🌱 New Taco Spot Opening + Pub Crawl Next Week + Lemonade Day Sign-Up

Hello all. I'm back with your fresh copy of the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter. Let's get this Wednesday started off right, with a quick dive into the most important things happening around town. Today we'll cover:

• INKED Tacos will be open for business in May.
• The Downtown Woodstock Pub Crawl series is back!
• Your child can run their own Lemonade Day business.

But first, today's weather:

A stray afternoon thunderstorm. High: 69 Low: 54.

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Here are the top five stories in Woodstock-Towne Lake today:

1. There's a new taco place in town, and they're holding a two-day grand opening celebration. On May 5 and 6, INKED Tacos will host a grand opening / Cinco de Mayo party at the restaurant located at 180 Parkway 575. There will be specials all weekend and a mariachi band will be at the restaurant on Friday during the 4 - 7 p.m. festivities. On Saturday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., the big event will feature a sampling of the menu, family-friendly games and music and you'll get to watch competitive eater Joey Chestnut as he practically inhales the restaurant's Birria Queso Tacos. (Business Wire)
2. The next event in the Downtown Woodstock Pub Crawl series is almost here! The Seis de Mayo Pub Crawl is scheduled for May 6, from 2 - 6 p.m. There will be food and drink specials at restaurants and bars in the downtown area, prizes, live music and so much more. You can see the full list of participating establishments on the official website here, the menus look amazing! Grab your entry form at the first place you stop, and be sure to get stamps from each place thereafter. Once you get five stamps, hand in your entry form at any participating restaurant for a chance to win prizes. (Visit Woodstock via Facebook)
3. If you were planning to attend Taste of Canton this Thursday, it's been postponed. The event is now scheduled for May 11, 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. The venue will remain The Mill on Etowah, and the event will feature incredible music, food, drinks and fun dished out by the many area restaurants, bars and shops participating. Admission into the event is free, and once you arrive at the event, you'll purchase food tickets to use for the samplings. For reference, one sample goes for around one to eight tickets. Tickets must be purchased with credit cards and the Children's Haven and Cherokee County's Walk to End Alzheimer's will be selling beverages to benefit the organizations. (Enjoy Cherokee)
4. The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is hosting Lemonade Day on May 6 and it's a wonderful opportunity for local children to learn about business. The free, annual program started in 2007 and every year guides students through the steps of planning, creating, operating and marketing their own lemonade stand. The kids will learn about budgeting, goal-setting, problem solving and community service, and the program encourages participants to save a portion of their earnings, spend some as a reward for their efforts and share some by giving back to the community. Lemonade Day is geared towards children in grades 3 - 5, but those younger and older can participate too. If you'd like to read more about the event, donate to the cause or are ready to sign your child up, you can do so here. (Cherokee County GA via Facebook)
5. Ten school systems nationwide recently received the 2023 Make a Change grant from the national educational organization Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI), including our own Cherokee County. The $750,000 grant will be used to expand the Argument-Driven Inquiry program already in place in six district elementary schools and provide funding for the materials and the teacher training needed to upgrade the math and science classes throughout the district to begin using the ADI method. The learning method breaks down lessons into seven stages that start with identifying the task and also include stages for brainstorming, planning, executing and sharing the results. You can read more about the ADI organization and method here. (Cherokee County School District News)

