This Week
in Gwinnett.
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Hey Neighbor,
I'm back home in Gwinnett, and I'm still thinking about LA with my mom and Dallas for my work trip.
This weekend I was with Nick Vujicic at our Summit, in a room full of business owners and leaders. Out hope is that they will become successful in every area of life and business, as well as help others along the way.
Here's what I kept thinking on the flight home. Gwinnett is full of those same people. The couple running a restaurant on the square. The mom building a business during nap time. The guy with a side hustle and a big dream.
You don't have to fly to Dallas to find leaders worth investing in. They're our neighbors.
So that's what I want GwinnettBest to keep doing: help you find the best of Gwinnett and help the people building it win. That's exactly why Jim's replay is in today's email.
Let’s get into it.
This Week in Gwinnett
This Week in Gwinnett: The 4 Big Ones
Saturday, October 3, is stacked. Four cities, four very different days, and most of them are free to walk into.
🍖 Taste of BBQ & Music Festival — Sugar Hill
Saturday, Oct. 3 · 10:00 AM–6:00 PM · FREE entry The Bowl at Sugar Hill, 5039 W Broad St NE, Sugar Hill
Local BBQ teams go head-to-head, and you are the judge. Tasting tickets are $1 each, and each bite runs 1 to 5 tickets. There's a kids zone with bounce houses, an artist market, and leashed dogs are welcome. Proceeds support Project Green, a local kids' nonprofit.
Why I'd send you here: it's the cheapest way to eat like a king on a Saturday. Bring $20 in tickets, split everything, and vote for your favorite.
🎨 African American Culture & Arts Festival — Suwanee
Saturday, Oct. 3 · 12:00–8:00 PM · FREE (free parking) Suwanee Town Center Park, 330 Town Center Ave, Suwanee
A full day of local African American artists, sculptors, authors, and makers, with free performances and art presentations all afternoon, plus food and merchandise vendors.
Why I'd send you here: it's a chance to meet the artists behind the work and buy straight from them. Let your kids ask the questions. That's how a love for art starts.
🐶 Dogtoberfest — Duluth
Saturday, Oct. 3 · 5:00–9:00 PM Duluth Town Green, 3167 Main St, Duluth
An Oktoberfest-style party for families and their dogs. Think dog stunt shows, a live polka band, Oktoberfest games, food for people and pups, free Pup Cups (while they last), and free axe throwing.
Why I'd send you here: it's the perfect Saturday-night wind-down after a day of festivals. Leash up the dog and let the kids watch the stunt show.
🏡 47th Annual Elisha Winn Fair — Dacula
Saturday, Oct. 3 & Sunday, Oct. 4 · FREE (donations welcome) Elisha Winn House, 908 Dacula Rd, Dacula
Step back 200 years at one of Gwinnett's oldest homes. There are house tours, 1812 militia reenactors, blacksmithing, weaving, and butter-churning demos, a one-room schoolhouse, live music, and craft and food vendors.
Why I'd send you here: it's history your kids can actually touch. Ten minutes at the blacksmith's fire will teach them more than a chapter in a textbook.
Date Night: A $39 Evening in Downtown Lawrenceville
Three stops, all within a few blocks, for about $39 per person (tax and tip included). Best on Friday, Oct. 2 or Saturday, Oct. 3.
Stop 1: Tacos at Strange Taco Bar (around 5:45 PM) 225 W Crogan St · Fri–Sat 11 AM–9:45 PM Order the OG Chicken taco ($5.40) and the Cajun Shrimp taco ($5.85). Two tacos each is plenty, because dessert is coming. 👉 strangetacobar.com
Stop 2: Lawrenceville Ghost Tour (7:00 PM) Meets at the Lawrenceville Arts Center, 128 Pike St · Tickets from $20 Aurora Theatre's guides walk you about a mile through downtown for 90 minutes of real Lawrenceville history and the stories nobody puts on a plaque. Tours run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and 9 PM. Buy tickets ahead of time. There are no walk-ups. Park free in the deck at 147 E Crogan St. 👉 Get ghost tour tickets
Stop 3: Split a slice at Local Republic (around 8:30 PM) 139 N Perry St · Fri–Sat until 9:30 PM Share the Peanut Butter Pie on an Oreo crumble ($8). One slice, two forks. That's the rule. 👉 localrepublic.com
Why this works: most date nights are dinner, then scrolling in the car. This one gives you something to talk about. Walk the square after, hold hands, and let the ghost stories do the rest.
COFFEE SPOTLIGHT
Two Gwinnett shops worth the drive this week — both real, both excellent, one of them is newly featured here.
Beans & Butter Coffeehouse —
Lawrenceville 851 Oak Rd, Suite 1 (River Oak Plaza) · Mon–Sat 8 AM–3 PM, Sun 9 AM–3 PM
They roast their own Colombian and Ethiopian beans, and the pastries are baked fresh every day. Order the Cinnamon Cardamom Latte, made with their own house syrup. You won't find it anywhere else.
Why I love it: it's the kind of spot where you bring a notebook, not a laptop. Great for a slow Saturday morning or a one-on-one with a friend. 👉 beansandbutter.com
Refuge Coffee Co. —
Norcross 127 S Peachtree St, Suite C · Tue–Fri 8 AM–2:30 PM, Sat–Sun 9 AM–4:30 PM, closed Mon
Refuge is a nonprofit coffee shop that gives job training to resettled refugees. That means the person handing you your drink is building a new life right here. Order the Chai Latte, or my personal favorite here, a cold brew!
Why I love it: after a weekend talking about business that serves people, this is what that looks like in a cup. Grab one before you walk downtown Norcross. 👉 refugecoffeeco.com
The “in case you missed it” section
Missed My Webinar w Jim? Watch the Replay
Last Tuesday, Jim Stern of HSG sat down with me to answer the question I get asked the most: "How does a normal person buy their first rental property?"
It was 30 minutes, no sales pitch, and made for people who have never done it before. If you couldn't make it at noon, you didn't miss it.
📥 Plus, grab Jim's free download: Download it here →
Why I'd watch it: if buying a rental has been on your "someday" list, this is the easiest first step you'll take all year. Put it on while you fold laundry.
Have a follow-up question for Jim? Hit reply and send it to me. I'll put it in front of him.
Before You Go
Dallas reminded me that success was never supposed to be a solo sport. The best leaders I know didn't get there alone. Somebody opened a door, made a call, or sat down and answered their questions.
This week, be that for someone. Buy a coffee for the small business owner down the street. Share Jim's replay with the friend who keeps saying "someday."
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." — Proverbs 16:3
Glad to be home, neighbor.
— Gus
