century, including the invention of Cubism, the emergence of abstraction and the development of Surrealism.

The High Museum of Art is located at 1280 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. For more information, visit High.org.

Working in acrylics on canvas, Christina Bray’s paintings depict a fascination with Atlanta’s many abandoned old commercial buildings and the graffiti they have recently attracted. Her subjects include many now defunct Atlanta landmarks such as the Pullman Railyard and Glidden Paint Factory, as well as others. “The sites I have chosen to portray juxtapose the edgy newness of the graffiti alongside the gritty industrial decay,” says the artist.

The gallery is located on the second floor of the main building in the Callanwolde mansion at 980 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta. Viewing hours are from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, and 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday. For more information call 404-872-5338 or visit www.callanwolde.org

GULF SHORES, Ala.—SportsEvents Media Group, the leading industry publication focused exclusively on helping sports event planners produce excellent competitions in the United States and Canada, has announced its 2012 class of Readers’ Choice Award winners.

A complete list of award winners is available online at http://www.sportseventsmagazine.com/2012-readers-choice-awards/. Winners will be listed in the January 2012 issue of SportsEvents.

Sports event professionals were asked to name the sports commission, convention and visitors bureaus, or sports events venues that they believe display exemplary creativity and professionalism toward the groups they host. Nominations were received from readers throughout the year, and the top picks were selected based on the results from an online system that registered more than 3,000 votes!

“Due to the power of social media and online voting capabilities, we received an overwhelming response from readers this year, which allowed SportsEvents to honor more than 100 destinations and venues—and the marketing organizations that represent them—with a 2012 Readers’ Choice Award,” said Kristen McIntosh, SportsEvents editor. “These award winners have proven they are willing to go above and beyond the normal service levels expected by providing both the physical attributes and commitment to hospitality and service that today’s discriminating sports event planners demand. It is an honor to announce their selection by sports event planners as some of the best in the United States.

About SportsEvents Media Group
SportsEvents Media Group, publisher of SportsEvents magazine, is the industry leader in providing products and services designed to connect sports events organizers with sports commissions, CVBs, hotels, insurance companies and other sports events industry suppliers.

The sports events industry’s only true multi-media company unites sports event buyers and suppliers with the leading monthly magazine (SportsEvents), on-line (www.sportseventsmagazine.com), through social media with Facebook and Twitter, and with face-to-face conferences and trade shows—S.P.O.R.T.S. – The Relationship Conference.

About Covey Communications Corp.
Founded and owned by J. Talty O’Connor, Covey Communications Corp. is a multimedia company that publishes nationally distributed magazines for targeted markets. In addition to SportsEvents Magazine and its ancillary titles, Covey Communications Corp. also publishes ConventionSouth, the leading publication and website in the United States for meeting and convention planners who book events in the South; Condo Owner, serving Alabama/Mississippi/Perdido Key Gulf Coast and Florida Emerald Coast; and Crossties, an internationally known railroad industry publication. For more information, visit www.coveypubs.com.

From artisan ham shrines in Louisville to life-changing po’boys in New Orleans, the South bursts with hometown flavor. Southerners are very proud of those hometown tastes, which is why Southern Living editors and Test Kitchen Professionals gathered for a summit in its Birmingham-based headquarters to bring you the Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South,” a roundup of the most delicious destinations across the region.

Readers will determine the winner. Rally around your favorite hometown or food destination and cast your vote for the “Tastiest Town in the South” on southernliving.com/tasty beginning December 23^rd.

“At Southern Living, we know there’s no taste like home,” said Editor Lindsay Bierman.  “Particular foods and flavors define a city and region, starting right in your own mama’s kitchen, and sometimes the most humble dish like a plate of grits will make its way onto a gourmet menu and become an outright tourist attraction…The forward-thinking cooks, chefs, artisans, and tastemakers in each of these established and emerging food scenes honor, preserve, and enrich our region’s distinct culinary traditions at every meal.”

Decatur was cited as an emerging mecca for foodies who relish Dekalb Farmers Market and destinations like Cakes & Ale, Feast, and the Iberian Pig, according to the magazine.

Southern Living will profile each of the towns and reveal the “Tastiest Town in the South” in the April 2012 issue, on newsstands March 23rd, and online at SouthernLiving.com.

 In addition to Decatur, the Southern Living Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South” include:

Baltimore, MD: Restaurants with a fierce sense of place

Birmingham, AL: Includes local chef Frank Stitt, who changed the Southern culinary landscape

Charleston, SC: Iconic Lowcountry dishes and a thriving cocktail culture

Charlottesville, VA: Farm-to-table freshness in everything from tapas to spirits

Houston, TX: A diverse ethnic food scene with a new generation of tastemakers

Lafayette, LA: A new breed of hometown chefs diving into the region’s culinary roots

Louisville, KY: Surprising food, bourbon bars, and buzzy new neighborhoods

New Orleans, LA: Famed oyster bars, Gulf seafood and classic cocktails

Raleigh, NC: Fantastic farmers’ markets and chefs devoted to their culinary heritage

Southern Living editors chose the Top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South” based on the following criteria:

• Food as a cultural identity: The unique food or ethnicity that defines a particular Southern region
• Growth of a culinary-minded community: The influence that the culinary industry has on the local community and tourism
• Diverse cuisine at a variety of price points: Accessibility to hearty, flavorful meals at any budget
• Local, sustainable food practices: The focus on sourcing products from local purveyors to geographically define where each meal comes from
• Hot chefs on the rise: The influence of the area’s culinary talent in the media and pop culture
• Abundance of buzz-worthy food events: The number of festivals in the area that celebrate all things food and drink

Visit southernliving.com/tasty from December 23 to January 31 to cast your vote. One vote per day is counted toward the final tally.