Check out the Yellow Daisy Festival this weekend! #YellowDaisy16 #StoneMountainPark

Some of the treasures we found at the Yellow Daisy Festival!

David and I spent two mornings at the 48th annual Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park this week and wow - the vendors this year are amazing!!  There are still two more days for you to attend, so make plans to go while I tell you a little more about it.

First of all - plan on lots of walking - we managed almost 5 miles between our two mornings there. Good walking shoes are a must. And take a frozen water bottle because you will need it!

We went at 10 am yesterday, and it was already hot and pretty crowded.  Today we got there at 8 am, paid $5 for early bird admission and that made a huge difference.  So much cooler and the crowd level was 1 out of 10! (Yesterday was more like an 8/10!)  After experiencing both early and regular admission at this year's Festival, I think it is worth the fee to get in early.

With over 400 artists and vendors there, you can find almost anything! We saw stained glass, windchimes, birdhouses, maple cutting boards, hot sauces, clothes for kids and women, leather goods, kitchen decor, musicians selling their music, plants, body and facial care products, yard decor, Christmas ornaments and decor, quilted goods, purses, artwork, bow and arrow sets, musical instruments, and so much more! I was able to knock out quite a few of my Christmas gifts there.

There are food trucks and vendors galore, and lots of places to sit and rest for a bit out of the sun. You'll even find a Man Cave-type place for the men to wait on their wives, and a Children's Corner with fun kids activities!

We got delicious popsicles from King of Pops both days.  Yesterday David got their Sweet Tea & Lemonade Pop.  Today he got that one again, and I tried the Salted Watermelon Pop.  Highly recommend them both!

The Festival is open
Saturday, September 10: (Early Bird admission is 8 - 10 am for $5 fee)
10 am - 7:30 pm
       and
Sunday, September 11: (NO Early Bird admission today)
10 am - 5 pm.

Parking is $15 per day, or an annual parking pass is $40. Festival Admission is free during regular hours with your parking fee.   If you go early, it's $5 for per person, over age 12.

Stone Moutain Park is located at 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Visit Stone Mountain's website for more information!

If you go, I'd love to hear what you think of this year's festival - leave a comment below!

Have a Spring FUN Break at Stone Mountain Park!! #SpringFUNBreak

Hey parents - looking for something to keep the kids busy for Spring Break? I've got a great option for you!  Stone Mountain Park is one of Atlanta's best attractions, in my opinion.  There is something for everyone to do, all year round, and Spring Break is no exception!  Visit through April 10th to enjoy these Spring FUN Break activities!

We always like to start our visits at the Great Barn.  David could spend the whole day there! Four floors of cannons, ball drops, trampoline floors, interactive games, stairs and nets to climb - so much FUN!

The Scenic Railroad train ride is different every season.   I enjoyed hearing the history of the mountain during our ride around the base of the mountain on this visit.  David, his friend Seth & I took plenty of pictures of the beautiful views as we rode along.

Some new things to experience this Spring Break:  

The Great American Duck Race, where Mallard Ducks race to the finish line and you could win prizes!  You can visit with the ducks and even feed them before the races.  

Visit the Azalea Stage and see Magic Mark & Einstein the Rabbit!  Kids will really enjoy this magic show!

Check out the April Fool's Indoor Lasertag!   Make sure you wear closed toe shoes for this awesome five minute, 20 player lasertag experience.

There are so many other cool things to do at Stone Mountain Park, like:

The Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf,  or watch the Yogi Bear 4-D Adventure movie, or get splashed at Geyser Towers!  (you need closed toe shoes for Geyser Towers too!)  You can even trek through the treetops on SkyHike if you are brave enough!  You can take the Summit Skyride to the top of the mountain, or hike up if you feel like it.

If you get hungry, Stone Mountain Park has plenty of places to enjoy a snack or meal.  During this visit, David had pizza, Seth had a BBQ sandwich, and I tried the BBQ chicken nachos. YUMMY!

You can upgrade your daily ticket to include a meal, or to add a ticket to ride the Duck.

The Lasershow will be offered this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, too.  This is one of our favorite things at Stone Mountain - the music, the fire, the lasers - WOW!

Be on the lookout for the grand opening of The Jump - a thrilling new experience coming to Stone Mountain Park this Spring!

So take a short drive to Stone Mountain Park and check out all of the fun things they have to offer for Spring FUN Break - the kids will have a ball, and you will too!

