This Week
in Gwinnett.
Together with
Hey neighbor —greetings from Durham, North Carolina!
As I mentioned in my last email, I'm here in Durham for a newsletter conference with about 200 other people who are building something similar to GwinnettBest. Some are just getting started, others are doing what I'm doing, and some have grown their newsletters into something much bigger.
And that's exactly why I'm here.
I want to learn how to grow GwinnettBest, reach more neighbors, and most importantly, find new ways to serve YOU and our Gwinnett community better.
The conference officially kicks off this morning, and I can't wait to see what I'll learn and bring back home!
And here's the part I'm most excited to tell you about. Tonight I'm sitting down at a dinner club made just for the people at this conference. Same idea as ours: a table of people who don't know each other yet, good food, and real conversation.
I want to experience it for myself, from the other side of the table. I'm the one who usually sets the table. This time I'm the stranger pulling up a chair. And I get to connect with other newsletter builders who are doing exactly what I'm doing in their own towns, trying to love their neighbors well, one email at a time.
I'll bring home every good idea I find. Promise.
— Gus
DINNER CLUB: SUWANEE IS NEXT WEDNESDAY
Tonight I'm the new guy at a table in Durham. Next Wednesday, it could be you in Suwanee. And honestly, this has been by far the one with the most signups!
GwinnettBest Dinner Club · Wednesday, October 21 · 6:30 PM · Downtown Suwanee
Here's what you can expect:
You won't know who's at your table. Take a quick personality quiz, and you get matched with five neighbors.
You won't know where you're eating, either. The restaurant gets revealed the morning of. All you know is that it's in Downtown Suwanee and it's a place built for good conversation.
The night doesn't end at dessert. Every table heads to a secret after-party, so you meet even more people before you go home.
I know the hardest part is saying yes. You're tired, it's a Wednesday, and you don't know anybody. That's exactly the point. Every friend you have was a stranger once.
Remember the five questions from Table Talk last week? Bring one with you. Ask a follow-up before you share your own answer. You'll be fine. Better than fine.
Six seats per table. This is the last call before dinner.
QUICK HITS: YOUR WEEKEND, DAY BY DAY
Everything from Tuesday's email is still on. Here it is in one place.
FRIDAY
Sugar Rush Kick-Off Concert, The Bowl, Sugar Hill · doors 7 PM, music at 8 & 9 · FREE. Bring lawn chairs. · Details
Not Your Mother's Art Fest, Slow Pour Brewing & the Depot District, Lawrenceville · 6–10 PM · all ages. · Details
Lawrenceville Ghost Tours · Fri & Sat at 7 & 9 PM, Sun at 7:30 PM · buy tickets ahead. · Tickets
SATURDAY
Household Hazardous Waste Day, Lawrenceville Public Works · 9–11:30 AM · FREE. Old paint, chemicals, and up to 3 bulk items.
Sugar Rush Arts Festival, Downtown Sugar Hill · 10 AM–7 PM · FREE, with free shuttles. · Festival site
Pedal Norcross, Downtown Norcross · 3–6 PM · FREE. · RSVP
SUNDAY
Sugar Rush, Day Two · 12–6 PM. Smaller crowds, same fun.
Sunday supper idea: Golestan in Peachtree Corners, my Pick of the Week. Order the lamb shank and thank me later.
And one more: a free concert, a ghost walk, an art party, and 100 artists in one weekend. Gwinnett, you're showing off again.
COFFEE SPOT TO GO: BREWED UP, LILBURN
Since I'm spending this week surrounded by builders and creators, this one felt right.
Brewed Up is part coffee shop, part creative home base. Owner Simone Edwards built it for creatives, entrepreneurs, and remote workers: café seating, a podcast studio, photo rooms, a stage, and lounges made for staying a while. They host book clubs, trivia nights, and writing workshops too.
What to try: people rave about the Nanastalgia, a banana-pudding latte. Pair it with a quiche.
Why I love it: if you've got a side hustle, a book idea, or a business you've been "meaning to start," this is a room full of people who'll cheer you on. Go work on your dream for an afternoon.
📍 4805 Lawrenceville Hwy, Ste 320A, Lilburn · Mon, Tue & Thu 8–6, Wed & Fri 8–8, Sat 9–5, closed Sun · Brewed Up
The "text this to your spouse" section.
COMING UP NEXT WEEK: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND IS COMMING SOON
Get the costumes out of the closet. Here's where I'd go.
Howl on the Green, Duluth Fri, Oct. 23 · 6–9:30 PM · Downtown Duluth · FREE This year's theme is "Mad Science: Project Zombie." There's a science show at 6:30, trunk or treat from 6 to 7:30 (while supplies last), a costume contest at 7:30, and a cirque finale at 9. Details
BOO Fest, Lawrenceville Fri, Oct. 23 · Starts at 6 PM · Lawrenceville Lawn, 210 Luckie St · FREE Downtown Lawrenceville's biggest Halloween night, with a treat trail, food vendors, and activities for every age. Details
Trick or Treat on West Broad, Sugar Hill Fri, Oct. 23 · 5:30–9 PM · 5029 W Broad St Kids collect candy from local businesses on a closed-off West Broad Street. Then stay after dark for a free outdoor showing of Beetlejuice at The Bowl. Details
Boo at the Ballpark, Gwinnett Field Sat, Oct. 24 · 11 AM–2 PM · Lawrenceville · FREE entry & parking (grab tickets online first) The Stripers turn the ballpark into a Halloween party: trick-or-treating on the concourse, pumpkin carving, hay rides around the warning track, and face painting. Details
Snellville Fall Festival (Great for Grandparents) Sat, Oct. 24 · 12–6 PM · 2342 Oak Rd, Snellville · FREE admission Craft vendors along Oak Road, more handmade goods inside the Senior Center, costume contests for all ages (yes, adults too) and dogs, and a Chicago tribute band from 4 to 6. The Kid Zone armband is $15. Details
LOCAL BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT
In case you need a reminder, Hardy Stern Group is my friend Jim Stern's real estate business right here in Gwinnett!
Many of you have joined the two webinars Jim and I have hosted over the past couple of months, where we've talked about what's happening in our local housing market.
I'll be sending out an email soon with the recordings, resources, and highlights from those conversations so you can catch up if you missed them.
And if you ever have questions about buying, selling, or understanding the housing market here in Gwinnett, Jim and his team are great people to connect with!
UNTIL NEXT TIME
This week I'm learning from people all over the country. But here's what I keep noticing: not everybody has in their town what we have.
Neighbors who show up. Cities that throw free parties on a Friday night. People who actually open an email from a guy in Lawrenceville.
Don't take that for granted this weekend. Go to something. Say hi to someone. Pull up a chair.
Thanks for being here. Gwinnett is better because you're in it.
— Gus
P.S. — Follow @gwinnettbest on Instagram if you haven't yet. New posts every day this week.
