Santa Greets Visitors at Atlantic Station

What: Santa Claus’ Arrival
Where: Atlanta Area Malls and Attractions
When: Starting Friday, Nov. 4, 2011
Cost: Most visits with Santa are FREE, pictures are additional (Stone Mtn. Christmas and Christmas on Peachtree have entrance fees, but visits with Santa are included in admission)

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to start thinking about the holidays and that means Santa Claus is arriving at local area malls. Here’s a round up of where the jolly man in red will be, starting this weekend. Unless otherwise noted, there are no fees to visit with Santa, but professional pictures are additional.

Town Center at Cobb
Santa Arrives: Nov. 4. Festivities from 6 – 8 pm. Santa Claus makes his first stop of the season outside the Food Court Main Entrance!  St. Nick will be escorted to his holiday home with live reindeer at 7 p.m., and during the event, there will be activities for kids of all ages.  Plus, the first 200 children visiting Santa that evening from 7 – 9 p.m. will receive a special gift (no purchase necessary), and all guests will receive festive giveaways (while supplies last).

Mall of Georgia
Santa Arrives: Nov. 5 from 5 – 7 pm. Santa arrives as part of a Santabration event in the Village Pavilion beginning at 5 pm. Santa’s holiday home for daily photos is the lower level Nordstrom Wing.

Lenox Square
Santa Arrives: Nov. 8. He will be available daily in the Macy’s Court, mall level. The Pink Pig is already up and running (as of Oct. 29!). Rides are $3 for one ride; $5.50 for two rides and $7.50 for three rides. Proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Stone Mountain Christmas
Santa Arrives: Nov. 12. Each evening Santa makes his grand entrance during the 6 pm parade and greets children until the Snowfall Celebration begins. There is a fee to enter Stone Mountain Christmas, but no additional fee to see Santa (although pictures are extra).

Gwinnett Place
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19 at 12 pm. Santa’s Winter Wonderland is located at the Mall’s Center Court.

Northlake Mall
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19 at 12 pm. Welcome Santa to his workshop on the lower level of Northlake Mall’s Center Court. The celebration includes Radio Disney, DeKalb County Fire & Rescue, Lakeside High School Marching Band, Color Guard and other special guests.

Santa Claus at Stone Mountain

Atlantic Station
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19 during the lighting of the Atlantic Station Christmas Tree. Starting Nov. 25, Santa will be in Central Park Mon. – Fri. from 11 – 7 pm, Fri. and Sat. from 10:30 – 9:30 am and Sunday’s 12 – 6 pm. Donate $10 to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for a professional photo with Santa. Children of the four-legged variety are invited to have their picture taken as well. (Parents who have children with pet allergies note there are NOT separate pet times, so kids could sit on Santa’s lap after a four legged child)

Phipps Plaza
You can see Santa from a far. Phipps Plaza is the only mall that takes reservations for your visit. If you haven’t made your reservations yet, don’t bother, they are already sold out (sold out in October!). You can register to be on the waiting list which will ensure you get on the email list for next year and know when they start taking reservations.

Christmas on Peachtree
Santa Arrives: Nov. 25. This is the largest indoor Christmas festival in the Southeast with more than 70,000 square feet of festival family fun, food and shopping. It sounds a bit like the old Festival of Trees and just like the Festival of Trees, a portion of the proceeds goes to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Cartoon Network is the signature sponsor of the “Children’s Adventure Area” – which includes interactive experiences, including a life sized toy train and appearances by Cartoon Network Characters. (There is a fee to enter Christmas on Peachtree, but no additional fee to visit with Santa.)

African American Santa in Atlanta
Field Trips with Sue was asked by a reader about where to find an African American Santa in Atlanta. Since we didn’t know, we turned to the Field Trips with Sue community on Facebook and they did not disappoint. Here are several places readers suggested to see an African American Santa in Atlanta.

South DeKalb Mall (according to Michael Wilcox, this is the real deal!)
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19.

Greenbriar Mall
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19

Stonecrest Mall (Jennifer Lee Williams believes the African American Santa is only during the week, so call before you go to make sure)
Santa Arrives: Nov. 19

West End Mall

What: Santa Claus’ Arrival
Where: Atlanta Area Malls
When: Starting Friday, Nov. 5, 2010
Cost: Most visits with Santa are FREE, pictures are additional

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to start thinking about the holidays and that means Santa Claus is arriving at local area malls. Here’s a round up of where the jolly man in red will be, starting this weekend. Follow the link for specific times.