Check the calendar at Stone Mountain's website for all the details on dates/hours/prices.


Disclaimer: Stone Mountain Park hosted us for the day to experience the Spring FUN Break activities.  All opinions shared here are my own! 

Giveaway: Stone Mountain Christmas 2015

Despite the crazy weather we are dealing with (hot, rainy, cold, rainy, windy, rainy) it's time to start thinking about Christmas!  For my family, one way we usher in the holiday season is a visit to Stone Mountain Christmas at Stone Mountain Park.  Everything there is designed to put you in the Christmas spirit!

The lights are the first thing you'll see as you enter the gate.  There are lovely snowflakes on light poles, Christmas lights on all the buildings, and don't forget to take a quick drive down Snowflake Lane. Everything is sparkling, merry and bright.   And look up - you just might spy mistletoe, so keep your honey close by!

Stone Mountain Christmas is offered on select dates from November 7 - January 3.  On those dates, check out the fun and festive Christmas Parade that delivers Santa & Mrs. Claus to Christmas Corner. You'll enjoy the performers from the shows, plus catch a glimpse of the beautiful Snow Angel!

After the parade, we always head straight to the Singalong Christmas Train.  It's a little different this year (no onscreen antics with elves - just lyrics for the songs playing). We enjoyed the selection of carols, including White Christmas, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, and other family favorites. And if you like seeing the performance of "The Gift" midway through the ride, you will really love it this year. This year was my favorite performance of all the years we've attended  - really beautiful and heartwarming.

After a fun train ride around the Mountain, we usually visit Santa, do a little shopping, and check out the characters you might see in the park.  Gingerbread Man, Rudolph, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, and even Mrs. Claus got a picture with David this year!   We love watching the glassblower at work, and looking at his beautiful glassware in the store next door. You'll also find a fantastic toy store, candy store, and a few other gift stores to visit!  You can also visit the Snow Angel, and decorate yummy cookies.

Did you know Stone Mountain Park was named by USA Today as one of the ten best places in the country to catch Santa Claus?!  My son humored me and had a quick talk and then a picture with Santa. 

Time for the 4D movie - it's right across the walkway from Santa.   This year SMP is offering Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas.  Can a handful of prehistoric misfits really save the holiday? Find out in this hilarious adventure featured in 3-D with added in-theater effects that will transport you back to the Ice Age.

The shows being offered this year include A Christmas Carol,  Forever Christmas, and Holly Jolly Cabaret.  We especially enjoyed the Christmas Carol - David got such a kick out of it!  The actors in all of the shows are great, and the music is festive. This year's new show is The Littlest Christmas Tree.  It’s Christmas Eve and the smallest tree on the lot has been passed over and is feeling low. Good thing his new friends Betty the Bunny, Sammy the Skunk and Nutty the Squirrel are there to help him see his inner worth! The tale of The Littlest Christmas Tree is sure to be a new, family favorite.

The night ends with the lovely Snow Angel flying through the courtyard and her magical snowfall, plus a fireworks finale! If your kids can stay up til 9:45 it is truly worth staying for - a really beautiful ending to a fantastic night with your family!

And finally - the food!  I must share that The Campfire Grill has some seriously good comfort food ready for you. We tried the Sausage Skillet, Pot Roast with veggies, Chicken Tenders, (they also have Fried Chicken) and a huge Cranberry Apple Salad.  Sides were mac-n-cheese, baked beans and mashed potatoes with gravy. Plus they throw their delicious yeast rolls to you!  It was all awesome, but David's favorites were the chicken and mac-n-cheese.  Mine were the yummy, tangy salad plus the pot roast and the baked beans.   I wish I'd remembered to get a picture of the yummy dessert they sent home with us. Stone Mountain's new buttery, delicious cinnamon bread is to die for!  Make sure to pick up a loaf while you are there - it's warm, gooey and oh so good!

We had such a fantastic time at Stone Mountain Christmas this year.  And we left with Christmas Spirit! I'm working on getting our trees finished up this week, and wrapping gifts.  I am determined to get things done early so I can enjoy December with my family this year - no last-minute stressing! If you are ready for a big dose of Christmas spirit and family fun, please pick a date to take your family for a fun evening at Stone Mountain Christmas!  You can find out ticket information here. However..... one lucky reader will win a family four-pack of tickets to attend!! Enter my giveaway via the rafflecopter widget below.  (Click the link if the widget isn't visible!)

Summer Series ~ Stone Mountain Park #Yurts and SMP giveaway!

