Taste of Marietta Caps Great Weekend in City

Essential Marietta happenings for the weekend:

1. The 18th Annual Taste of Marietta finally arrives from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Marietta Square with the promise of being even bigger than last year's event, which brought a reported 100,000 people into the heart of the city.

More than 70 restaurants will showcase their cuisine (a full listing is available at www.tasteofmarietta.com), and musicians will perform on four stages across the historic downtown district. Gas South will sponsor culinary demonstrations; a "Kid's Corner" will offer the younger set moonwalks, sand art and other events; and a "Sports Corner" will feature the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers.

Parking will be available at any of the city lots around the square or the Cobb County Parking Deck, but not in any church or private lots. There will be parking available at with free shuttle rides provided by the .

For more information about Taste of Marietta, contact the Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau at 770-429-1115 or visit www.tasteofmarietta.com.

2. And the Sunday festivities do not end there, as The Branding Project sponsors "Aftertaste," a Taste of Marietta after party from 7 to 11 p.m. at the .

A $20 ticket at the door gets you cold beer and live music provided by Bert Reeves and David Willingham. For more details, visit the event page.

3. Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society will be holding its Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the . The event provides an optimal time to pick up perennials, heirloom tomates and vegetables and high quality plants from top nurseries in the area.

At noon on Saturday, Cobb Landmarks is also hosting a Lunch and Learn with Walter Reeves at St. James Episcopal Church. Reeves, known as The Georgia Gardener, will provide his tips for the season. This event has limited seating and a table for eight costs $400. Send an email to allisongruehn@comcast.net for information and reservations.

4. The Glover Park Concert Series returns at 8 p.m. Friday, with all subsequent concerts occuring on the last Friday of each month through September.

The concert is free, but tables are available for $45 for a table for six and $55 for a table for eight. Call 770-794-5601, but reservations are on a first-come basis beginning on the first working day of each month.  Blankets and lawn chairs only. Picnics are encouraged and beer and wine are permitted. This week, the featured band is The Glow Band.

5. And as always, Saturday morning is a great time to be at Marietta Square. In addition to the Marietta Square Farmers Market this weekend, there will be the annual walk to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The walk will originate from Glover Park and go from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.