Town Center at Cobb
Santa Arrives: Nov. 5. Festivities from 6 – 8 pm. Santa Claus makes his first stop of the season outside the Food Court Main Entrance!  St. Nick will be escorted to his holiday home with live reindeer at 7 p.m., and during the event, there will be activities for kids of all ages.  Plus, the first 200 children visiting Santa that evening from 7 – 9 p.m. will receive a Santa Hat (no purchase necessary), and all guests will receive a jingle bell necklace and other giveaways (while supplies last).

Discover Mills
Santa Arrives: Nov. 6 near AMC Theatres in the mall courtyard.

Lenox Square Mall
Santa Arrives: Nov. 6. He will be available daily in the Macy’s Court, mall level. The Pink Pig is already up and running (as of Oct. 30!). Rides are $3 for one ride; $5.50 for two rides and $7.50 for three rides. Proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Mall of Georgia
Santa Arrives: Nov. 6 from 4 – 6 pm. Santa arrives as part of an all-day Santabration event in the Village Pavilion beginning at 4 pm. Santa’s holiday home for daily photos is the lower level Norstrom Wing.

Gwinnett Place Mall
Santa Arrives: Nov. 13 at 10 am. Santa’s Winter Wonderland is located at the Mall’s Center Court.

Northlake Mall
Santa Arrives: Nov. 20 at 12 pm. Welcome Santa to his workshop on the lower level of Northlake Mall’s Center Court. The celebration includes the DeKalb County Fire & Rescue, Lakeside High School Marching Band, Color Guard and other special guests.

Atlantic Station
Santa Arrives: Nov. 26 (only on Fridays – Sundays) Santa will reside in Dillard’s on the 3rd level, and wil make special appearances in Central Park.

Phipps Plaza
You can see Santa here from a far. Phipps Plaza is the only mall that takes reservations for your visit. If you haven’t made your reservations yet, don’t bother, they are already sold out.

Field Trips with Sue is excited to introduce you to another great family blog and local blogger. Jenni Hilton is the author of Forsyth County, GA for Families, a blog about things to do with kids in the northern Atlanta suburb of Forsyth County. The following is an excerpt from a recent post. Thanks Jenni for sharing.

By Jenni Hilton, Forsyth County, GA for Families
I was a working mom until about a week ago and now am transitioning to a stay at home mom. It is an odd but exciting feeling to be able to stay home with my daughters for the summer. So now I am planning on things to do that are low or no-cost in North Atlanta.

I will share the places I find and hope it helps you add to your summer adventures. I live in Forsyth County, GA so this will focus on this area for the most part. I will also update this as I go. Happy trails!

Forsyth County Parks – we are fortunate to have a wealth of parks available for our leisure. Here is a list with plenty of resources. Central Park is a favorite hangout.Poole’s Mill has a wonderful creek and shady playground.

Movies 400 – free summer movies on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10:00 am. The concession stand offers a special size $1.00 Popcorn and $1.00 Soda for these showings only. Join us this summer for free movies. Bring a can of food to support our can food drive and receive a free popcorn! (Free Family Film Festival Size only, Limit One Per Customer)

Forsyth County Public Library – activities, puppet shows and a calendar for story time keep the library a fresh fun place to go. Plus checking out books keeps our reading library replenished at no cost!

Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center- Autrey Mill, located in Alpharetta, has miles of walking trails, a Heritage Village with original buildings and artifacts from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, animal exhibits and replicas of Native American dwellings. All activities on the grounds are free.
9770 Autrey Mill Road, Johns Creek, GA 30022.

Chattahoochee Nature Center – walking trails and educational sessions with a low cost admission is fun for the whole family.

Wills Park Wacky World and Disc Golf is a 110-acre park featuring baseball fields, a disc golf course, lighted tennis courts, picnic pavilions, walking trails and two large playgrounds, including “Wacky World,” a unique kingdom that kids rave about. Situated at the edge of the park is the Alpharetta city pool, which has a diving well with three boards, a shaded kiddie, shaded and open deck areas and a concession stand.

Suwanee Town Center Park and Playtown Suwanee – a little bit further away but adventure awaits with an interactive fountain, lots of greenspace and a great playground.

For more great ideas for families in Forsyth County, go to Jenni’s post on Free and Cheap things to do in Forsyth, Ga.

A friend once told me she was surprised I could keep this blog going for over a year. “I would have thought you’d run out of things to write about,” she said. Well I am continually amazed at how many cool, fun things there are to do in Atlanta. I’m even more amazed that there are so many free and inexpensive things to do.

Here is a fantastic list of free and inexpensive summer activities for families from Amy Ryan and Amy Rice. We’ve reviewed many of these activities on this blog, so if you want a little more info, use the search box on the right column of the blog to find the post. There are also several videos we’ve reviewed at www.youtube.com/suerodman.