If you live in or near Atlanta, you know that Stone Mountain Park is the ultimate summer family fun destination.  They have everything you could think of to enjoy a summer day (or two!)  There's golf, mini golf, the new Georgia Justice Wild West Train Show, a 4D movie theater, Geyser Towers, SkyHike, the Great Barn, plus great shopping.  Ride the Ducks, then visit The Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard for a glimpse back in time.  You can even climb the mountain for a great workout!  After all that fun, find a spot on the lawn or reserve your Terrace seating to enjoy the Lasershow Spectacular in Mountainvision for lights, flames, fireworks, and great music!   See what I mean about SMP being the perfect destination?  This summer, Stone Mountain Park has added something really unique that families will absolutely LOVE.....Yurts!!

I'm excited to share these unique campground accomodations with you.  There are three yurts available, and they are booking up quickly.  So if you like what you see here, you will want to reserve
yours now so you can enjoy a night or two at Stone Mountain Park this Fall.

Yurts are round dwellings with a latticework support system inside, providing strength and shelter against the elements.  Stone Mountain Park's yurts are a very nice alternative to tent camping and provide comforts of home at a very reasonable price!  They have electricity, air conditioning and heat, a ceiling fan, beautiful log furniture, and room for the entire family!

I can see my son and I setting up a game of Life or Scrabble on this table! This yurt is the perfect place for
 reconnecting with your family after a busy week!

There is a bunk bed with a futon underneath, plus a log bed for mom and dad. (You provide your own linens or sleeping bags).   These yurts sleep up to five people.

Blake, Madison & my David

Open the back door and you've got an amazing lake view, plus a gorgeous deck with a picnic table.

Each yurt has its own fire pit, charcoal grill, and water spigot.  Make a delicious grilled dinner, then enjoy s'mores around the fire pit at your new favorite home away from home!

The yurts are bright and airy during the day, with large windows and a sky light.

At night, open the screened window's covers so you can fall asleep with a cool breeze from the lake.

If you are like me, and camping in a tent is not your idea of fun, you'll enjoy camping/glamping in a yurt! It's so much nicer and you get some of those luxuries we're used to (like electricity for charging your phone and a comfy bed). You can see more pics and information about the Yurts on the Park's website here.

Book your stay in one of these fabulous new SMP Yurts by calling 1-800-385-9807.

Stone Mountain Park wants to give one of my readers 4 free passes to enjoy #summerattherock! (These passes are good through the end of the year, except on Holidays. Parking not included. Summer at the Rock events end August 2.)  You will have a blast and make great memories with your family!

Enter to win through the rafflecopter widget below.  Must live in or near Atlanta to be eligible to win. If you like the giveaways I offer, **please** share this and others with your friends and family so I can have more giveaways in the future!  My sponsors look at comments you make here, the number of subscribers, visitors to the blog and the number of followers on my social media accounts, so please share, share, share! :)

Thanks for learning about the new Yurts at Stone Mountain Park, and good luck!

How to have an instant Snow Day in Atlanta! (Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park!)

If you are like me, you are hoping for one little snow day in Atlanta this winter, right? Not a repeat of last year, mind you, just enough snow for a day off from school and work, and to make a little snowman and some snow cream.  Well....the weather is just not cooperating. There's been no snow in Atlanta yet.   But don't despair! Make your own snow day ~ a quick drive to Stone Mountain Park is all you need to check out their amazing Snow Mountain!   Their famous Memorial Lawn, where you usually sit to watch the Laser Show in the summer, has been transformed into a true Winter Wonderland.  Spread across five football fields is REAL and glorious SNOW!

Snow Mountain is the best family-friendly attraction I know of in Atlanta this time of year. And it's easy to plan a day there: no long drive and no expensive snow gear to buy!  Just wear your winter coat, hat, and mittens and you are set! Easy to get to from all parts of the metro area, Stone Mountain Park is located at 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain, GA 30083.  Map and directions are here.

Once you arrive and get your tickets, there is tubing for the adventurous (which is NOT me!) but my kiddo and family LOVE it!  You get to choose from two options: The Tube Runner is for single riders.  Grab a tube and hop on the people mover, which takes you and your tube to the top of the 400 foot hill.  Riders must be 42" tall to ride on The Tube Runner.  Want to ride with the entire family? check out Avalanche Alley.  Here, riders must be 36" tall, and there is a maximum of five riders per tube.  My sister braved this with my nieces and my son and they loved it! Zooming down a huge hill in the snow is delightful in Atlanta!

