This Week
in Gwinnett.
Hey Neighbor —
Have you ever watched your kids see something for the very first time?
Saturday night I took two of my boys to see Atlanta United play FC Cincinnati. It was our first professional soccer game together. We were in the building and the noise, not watching on a screen, with thousands of people singing the same songs.
I spent half the game watching the field and the other half watching their faces. They leaned forward on every run at the goal, and they jumped up before I even knew what was happening. Atlanta lost 3-1, but that’s not what I’ll remember.
I’ve been to a lot of events for this newsletter. This one I went to as a dad, and I got to say “we did this together.”
What’s a “first” you want to share with someone you love this fall? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one.
Let’s get into your week.This Coming Week
Five picks, city-run first.
A new trail, a free concert, art, ghosts, and the biggest weekend in Sugar Hill.
Orr's Ferry Riverlands Trail Opening (For the Outdoorsy)
Wed, Oct. 14 · 5:30–7 PM · 6180 Cumming Hwy, Sugar Hill Sugar Hill is cutting the ribbon on a brand-new 1.5-mile nature trail, and then everyone gets to walk it together for the first official hike.
Who it's for: anyone who wants to say "I was there on day one." Bring the kids, bring the dog, and wear real shoes. Event details
Sugar Rush Kick-Off Concert (Live Music, Free)
Fri, Oct. 16 · Doors 7 PM, music at 8 & 9 PM · The Bowl, 5039 W Broad St, Sugar Hill · FREE The City of Sugar Hill opens festival weekend with a free night of music on the lawn.
Who it's for: families and friend groups who want an easy Friday night. Bring lawn chairs and a blanket, grab dinner downtown, and stay for both sets. Concert details
Not Your Mother's Art Fest (Friends Night Out)
Fri, Oct. 16 · 6–10 PM · Slow Pour Brewing & the Depot District, 407 N Clayton St, Lawrenceville The City of Lawrenceville turns the Depot District into a living gallery, with art installations, live performances, street art, hands-on workshops, local beer, and food. It's all ages, and it's built to spotlight artists you haven't heard of yet.
Who it's for: the friend who says "I'm not really an art person." This is not a quiet museum. It's loud, colorful, and fun. Festival details & tickets
Lawrenceville Ghost Tours (Date Night)
Fri & Sat at 7 & 9 PM · Sun at 7:30 PM · Starts at the Pike St entrance of the Lawrenceville Arts Center, 128 E Pike St · Adults from $20, kids from $15 Aurora Theatre's walking tour takes you around the historic square after dark, with the stories most of us drive past every day and never hear.
Who it's for: couples who want a date that isn't just dinner and a movie. Buy tickets ahead (they don't sell at the door), park free at the city deck on E Crogan St, and hold hands when it gets spooky. Tour details & tickets
Sugar Rush Arts Festival (For Families)
Sat, Oct. 17, 10 AM–7 PM & Sun, Oct. 18, 12–6 PM · Downtown Sugar Hill · FREE admission, free shuttles More than 100 artists, two stages, a Kid Zone with inflatables, artist demos like spin art and pottery, food trucks, and a biergarten for the grown-ups.
Who it's for: the whole family. Go Sunday afternoon if you want smaller crowds, and let the kids make something at the demo tents. Festival site
GUS' PICK OF THE WEEK:
A date night idea, or just friends night out!
Golestan, Peachtree Corners
📍 5173 Peachtree Pkwy, Peachtree Corners · Menu & reservations
Here's a date night that feels like a little trip without leaving the county.
Golestan is a Persian restaurant at The Forum. The name means "rose garden," and the room feels like it, with design pulled from ancient Persian architecture. But what I love most is the story. The owner, Pooya Naraghi, built the menu around one idea: the best Persian food he ever had was his mom's cooking. Golestan is his way of bringing that home-style food to Gwinnett.
What to order: start with the mirza ghasemi, a smoky eggplant dip with house-made flatbread. Then split the lamb shank, slow-braised in turmeric and dried lime.
Why it's great for date night: it's new-to-you food, so you have something to talk about all night. Ask your server what they'd order, and try one thing you can't pronounce.
The "text this to your spouse" section.
WORTH KNOWING THIS WEEK
🚚 Tonight: Lilburn Food Truck Tuesday finale. It's the last one of 2026, 6–9 PM at Lilburn City Park with a live band. Bring a blanket. Details
🧹 Clean out the garage for free, Sat. Oct. 17, 9–11:30 AM. Lawrenceville's Household Hazardous Waste Day at Public Works (Maltbie Industrial entrance) takes old paint (2-gallon max), chemicals, vehicle fluids, and up to 3 bulk items like furniture or yard debris. No electronics, tires, or A/C units. Bring a few canned goods for the Lawrenceville Co-Op Ministry while you're there. Details
🚲 Pedal Norcross is Saturday, 3–6 PM. A free, family-friendly 2.8-mile ride through historic Norcross, plus a pop-up market and a chance to win an e-bike. Details & RSVP
🎃 Halloween weekend is coming fast. Lawrenceville, Duluth, and Sugar Hill all have costume nights downtown on Fri. Oct. 23. I'll have the full rundown for you Thursday.
Your Seat at the Suwanee Table
One week from tomorrow, on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 PM, GwinnettBest Dinner Club comes to Downtown Suwanee.
Here's how it works. You take a quick personality quiz. You get matched with five neighbors you've probably never met. The restaurant gets revealed the morning of. And after dinner, every table heads to a secret after-party.
After watching my boys light up at that game Saturday, I keep thinking about this: the best moments in life are shared ones. A stadium full of people singing together. A table full of strangers who leave as friends.
If you've been on the fence, this is your sign. Each table has six seats, and they fill up.
BEFORE YOU GO
Tomorrow morning I'm loading up the car and driving to Durham, North Carolina, for a newsletter conference from Wednesday through Friday.
Why? Because of you.
Every week I'm asking the same question: how can GwinnettBest serve my neighbors better? How do we make this bigger, so more neighbors can join in and help make Gwinnett what it is, and what it keeps becoming?
I don't have all the answers. So I'm going to sit in rooms with people who've built this before, take a lot of notes, and bring the best of it home to you.
I'll check in from Durham on Thursday.
— Gus