Thank you to Brandi Diamond, Pam Hansen, Patty Harris and Jaime Lackey who forwarded the Amy’s email to me. As summer begins, be sure to tell your family, friends and caregivers to subscribe (it’s FREE) to Field Trips with Sue via email, or Facebook and follow @suerodman on twitter for fun activities throughout the summer.

The kids are almost out of school and the days are getting longer, which means it’s time for summer movies! There are lots of places around Atlanta to catch FREE outdoor movies. Here is a list of several locations, if you know others, tell us. Movies generally begin at dusk, but most locations have pre-movie activities too. Click the links for additional information on what you can bring and other activities in addition to the movies. Thanks to Rana Cash, Atlanta Bargain Hunter for a great starter list.

Atlantic Station: Movies at the Market
May 20: Shrek  The Third
May 27: A Hard Day’s Night
June 3: The Karate Kid
June 10:The Great Race
June 17: Back to the Future
June 24: Mamma Mia!
July 1: Grease
July 8: Singing in the Rain
July 15: Men in Black
July 22: The Philadelphia Story
July 29: Dirty Dancing

City of Kennesaw’s Outdoor Movie Series
June 12: Monsters vs. Aliens
Oct. 2: TBD

East Cobb Park
June 25: Wizard of Oz
Check the website for additional shows

Flicks on 5th (Free Popcorn here, Yeah! Here’s a post I did in 2009 that includes info on parking)
June 9: Sherlock Holmes
June 16: The Hangover
June 23: The Blind Side
July 7: The Hurt Locker
July 14: Fantastic Mr. Fox
July 21: Hot Tub Time Machine

High Museum of Art
May 28: American Graffiti

Johns Creek: Newton Park
June 5: TBD
July 10: TBD
Sept. 4: TBD

Mall of Georgia: Movies Under the Stars
May 29: Hook
June 5: Planet 51
June 12: Field of Dreams
June 19: The Tooth Fairy
June 26: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
July 4: Transformers
July 10: The Blind Side
July 17: Fantastic Mr. Fox
July 24: Back to The Future 3
July 31: Alvin and The Chipmunks The Squeakquel

Piedmont Park: Screen on the Green (Here’s video of last year’s Screen on the Green at Centennial Olympic Park)
May 27: National Treasure
June 3: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
June 10: Dreamgirls
June 17: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
June 24: Jurassic Park

Roswell: Riverside Park
May 29: Fantastic Mr. Fox
July 17: The Blind Side

W Perimeter Hotel: Dive-In Movie
June 1: St. Elmo’s Fire
June 8: Sherlock Holmes
June 15: Invictus
June 22: Mommy Dearest
June 29: The Hangover
July 6: Transfomers 2
July 13: The Lovely Bones
July 20: To Wong Foo
July 27: The Blind Side

What: Laughing Pizza in Concert
Where: GPTV, 260 14th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 
When: Sun., March 14, doors open at 2 pm, concert at 3 pm
Cost: $15 per adult, $10 per child (or win tickets here, see below for details)

Laughing Pizza, the musical group for kids that appears on PBS and the Disney Channel will be playing a hometown concert (they live in Atlanta) on Sunday, March 14 at the GPTV building on 14th St. in Midtown. The concert is the official kick-off for their new CD and video “Let’s Go Play.” They’ll also have a special meet and greet after the show. Yours truly will be introducing them and hanging out for the show.

I’d heard of Laughing Pizza before, but hadn’t really listened to any of the songs until Kim Elkins, an Associate Pizza, gave my youngest a box of CDs, videos and a t-shirt I can’t get off him. We’ve been jamming to the Pizza’s ever since.

If you can’t make it down to the performance at GPTV, the band has a “Meet & Greet” at Towne Center at Cobb on Sat. March 13 at 12 noon. Fans can have a CD or DVD signed, get a poster and a photo with TV’s family band. There will be free giveaways, stickers, bookmarks, and a chance to win tickets to the Laughing Pizza performance on Sunday at the GPB TV Studios!

How to Win Tickets and a Pizza Prize Pack: To win 2 tickets to the show, a CD and Laughing Pizza poster, become a subscriber of Field Trips with Sue (Click the Subscribe button on the top right of the blog) and leave a comment below. We’ll choose one winner on Monday.
Want an extra chance to win? Follow @suerodman on twitter and tweet: I want to win tickets to the Laughing Pizza Show on Field Trips with Sue #FTWS.

What: LEGO mini-build
Where: LEGO Store Discover Mills Mall
When: First Tuesday of the Month beginning at 5 pm
Cost: FREE (while supplies last)

In Feburary, I took the boys to Discover Mills mall for the LEGO mini-build. Discover Mills is in Lawrenceville, a bit of a haul for us intowners, but I have some LEGO lovers and I wanted to check out the new airsoft place too.