I especially love how organized Stone Mountain has everything. Well marked signs, friendly and knowledgeable staff make for a wonderful experience here every year.  Your Snow Mountain ticket gives you a two-hour tubing session and all-day access to the wonderful SnowZone play area. So enjoy tubing together, then head down to the bottom of Memorial Lawn to play in the snow for a while.

The Snow Zone is fabulous for little ones.  They have SnoBoggans and a Bunny Slope for littles to get a taste of tubing on a hill just their size. Maximum height for this hill is 42".  Then check out the rest of SnowZone! It is acres of frosty snow that is perfect for making a snowman.  You can visit the Snow Closet to find all kinds of crazy-fun accessories for your new snowfriend.  Then try pitching snowballs over in the Snowball Shootin' Gallery (but don't throw them at each other!), or just make a snow angel! SO much fun.  Inside the Fort you'll find slides, tunnels and turrets to explore.  Visit Igloo City and make your own snow city, tunnel or fort!

When you're feeling chilly,  visit the SnoDeck for some hot chocolate! Or Snow Fire Point, where you can make delicious, toasty s'mores with your family.  Ready for a hot meal? The Campfire Grill or Base Camp BBQ, located in Crossroads, both offer delicious food to top off your visit to Stone Mountain Park.

It's not a bad idea to bring a change of clothes.  Stone Mountain offers locker rentals close to Snow Mountain.  And if you forget your winter gear, they even have a Hat and Glove Cart selling seasonal gear.

Snow Mountain runs selected dates through February 22nd.  If you can visit on Sunday, they are offering a special price of $6 off each ticket on 1/25, 2/1, 2/8 and 2/22.

Have you visited Snow Mountain? Leave a comment below and let me know what you like best about it.


My family and I received free admission to Snow Mountain, no other compensation was received. All opinions shared in this review are my own.

Stone Mountain Christmas 2014

Last week we attended Stone Mountain Christmas  with my sister and niece.  We spent a wonderful evening getting our Christmas spirit on.  Unless you are the Grinch, there is no way you can visit and not leave feeling Christmas Joy in your heart!  Now through January 4 (on select dates) you can enjoy the Christmas glow of over two million lights, plus a hilarious 4-D movie,  live shows, a parade, the Singalong Christmas train, and so much more!

Some of our favorite things to do at Stone Mountain Christmas:

The Nightly Christmas Parade: Catch a glimpse of all of the characters and actors as they arrive in Crossroads each evening. Music, dancing and lots of fun await!  We found a place near the 4-D theater to watch and it was perfect!

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 4-D movie  :   it may be short in length, but it is jam-packed with fun. There are lots of 4-D effects to thrill the kids, so be prepared and put your phones and cameras safely away so they don't get wet!  My son and niece are 10 and they both thought the movie experience was terrific.  

The Singalong Christmas Train:  It's not Christmas if we didn't get to take a ride on the Christmas train! Sing carols, look at Christmas lights,  watch the antics of two silly elves on the monitors throughout the train cars, and watch "The Gift", a touching live presentation about the real reason for CHRISTmas.  The ride lasts about 40 minutes, and it can get chilly on the open-air cars.  Make sure you've got mittens and hats! It's one of our favorite parts of Stone Mountain Christmas.

Character meet and greets: your kids can meet Bumble, Rudolph, the Snow Angel and more characters while checking out all the great fun at Stone Mountain Christmas.  You can even visit with Santa!

We love to eat at The Campfire Grill.  The Campfire Skewers are delicious and the S'mores Skillet is amazing. They have lots of fun camping and forest-themed effects throughout the restaurant to keep the kiddos happy too.  Always good food, good service, and a good time at The Campfire Grill.

Make sure you try the  Funnel cakes and Snowflakes (basically a deep fried belgian waffle) for dessert.  Order them plain or add sauces, fruits and toppings.  The perfectly sweet ending for an evening at Stone Mountain Christmas.

Stone Mountain puts on fabulous Christmas shows ~ there is something for everyone.  From Toyrific to Forever Christmas, you will enjoy great music and entertainment for the whole family. Click here for a list of all of the shows you can see this year.

Need a shopping break? There are lots of places to shop at Stone Mountain Park.  This year we came home with a beautiful, hand-blown glass Christmas ornament from The Stone Mountain Glass Shop, made right there!  They also have a toy store, candy store, a gift shop in the train depot and other spots throughout the park.  You can find some great Christmas gifts there!

