This Week
in Gwinnett.
Street art in Nairobi
Hey neighbor,
Writing to you from across the ocean.
I'm on the ground in Kenya and Uganda right now with my friend Nick Vujicic — two countries in, and I can already tell you, this trip is rewiring something in me. The people, the music, the kids — it's encouraging in a way that's hard to put into words.
Traveling alongside Nick, camera in hand, capturing the amazing things happening here — that's the kind of work I'll be telling my grandkids about one day.
But don't worry — Gwinnett, you're still on my mind. Let's get into the good stuff. 👇
— Gus
📍 THIS WEEK IN GWINNETT
Three fresh picks for the next few days — one for the kiddos, one for your friend group, and one for the grown folks. None of these have been featured in past issues. Mark your calendars. 👇
Gif by fallontonight on Giphy
FOR THE FAMILY
🍕 Pizza with Police — Suwanee
Thursday, May 21 | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Suwanee Town Center | FREE
Bring the kids, grab a slice, and let them meet the officers who serve our city. It's the kind of low-pressure, high-impact community moment that pays off for years — your kids stop being afraid of a uniform and start seeing the humans inside it. Build it into your Thursday lunch.
🏷️ Free | Family | Community
🍻 FRIENDS NIGHT OUT
🇺🇸 Red, White, Bluegrass & Bach — Suwanee
Friday, May 22 | 7:00 – 9:30 PM | Suwanee Town Center Park | FREE
This is your easy-yes Friday plan. In collaboration with Everett's Music Barn, Suwanee throws its annual Memorial weekend concert — a musical salute to our troops and veterans, a performance from the Main Street Symphony Orchestra, and a set from the Raven Welch Band. Round up the friends, wear your red, white, and blue, and bring the lawn chairs and blankets.
Food trucks rolling in: Cuddly's Catering, El Alma de Colombia, Windell's Seafood, Rita's Italian Ice, Bliss-B Desserts, 2C Coffee & Tea, and King of Pops. Pretty much "pick a friend group, eat your way down the line, stay for the music."
🏷️ Free | Friends Night Out | Live Music | Outdoor | Memorial Day Weekend
🎸 21+
🎤 Norcross Summer Concert Series Opener — Face 2 Face (Billy Joel + Elton John Tribute)
Friday, May 22 | 7:30 – 9:30 PM | Thrasher Park, Downtown Norcross | FREE
Norcross is kicking off the 20th annual Summer Concert Series with one of the most-requested tribute acts in the Southeast. Two pianos, every Billy Joel and Elton John hit you've ever sung in the car, and downtown Norcross at golden hour. Hit a patio dinner on Holcomb Bridge first, walk over with a drink, and let the night build itself.
🏷️ Free | 21+ Vibe | Date Night Alt | Live Music
THIS WEEK'S EPISODE — IT'S LIVE
🐝 Meet Arthur — The Gwinnett Beekeeper Behind Woodbridge Honey
If you read last week's letter, you knew this one was coming. The episode I recorded with Arthur from Woodbridge Honey is officially live on the This Is Gwinnett Show YouTube channel. Sitting with him at the Lilburn Farmers Market — watching baby bees literally hatch in his demo hive while we talked — was one of the coolest filming days of the year.
Two takeaways that stuck with me:
Arthur doesn't call himself a beekeeper. He calls himself a "bee helper." His whole posture is "watch them, feed them, make sure they're healthy — then get out of their way." That mindset alone is worth the watch.
It takes 12 bees their entire lives to make ONE teaspoon of honey. Twelve. Their whole lives. You will never look at a jar of honey the same way again — especially the cream honey he's bringing back from the European tradition (cinnamon, orange, lemon, and yes — coffee honey).
▶️ Watch the full episode here — and if you've never tried cream honey, order a jar at woodbridgehoney.com (free shipping over $30). Catch him in person Fridays at the Lilburn Farmers Market (1400 Killian Hill Rd, 4–7 PM).
DATE NIGHT — FUN + BUDGET FRIENDLY
Sunset Picnic at Tribble Mill Park + Bring-Your-Own Charcuterie
Tribble Mill Park | 2125 New Hope Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30045 | FREE
Here's a date night I keep coming back to that costs us under $20 — and it beats half the dinners we've spent $80 on.
Stop 1: Hit Publix or Aldi in Snellville and grab a small charcuterie haul — one cheese, one cured meat, crackers, grapes, a bar of dark chocolate. Total damage: about $15–18.
Stop 2: Drive to Tribble Mill Park, find a bench by the lake on the Ozora Lake trail, and walk the 3.3-mile loop together while the sun drops. (Bonus: it's a paved trail, stroller-friendly if you've got little ones tagging along.)
Stop 3: End at a picnic table, lay out the spread, and just talk. No phones. No screens. No noise.
You'll spend less than dinner-for-two at Chick-fil-A and walk away feeling like you actually saw each other.
🏷️ Under $20 | Date Night | Outdoor | Phones-Down Move
GUS'S PICK OF THE WEEK
One spot in Gwinnett that deserves more love this week. This one's a real find.
☕ Gonggan Coffee — Duluth
2645 N Berkeley Lake Rd NW, Suite 109 & 110, Duluth, GA 30096 | (678) 337-0288
Gonggan opened earlier this spring and is already one of the most talked-about Korean-inspired specialty cafés in metro Atlanta — and it's right here in Duluth. This is not a "grab and go" coffee shop. This is the kind of place where the pour-over is treated like a tasting, the food menu reads like a brunch destination, and you sit with someone you care about for two hours and don't notice the time.
I am not a matcha drinker BUT… my friends and my wife tell me this is probably one of the best they have ever had in Georgia! Mind you, we come from Los Angeles, where it seems there is an amazing and out of this world matcha bar in every city within the county.
Heads up: They're only open Tuesdays–Sunday, 11 AM – 11 PM. Plan around it.
Best move: Sunday morning brunch + a slow pour-over, then drive 15 minutes north for Cars and Coffee at Lanier Islands (9 AM–2 PM). That's a Sunday.
🏷️ | Hidden Gem | Date Night | Slow Saturday | Weekend-Only
⚡ QUICK HITS
The "text this to your spouse" section. Short recap + a few extras worth watching for this week.
🐝 Watch the Woodbridge Honey episode — and grab a jar at woodbridgehoney.com.
🚓 Pizza with Police — Thursday, Suwanee Town Center, 11:30 AM. Bring the kids.
🎹 Norcross Summer Concert Series kicks off Friday 5/22 with Face 2 Face. Free.
☕ Gonggan Coffee in Duluth is Fri–Sun only. Don't roll up Tuesday and be sad.
⚾ Gwinnett Stripers are back home this week vs. Charlotte (5/21 + 5/22). Cheap tickets, big league fun.
🎷 The Bowl at Sugar Hill has The Commodores + The Spinners Friday 5/22 if you want a bigger night out.
🎓 Heads up parents: Wednesday 5/20 is the last day of school for Gwinnett County Public Schools. Summer mode is officially on. 🎉
📱 We're posting on Instagram — @gwinnettbest. Reels from the Africa trip dropping soon.
BEFORE YOU GO
Being here in Africa has made me think about Gwinnett.
We've got something most places don't. Neighbors who actually want to be neighbors. Markets where the same vendors remember your name. Coffee shops where the owner walks out from the back to say hi. A county where a beekeeper named Arthur at a Friday market can hand one of my boys a some delicious creamed honey and call it Friday night fun.
Don't take it for granted this week. Hug your people. Show up for someone.
Gwinnett is better because you're in it.