We arrived at the LEGO store about 5:05 pm. The line was already down the mall! When I asked the folks in front how long they’d been there, they said since 4:00 pm!! The LEGO attendant said they had people showing up around 3:15!!!

We’d already come quite a way, so we decided to wait. It took about an hour in line, but by my calculations, we would have waited the same hour if we’d gotten there earlier too. We had some nice folks around us so it really wasn’t a bad wait. One women told me they bring their homework and sit down and work on it while in line (wish I’d thought of that).

Once inside, you pick up your pieces and head to one of three tables where a LEGO employee assists the kids in putting together their creation. My five year old said he’d love to come back, but the 10 and 12 year old said it was fun, but they’ve check it off the list now.

The store itself is pretty cool too. There is a screen where you can scan a LEGO set box and it virtually builds it on the screen. As you move the box, the virtually built set moves. It was WAAYYY cool (or sick as the kids are saying these days).

Bottom line, take a look at the video to see if this is an activity for you. The only downside in my mind was the long wait, but if you aren’t strapped for time, why not, just come prepared. I also learned that the LEGO store does birthday parties, but you need to schedule them at least 3 – 4 months out. Across the mall is another great place, the Sling Shot Speedway, but that’s another post. We never made it to the Airsoft place.

LEGO Mini-Build Groundhog

What: LEGO Mini Model Build, This month is a mini Groundhog
Where: LEGO Store
Where: Discovery Mills, Lawrenceville, Ga.
When: Feb. 2, 2010, starting at 5:00 pm while supplies last

If you’ve got a lego fan, here’s an activity for you. One day a month, the LEGO Store at Discover Mills Mall hosts a mini model build. Children build a different LEGO mini model and take it home for free! Quantities are limited and the offer is only good while supplies last, so you may want to get there right at 5:00 pm. The event is open to children 6 – 14 years-old. I’m not sure how strict they are about the age range, but it’s probably not a toddler activity.

Since the kids are out of school all week (mine don’t go back until Jan. 6!), I’m sure everyone is looking for something to do. Well here’s a few ideas for this week.

What: Bowling
Where: Brunswick Zone
When: Through Jan. 5
Cost: With the coupon $30 for 6

I signed up for coupons through Brunswick Zone’s website and received a coupon good for 2 hrs. of bowling, shoe rental, and pitcher of Coke for up to six people. That’s better than the GroupOn deal from this afternoon! I’m not sure you can sign up and get the coupon immediately, but you might want to call your local bowling center and ask. They also have holiday cards with a kids bowl free coupon on them. The holiday card coupon is good until Dec. 31.

What: Ride the Pink Pig
Where: Lenox Mall
When: Through Jan. 1
Cost: $3 for children of all ages, 2 for 1 coupon

The Pink Pig is a holiday tradition in my family. We made my brother, who moved from New Jersey last winter. come with us this year. If you haven’t made it to Macy’s yet, grab a 2 for 1 coupon online. Using the coupon turns 1 ride into 2, 2 rides into 4 or 3 rides into 6. You can’t split up the rides, each coupon is good for one person. Your Pink Pig ticket is also good for 25 percent off Georgia Aquarium tickets. So you can go from pigs to fish.

What: Radio Disney Noon Year’s Eve Party
Where: City of Smyrna Community Center
When: Dec. 31, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Cost: Free

My kids love New Year’s Eve. If we were in town, I’d definately take them to the Radio Disney Noon Year’s Eve party. They’ll have a big dance party, games, contests and prizes. At noon there is a balloon drop and cider toast.

What: Leave letters to Santa in the Believe Mailbox

Image via Wikipedia

Where: Any Macy’s Store
When: Through Christmas
Cost: Free

The following is a guest post from Lynne Clark. Thank you Lynne for sharing. If you’d like to write a post about someplace you’ve been, send me an email at sue@fieldtripswithsue.com.

You can help the Make-A-Wish Foundation by stopping at any Macy’s to mail your letter to Santa in the Believe Mailbox. For every letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make A Wish Foundation (up to a $1,000,000). This is our second year mailing our letters to Santa at Macy’s. The first year we went on Christmas Eve and met a wonderful family who thanked us for mailing our letters. They told us how their family had been touched by a wish. They said they write a letter every time they are at the mall. We are adopting this tradition too.

Next to the mailbox is a small table that has postcards ready to complete with your message to Santa. There is also a bowl of Macy’s Make-A-Wish Foundation pins. When you check out the video clip, notice Beatrix (Lynne very adorable daughter) is wearing her pin.