Looking For Something to Do This Weekend?

ATLANTA - This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer. Between the commemorations, festivities, and season openers, you might just find something to do this weekend, as long the weather holds up (I've been writing that too much, but only because it's been raining too much)!

Here are some of the events happening this weekend:

The American Indian Festival celebrates the spirit of the first Americans this weekend at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds.

The Decatur Arts Festival paints its way in and around the square in downtown Decatur Saturday and Sunday.

The Georgia Renaissance Festival continues with an extended weekend thanks to the holiday.

Children of all ages can tour The Amazing Castle though Tuesday at Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta.

Norcross pays homage to the fruit that is the strawberry with its Strawberry Stroll in downtown Saturday.

It's fun for the whole family at Centennial Olympic Park as they host the Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days.

Atlanta Botanical Garden's Moore in America exhibit continues this weekend along with way too many other fun activities and events to list here.

The World of Coca-Cola celebrates its 2nd anniversary this Saturday. They are offering $2 tickets to the first 2000 people in line. That's cheaper than a 12-pack, which you'll need in order to be alert enough to be in line for when gates open at 7:30 a.m. The fun continues outside with the inaugural Market at Pemberton Place.

Lawrenceville's ART on the Square runs through Saturday on the grounds of the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse.

The Atlantic Station Art & Antique Market also continues this weekend as Roswell opens the summer with the Riverside Farmers Market beginning this Saturday and every Saturday through September.

Zoo Atlanta's Shamba is having a party Sunday to celebrate her 50th birthday. Shamba is a female western lowland gorilla and is the eldest living primates in the world.

The soul of Carnival comes to The Masquerade starting Saturday for a two-day street festival with The Caribbean Festival Village.

Callaway Gardens is hosting the Master Water Ski Tournament this weekend and has special deals for future visits on their website good until Sunday.

Surfs UP! The 4th annual Clarkston Surf Fest rides the wave into the east side of Atlanta Saturday.

Take a look inside yourself at BODIES... The Exhibition at the Premier Exhibition Center at Atlantic Station.

If you're in the mood for a fun-filled patriotic setting or just looking to celebrate the arrival of summer, here are some ideas:

Stone Mountain Park salutes the troops this weekend with special military discounts as well as patriotic music, bands and of course the infamous Lasershow Spectacular especially fine tuned for the holiday.

Six Flags Over Georgia has a lot going on this weekend with their Memorial Day Picnic Luncheon. 11Alive Ways To Save found a discount to Six Flags this weekend that also helps a great cause. Beyond Tribute, an organization dedicated to helping wounded veterans and their families, is offering a coupon on their website where "Everyone Pays Kids Price." You can get the coupons at the Beyond Tribute website and Six Flags will make a donation to the organization for every ticket purchased using it.

Speaking of Six Flags, Six Flags White Water opens for its 25th season Saturday.

But if you don't want to travel to Cobb County to get wet, there are plenty other options (that is, if it's not raining!):

The Beach at Clayton County International Park opens Saturday with the unofficial kick-off to summer.

The City of Atlanta's Grant Park Pool, a rite of passage for many years, opens for the season Monday in grand style as the new Piedmont Park Aquatic Center opens to the public for the first time also on Monday.

Several communities will be marking this Memorial Day with special ceremonies:

DeKalb County will honor veterans Monday at Brook Run Park located at 4770 North Peachtree Rd. in Dunwoody. The event, which begins promptly at 9 a.m.

The City of Fairburn and VFW Post 6449 will observe Memorial Day on Monday at 10 a.m. at the Old Campbell County Courthouse.

The City of Dacula marks Memorial Day with a parade for the 16th year starting at 10 a.m. at Hebron Baptist Church. The parade will proceed down Dacula Road, turn right on Second Avenue, come through town and end at Dacula High School.

Woodstock is holding a ceremonto dedicated to the military fallen heroes of the city. That starts at 10 a.m. on Monday in Downtown Woodstock City Park.

The National Memorial Day Association of Georgia & The Avenue of Flags, Inc. holds annual ceremony at Marietta National Cemetery at Noon on Monday to honor and remember those who gave their lives for our country.

Gwinnett County honors past and present military heroes and public service personnel Monday at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial. The memorial is located on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

Douglasville will stand up for the Red, White, and Blue in honor of our Veterans Monday 3 p.m. at Sunrise Memorial Gardens. That's located at 3721 Bankhead Highway.

The City of Norcross rededicates their memorial to their fallen WWII heroes and honors all military veterans for their service Monday at Thrasher Park located at Buchanan Street and Park Drive. The ceremony starts at 4 p.m.

If you're looking for some great music or just great performances, we'll point you to the right box office:

But you won't need to find a box office for our first stop. That's because 11Alive, in its never-ending quest to help you save some cash, is a sponsor of the Atlanta Jazz Festival this weekend in historic Grant Park, helping to make it free. No pets, no grills, no cover, but all jazz!

If you are looking for some other jazz hot spots this weekend, you can catch Mulgrew Miller at the Variety Playhouse Saturday, Grammy-award winning trumpeter Chris Botti blows his way into the Atlanta Symphony Hall Friday and Saturday, while Underground Atlanta is humming this weekend as they present a bevy of musical artists in Kenny's Alley.

Heart with special guest Joan Jett & The Blackhearts takes over Chastain Park Amphitheatre Sunday.

T.I. says a fond goodbye this Sunday at Philips Arena.

There's nothing but "Good Intentions" at the Variety Playhouse Sunday as Toad the Wet Sprocket hops on stage.

Tom Simmons cracks up the Laughing Skull. They are offering a buy one, get one free to any show if you add them to your Facebook and print out their post. (While you're there, add 11Alive to your Facebook page!)

Stage Door Players presents "And the Winner Is." A play by the author of "Tuesdays with Morrie," this time we get a comedy about a self-absorbed movie star who gets an Oscar nod, but dies before the big night.

Saturday, Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is the location for TeenStock with such acts as Versa Emerge, True Story, and Ocean Is Theory.

Heather Waynes Performing Arts Dance Academy takes the stage with their Year End Theatrical Production at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center this weekend.

The Atlanta Chinese Dance Company presents West to East, traditional Chinese dance with a dash of Western influence this weekend also at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.

The boys of summer help ring in the unofficial start of summer with both the major and minor leagues at home this weekend:

The Atlanta Braves are at Turner Field through Sunday hosting a series against our neighbors to the north, the Toronto Blue Jays before heading west to San Francisco for a Memorial Day game against the Giants. Saturday is Military Appreciation Day and Sunday you can meet alumni Terry Harper.

The Gwinnett Braves are at their stadium taking on the Toledo Mud Hens in a series through Sunday before welcoming the Indianapolis Indians on Monday. Check out Tom Glavine pitching Saturday which is also Military Appreciation Night. And children can run the bases with such Zooperstars as Clammy Sosa, Cow Ripken, Jr., Derek Cheetah, or Harry Canary (no, I spelled those right. You'll just have to see for yourself!).

The Rome Braves finish up their series against the Asheville Tourists Saturday in Rome (stick around for the Zooperstars there as well). They will be joined at the State Mutual Stadium starting Sunday by the Greenville Drive to round out Memorial Day weekend.

Also, the Gwinnett Convention Center hosts the USA Wrestling Southeast Regional Wrestling Championships Saturday.

Know of a weekend event open to the public that others might enjoy? Email me with it.