Today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

• Open Pickleball Play: open to county residents at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• Jewelry 101 with bamabelle: learn basic wire wrapping skills and create two pairs of gemstone earrings, you'll go home with a six-piece set of professional jeweler's tools, a jeweler's mat and tray and a take-home project. Made Mercantile is located at 8636 Main Street. (9:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Medicare 101: head over to the R.T. Jones Memorial Library today for an educational session to help answer seniors' questions about Medicare. The library is located at 116 Brown Industrial Parkway in Canton. (11 a.m. - noon)
• Open Gym: open to county residents at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (1 - 8 p.m.)
• Reading Dog: for children ages 6 and up, though children must be accompanied by an adult. Sign up here for a 15-minute spot for your child to read to Zoey the Reading Dog at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. (4 - 5 p.m.)
• Teen Writing Group: for teen creatives, ages 12 - 18. Meet up with other teen writers, help each other with your work and get some writing done in a nice, peaceful environment. The group will meet at the Woodstock Library, 7735 Main Street. (4:30 - 6 p.m.)
• Ladies Night, Live Music: enjoy live music every Wednesday, The Radio Show starts playing at 7:30 p.m. at Guston's Grille, 12195 Highway 92, Suite 156. (5 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Tween Book Club: for ages 10 and up or those at a 5th grade reading level. This month, the group will go over "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick using discussion, games and more. You can register here. The group meets on the last Tuesday of every month at the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton. (5 - 6:30 p.m.)
• Rock Wall Climbing Zone: open to county residents ages 4 and up and 40-pounds and over at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (5 - 8 p.m.)
• Unwind Wednesdays - Yoga In The Park: Michel Delifer from Ember Hot Yoga in Downtown Woodstock will lead the the yoga session, and the free, family-friendly event will feature food trucks, vendors, music and much more. The Unwind Wednesdays series will be held at Cherokee Veterans Park, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (5:30 - 8 p.m.)
• Rose Creek Memory Lab Open House: take in a short presentation on how you can preserve your family's memories forever and watch a demonstration of the new memory lab equipment at the library, located at 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. You can register here. (5:45 - 6:45 p.m.)
• Discovering Pickleball Practice & Play: if you were a Discovering Pickleball participant in April, this is a chance for you to play with instructor Deb von Minden to help with questions about play, technique and rules at the Dupree Park Pickleball Courts, 513 Neese Road. (6:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
• Team Trivia: every Wednesday at Sidelines Grille - Woodstock, 300 Village Center Drive. (7 p.m.)
• Music Bingo: every Wednesday at Sidelines Grille - Hickory Flat, 6199 Hickory Flat Highway in Canton. (7 p.m.)
• Trivia Night with Lights Up! Entertainment: prizes for first, second and third place teams every Wednesday at Reformation Brewery, 105 Elm Street. (7 - 9 p.m.)
• Braves vs Miami Watch Party: grab a bite and a drink while you watch the game with your favorite neighbors, friends and family at The Daily Draft, 8594 Main Street. (7:20 - 10:20 p.m.)
• Fight Club Wednesdays: the top three winners in tonight's "Tekken 7" tournament will go home with prizes at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. This will be the last "Tekken 7" tournament. In May, the tournament game will be "Guilty Gear: Strive." (8 p.m.)
• Senior Center Programs - most events are held at the William G. Long Senior Center (WGLSC), 223 Arnold Mill Road
  • Walking Club - every Monday and Wednesday at the Dupree Park walking/running track, 513 Neese Road. (8 - 9 a.m.)
  • Fit Over 50 - stretch and exercise with chair yoga, balance, bands, weights and core strength work every Wednesday and Friday at the WGLSC Activity Center Expansion. (9:30 - 10:30 a.m.)
• MadLife Grill Patio Stage - free shows, no ticket needed
  • Top Artists Extended Sets - you can sign up for a spot here. (6 - 9 p.m.)
• MadLife Stage & Studios
  • The Hoodlins (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Cherokee Recreation & Parks is holding a Workout Wednesday exercise series, meeting every Wednesday in May. The classes are for ages 14 and up, for all skill levels and abilities and will include exercises for your whole body that will be adapted for everyone. The first class is on May 3, and the series will be held from 4:30 - 5 p.m. at The WREC, at 7545 Main Street, Building 200. You can register here. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks via Facebook)
• If you're looking for something to do on Friday evenings, Hot Wheels Skate Center has a deal for you! Every Friday, the regular admission includes 1 slice of pizza and 1 small drink. Bring the family down for a fun night out this weekend, the skate center is located at 228 Farm Ridge Drive NE. (Hot Wheels Skate Center via Facebook)
• For the readers in town, have you visited The Sweet Read on Main Street? The shop has a great selection of new and antique books and serves coffee, tea and treats. You can also find large-print books and giftable items. You can find the unique book shop at 8990 Main Street. (The Sweet Read via Facebook)
• Downtown Woodstock: "Visit The Sweet Read to check out their selection of vintage antique books! You never know what cool books are awaiting to be discovered! @thesweetreadbakery #woodstockga #woodstockgeorgia #downtownwoodstock" (Downtown Woodstock via Instagram)

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Featured events:

• #YGKidpreneur Expo & Business Competition - Spring 2023 (April 29)
• Estate Planning Seminar on May 1st and 5th at R.T. Jones Library (May 1)
• Veteran Block Party! Veterans eat free! (May 20)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Wednesday. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter? Contact me at Woodstock@Patch.com