Editor’s Note: this post was contributed by Mallory Strange

The Wizard of Oz is not in Kansas anymore, rather, at The Fox Theatre.

 
The national tour of this quintessential musical stopped by The Fabulous Fox in Atlanta earlier this summer.
As a child, all I wanted was to grow up and be able to click my sparkly red slippers together and travel to any magical destination just like Dorothy. Well here I am, now grown up, and I haven’t yet experienced this beautiful phenomenon, but yesterday I was able to experience the next best thing: Seeing The Wizard of Oz show at The Fox Theatre.

 
This new production put a spin on the classic Wizard of Oz movie, adding in a thrilling musical element, and recreating it for the big stage. I was able to rediscover my love for the Wizard of Oz in this wonderful musical that was great for the entire family. Lions, tigers, and bears, (oh my?) weren’t the only things making this production amazing, the cast, the visuals, and the venue is really something that you must see.   

I am new to Atlanta, so previous to this I hadn’t ever been to the Fox theatre, so to say this experience amazed me is an understatement. The beautiful design of the night sky on the ceiling of the venue, along with all of the immaculate details all over the interior of the theatre absolutely blew me away. If the Wizard of Oz show doesn’t blow you away (which is unlikely) then the Fox Theatre surely will!

The Wizard of Oz original movie is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year and the show is kicking that off with a tour through North America. The show is comprised of 30 cast members and the tour is ending in Tampa, Fla., later this summer. Don’t miss your chance to see this musical extravaganza in Atlanta while you can!

About Mallory

 
Mallory Strange is a North Carolina native turned Georgia peach. She is a small town girl with big city dreams and a lover of the finer things in life. She has an obsession for travel, passion for dance, and a love of adventure. Follow her on Twitter @malstrangee and Instagram @malstrange

The Young Atlanta Leadership League (Y’ALL) is hosting the 4th Annual #CampFest to give attendees the chance to feel like a kid again while raising money for Camp Twin Lakes. Y’ALL connects young philanthropy-focused professionals in the metro Atlanta area and plans event to support Camp Twin Lakes.

#CampFest will take place Aug. 6 at Sweetwater Brewery from 7 to – 11 p.m. This event will include food trucks, inflatable activities, games, a s’mores bar, and live music from Sam Hill Entertainment’s The Free.

“Camp Twin Lakes makes a huge impact in the lives of all the children we’re able to send to camp,” says Y’ALL President Micah McLain, “and our team is honored to be able to help raise money and awareness for this great organization. This is the third year I’ve helped organize Camp Fest and it just gets better and better, so I know our 2016 event will be the best yet!”

Tickets are currently on sale. #CampFest general admission tickets, which include access to the previously mentioned attractions as well as 6 SweetWater beer pours, are $35. VIP Tickets are on sale for $60 and give ticket holders additional access to a meal and dessert from Shake Shack as well as wine and liquor catering in a private air-conditioned lounge. You can also look into the Chronic Adventure blog to learn about how to make the camping experience here to be one of unforgettable moments for you.

All proceeds benefit Camp Twin Lakes and help provide medically supportive, life-changing camp experiences to Georgia’s children facing serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges.

For more information about #CampFest, check out the Facebook Page. Participants must be 21 years or older to attend.

About Camp Twin Lakes
For the past 20+ years, Camp Twin Lakes has provided life-changing camp experiences to thousands of Georgia’s children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges. Camp Twin Lakes provides week-long summer camps and year-round weekend retreats at three fully-accessible and medically-supportive campsites, day camps, and through hospital-based Camp-To-Go programs. Camp Twin Lakes collaborates with more than 60 different nonprofit organizations, each serving a different population, to create customized programs that teach campers to overcome obstacles and grow in their confidence and capabilities. Annually, Camp Twin Lakes serves more than 10,000 campers, leverages support from 3,500 volunteers, and subsidizes 70% of the direct camp costs ($550) for every camper served.

Summer is a special, exciting time of year, especially in the South. Warmer temperatures, sometimes downright hot ones, beckon a whirlwind of festivals, parties, explorations, getaways and so much more, and it’s truly the best time of the year. Sure, in the fall we have apple picking and pumpkin patches and football, but there’s something about summer that’s magical.

Despite the pollen, humidity (ugh) and mosquitos, Southerners know how to have fun and make the absolute most of those summer months.

Summer in the South means cookouts and cul-de-sac parties every other weekend. Or every weekend, if your neighborhood is that kind of neighborhood. Cookouts were huge parts of my childhood summers, whether they were with the next-door neighbors, a few families or the whole street. Nothing says “summer in the South” like barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, mac and cheese, coleslaw and banana pudding (or if you’re my family, Moon Pie sundaes), with everyone on the back porch, in the driveway or running around the cul-de-sac.

Beyond the burgers, dogs and potatoes, summertime brings all kinds of seasonal fruits and veggies. I recently taught myself how to make jam (after experimenting with apple butter this fall) and I can’t wait to try more flavors with fresh-picked berries and peaches later this summer.

Also, this serves as your reminder that “barbecue” is a noun–specifically a food of the pork variety, usually smoked–not a verb. You eat barbecue, you don’t have one in the back yard.

Summer in the South means staying outside until after bedtime. In the summer there is no bedtime, and the sun doesn’t set until after nine o’clock. I spent many summer nights outside with my friends, chasing lightning bugs, playing driveway games and relaxing around backyard fire pits. Those of us with long hair know that it’s a sin to go outside without it tied in a ponytail, unless you want Diana Ross hair afterward.

Summer in the South means there’s a chance of afternoon thunderstorms five days a week. Thanks, humidity. From May through September, I hardly leave my apartment without my rain jacket and an umbrella.

Summer in the South means getting outside and exploring. Maybe you check out a new area of your city that you haven’t yet seen. Maybe you have a drink on the patio at a new cocktail bar. Maybe you go hiking or swimming in a creek. Maybe you take a weekend getaway to a resort in the mountains. Or maybe you go to the beach. Wherever you go or whatever you do, the options and adventures are endless.

Summer in the South means festivals, upon festivals, upon festivals. From music to food trucks and everything in between, you’re sure to find some kind of festival in your area almost every weekend. I’m excited to go to my first music festival in Chattanooga this summer. It’s sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience.

Oh, and we can’t forget about state fairs. Those are pretty big deals, too. How many fried foods can you find at one state fair?

Summer in the South is the perfect time for weekend getaways. Whether you hit the sand or hit the water, or prefer to stay cozy in the mountains, take some time away from your routine to relax. We all need our zen time, and summer is the perfect time to get it. This summer, you’ll find me paddle boarding on the Tennessee River and soaking up some rays at my parents’ lake house in North Carolina. If you want to go further for a summer getaway, you may try these guys out to plan a trip to the Cayman Islands.

Whatever it means for you, summer in the South is truly something to behold and experience. People talk about the post-holiday blues after New Years, but I think the post-summer blues are worse. If anything, it means football is that much closer. I guess that’s an okay consolation.

Soak it up while it’s here. And try not to get caught in too many late-afternoon thunderstorms.