🌱 Patch AM: How Duluth’s fading mall became Stranger Things’ unforgettable Starcourt set

Greetings Duluth! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Duluth’s fading mall became Stranger Things’ unforgettable Starcourt set
• Did a Duluth BP just sell a $50,000 Powerball ticket?

Also on today's calendar: Gwinnett County Kwanzaa 2025 - Celebrating Kujichagulia: Self-Determination and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Warm with clouds and sun, with a high of 70 and low of 57 degrees.
• Saturday: Cloudy and very warm, temps: high: 73, low: 57.
• Sunday: Cloudy and remaining warm, with a high of 68 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Explore the Real Places Where Stranger Things Filmed (mightytravels.com) — Duluth’s largely vacant Gwinnett Place Mall played a starring role as Starcourt Mall in Stranger Things, with crews retrofitting it to look like 1985 and boosting its pop-culture profile even as real-life traffic declined. The piece maps how Hawkins, Indiana is stitched together from Georgia sites like Jackson, Fayetteville, Rome, and Atlanta, plus far-flung locations in New Mexico and Lithuania, and previews the massive constructed sets planned for the final season.
   

• Grovetown lottery player wins $50K in Christmas Eve Powerball drawing (wrdw.com) — A Powerball ticket bought at the BP on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Duluth won $50,000 in the Christmas Eve drawing, matching four white balls and the Powerball. The main jackpot, worth over $1.8 billion, was hit by a single ticket in Arkansas, and the next drawing on Dec. 27 will offer a $20 million prize while continuing to fund Georgia education.
   

📸 Around Duluth

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Duluth

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday December 27

• Gwinnett County Kwanzaa 2025 - Celebrating Kujichagulia: Self-Determination
  Gwinnett County Public Library - Duluth Branch, 3180 Main St, Duluth
  1:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Monday December 29

• Line Dancing
  Northeast Spruill Oaks Library , 9560 Spruill Road , Johns Creek
  10:30 am
• Beginnerʼs Spanish
  Northeast Spruill Oaks Library , 9560 Spruill Road , Johns Creek
  10:30 am
• Kidsʼ Chess
  Northeast Spruill Oaks Library , 9560 Spruill Road , Johns Creek
  6:00 pm
• Toastmasters Gavel Club
  Northeast Spruill Oaks Library , 9560 Spruill Road , Johns Creek
  6:30 pm

Saturday January 3

• Jazz's Big Bang: Buddy Bolden and The Birth of New Orleans Jazz
  Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay , 3116 Main St , Duluth
  8:00 pm
• Jazz Legacy Project: A Tribute to Ray Charles
  Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay , 3116 Main St , Duluth
  8:00 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Jazz Legacy Project: A Tribute to Pat Metheny
  Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay , 3116 Main St , Duluth
  7:00 pm

📣 Duluth Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 26

• Camp Cozy Mini Camp (5-10 Years)
  Kidcreate Studio - Johns Creek , 3000 Old Alabama Rd Suite 109 , Johns Creek
  9:00 am
• Baby Play Day
  Forsyth County Public Library - Denmark Library , 530 Fowler Rd , Alpharetta
  10:00 am
• WBB: Mr.Magorium's Wonder Emporium
  The Eagle Theater @ Sugar Hill , 5029 W Broad St NE , Sugar Hill
  2:00 pm
• Bekah Marie Music: Bekah Marie solo acoustic
  StillFire Brewing , 343 US-23 , Suwanee
  3:00 pm
• Special Event: TIP Harris
  Helium Comedy Club , 3070 Windward Plaza , Alpharetta
  7:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Duluth PatchAM possible:

• SEW Nursing LLC — (470) 231-5059
  Concierge Nursing for Seniors | Preventive Care
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Atlanta has officially reached 76 degrees, making today the warmest Christmas Eve on record!
  The prior record was 73 degrees in 2016. Shared from I love McDonough Ga (Nextdoor Abbotts Bridge-Rogers Bridge)
• Please share & repost to help reunite this lost dog!
  Boots was LOST on December 23, 2025 in Norcross, GA 30093 near Williams Rd Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the… (Nextdoor Pleasant Hill Rd)

• Connections Academy posted a job opening for Middle School Math Teacher - Georgia Connections Academy in Duluth. Apply here.
• Kroger posted a job opening for Grocery Clerk in Duluth. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Duluth here.

🗞 Nearby News

Suwanee

• Cameron Hinson Signs with Washington Wolfpack (oursportscentral.com)

Norcross

Ok Duluth! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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