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Brunchin’ on a Budget: Home grown | ArtsATL Weekly Cultural Calendar | Dee Dee Bridgewater | VHS Deathmatch | “Miles of Style: Eunice W. Johnson and the Ebony Fashion Fair”

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Owners of Atlanta restaurant Home Grown ensure the diner’s future with building purchase

Brunching in Atlanta is practically a sport, and many of us don’t know how to play. There are strategies involved—arrive early to beat the rush of a crowd, or maybe you’re a diner that prefers to make reservations. BUT in this economy, who has the money to drop $80 to $100 on breakfast food and drinks every weekend?

In our new mini-series, “Brunchin’ on a Budget,” we look at several delicious AND affordable brunch spots in Atlanta. On today’s installment of “Brunchin’ on a Budget,” WABE Arts Reporter Summer Evans heads to Memorial Drive to highlight Home Grown.

The beloved Southern-style diner has been in the headlines lately due to its recent purchase of the building.

“We’ve been here fifteen years and our lease has come up and I’ve been dealing with a lease extension and it has been very stressful. But, we’ve come to an agreement to purchase the land and the building so Home Grown will have a permanent home. It’s not going anywhere,” said Home Grown co-owner and chef Kevin Clark.

While holding back tears, Clark stated how much owning the diner meant to him. “It’s about the customers. I mean, they’ve made my life. You know, it’s not about the money. It’s an important place for people that I’ve luckily been a part of, and it’s been a hell of a fight to keep it because we could’ve easily have lost it.”

The restaurant will be implementing some new changes, including staying open seven days a week. They are putting in a coffee shop in the back and will be serving alcoholic beverages. More updates can be found on their Instagram page.

A look at this week’s cultural highlights in Atlanta, including a preview of Dragon Con

City Lights Collective member Shane Harrison spends his days at Arts ATL looking for cultural events to share with readers.

He joins us weekly to share highlights, and today his mix includes House in the Park, The Atlanta Black Theater Festival and a preview of Dragon Con.

This week’s highlights:

Dragon Con kicks off Aug. 28 through Sept. 1, with a parade along Peachtree Street on Aug. 30. “The City Lights Collective” is doing a live broadcast from the Hyatt tomorrow at 1 pm.

“House in the Park” is taking place at Grant Park on Aug. 31, featuring legendary DJs from noon until 8 pm.

Marietta Art in the Park offers two days of outdoor family fun over Labor Day weekend in Marietta Square’s Glover Park.

The Atlanta Black Theatre Festival amplifies the voices of marginalized communities by holding workshops, panels and film screenings Aug. 29-30 at Spelman College’s LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson Performing Arts Center and the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel.

You can find more information about these events and more listings on ArtsATL’s website.

Jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater returns to Atlanta with new album, “Elemental”

Dee Dee Bridgewater embodies jazz. She takes jazz standards and makes them her own while being true to the original composition. This is something she’s done before and since releasing her debut album in 1974. No stranger to Atlanta, Ms. Bridgewater returns to the Rialto Center for the Arts on Sept. 6 to the delight of all.

Ahead of her concert, City Lights Collective Co-Host Jon Goode sat down with Ms. Bridgewater to discuss her new album, her return to Atlanta, and to share a laugh or three.

VHS Deathmatch brings B-movie mayhem to Monday Night Garage

Get ready for some cinematic chaos, VHS Deathmatch is coming to Monday Night Garage on Sept. 26th. Part screening, part comedy showdown, the event pits the best (and worst) of B-movie VHS tapes against each other for ultimate bragging rights.

City Lights Collective producer Josh Thane spoke with organizer Kristopher Bolz about the madness audiences can expect at the Deathmatch.

Kosmo Vinyl shares the story behind Creedence Clearwater Revival’s hit “Born on the Bayou”

Kosmo Vinyl is a visual artist and lifelong music lover. He bought his first LP when he was just nine years old and went on to spend decades immersed in the world of music.

He got his start at London’s groundbreaking indie label Stiff Records, and in 1979, he began working exclusively with “The Clash” — staying with the band until they disbanded in 1986.

Today, Kosmo’s legendary record collection fuels his social media series “Kosmo’s Vinyl of the Week,” and he joins us every Wednesday to share the stories behind the records he treasures. Today, he tells us the story behind Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 hit, “Born on the Bayou.”

Atlanta author Lisa D. Brathwaite honors Ebony’s Eunice W. Johnson in children’s book

Ebony magazine debuted in 1945 and quickly became an inspiring celebration of Black life, culture, and achievement. The monthly magazine thrived for over seven decades, and within its pages lived the iconic column, “Fashion Fair,” created by Eunice W. Johnson.

“Mrs. Johnson,” as all reverently called her, is the subject of the children’s book, “Miles of Style,” Eunice W. Johnson and the Ebony Fashion Fair.”

The book is the first by Atlanta author Lisa D. Brathwaite, and when City Lights Collective co-host Kim Drobes spoke with the author last year, Brathwaite explained how she first learned about Mrs. Johnson.

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We hope you enjoyed today’s episode of The City Lights Collective.
Experience more of Atlanta’s vibrant arts, culture, and creative community with us each day. Our local contributors bring you short stories, rich voices, and fresh perspectives — from music and theater to spoken word, visual arts, food, film, and festivals. You’ll learn about new artists, events, and ideas from Atlanta’s cultural scene every Monday through Thursday.

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