Until this year, we've never been able to stay long enough for the Finale with the Snow Angel, Fireworks and Snowfall.  We live about an hour away, so we usually ended up taking the kids home for bed before the 9:45 finale.  This year, however, we were determined to stay til the very end and it was SO worth it! The Snow Angel flies in and floats above you, then she starts a glorious fireworks show complete with snow!  To see the wonder in the eyes of all the kids there was magical! I highly recommend that you stay and experience the Finale when you visit Stone Mountain Christmas.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the Park, and I hope you and your family can attend too! It's a nice way to reconnect with your family, and enjoy lots of holiday entertainment. 

Have you ever visited Stone Mountain Christmas? If not, what is your favorite Christmas event to attend?  Leave me a comment below!


Disclosure: Stone Mountain Park invited us out for an evening at the Park to preview Stone Mountain Christmas in order to review it.  No other compensation was received, and all opionions given here are my own.  

Stone Mountain Park Lasershow & VIP Terrace Seating

Last weekend, David and I were invited to attend the new Lasershow at Stone Mountain and check out their VIP Terrace Seating. We were so excited to go – the Lasershow is always a blast!

Stone Mountain Christmas

We are big fans of Atlanta's own Stone Mountain Park. It's such a great destination for families year round. But November & December are my favorite months to visit ~ Stone Mountain Christmas & Snow Mountain are so much fun!  There are over two million lights, holiday music & you may see Santa & Mrs. Claus, the Snow Angel, along with Rudolph & the Bumble, the Abominable Snow Monster!

Stone Mountain's Yellow Daisy Festival is THIS weekend!!

We are way too excited here, because tomorrow, we get to go to The Yellow Daisy Festival! Yippppeeeee!   If you are a regular reader of Just Kidding Around Atlanta, you know how much we LOVE Stone Mountain Park.  It's one of the best attractions in Atlanta for families!  The Yellow Daisy Festival is just as fun as every thing else the Park offers up!  Shopping, festival food, shopping, music, shopping, and did I mention the fabulous shopping?!  Read on for all the details!

Stone Mountain Park hosts the 45th Annual Yellow Daisy Festival 

Voted one of the top three arts & crafts shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine, a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event and winner of multiple awards by the Southeast Festival and Events Association.

Thursday, September 5: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday, September 6: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, September 7: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 8: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Despite its growth from a small arts & crafts show to the four day event that it has become today, the Yellow Daisy Festival Presented by Humana continues to be a big show with a small-town feel. The mission of re-connecting families and friends with fun, shopping, live entertainment and good food has remained constant over the past forty-three years. Multi-generations of mothers, daughters and grandmothers meander the wooded trails together in search of the perfect item.

More than 400 artists and crafters from 38 States and two countries display their works for your appreciation and purchase. Daily live entertainment, Children's Corner activities, and crafter demonstrations throughout the event as well as fabulous festival foods.

Yellow Daisy Festival is free with paid parking admission. Vehicle entry to the park is $10 for a one day permit or $35 for an annual permit.

Children’s Corner Events

Musical Lineup

Crafters by Category 

FAQ

I will add pictures after our visit tomorrow, so come back this weekend! And if you are in Atlanta, make plans to visit The Yellow Daisy Festival - it's open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine!  You can knock out most of your Christmas shopping in one day!

UPDATE! 

We had so much FUN!! Here are some pictures ~ please try to go this weekend and check out this super-fun festival!!

Right inside the festival, looking towards the vendor section! Music stage is to the right.

We were the 2nd set of people in for this fun craft event hosted by Michaels.

We made some fun daisy-themed Mod Podge necklaces! 

Who doesn't love Bubbles?! 

Ford has a huge display set up - you can check out cars and trucks, play games for fun prizes, and enter to win a new Ford vehicle! We had a blast, and walked away with cups and reusable shopping bag prizes!

Looking from the Ford display over towards the back of one row of vendors! 

David won us each a shopping bag ~ he got the 2nd highest score of the day (as of 10:15 am, lol!)

Children's Corner. Nothing going on when we were there, except a sand art activity that cost $5 and up, depending on size.  

The vendors don't allow photos back there so I didn't take any others (the one below I asked permission for!)  Some of the cool things we saw today include: 

Brandles - candles made in containers of your favorite brands - think liquor bottles, soda bottles, etc., Homemade Sugar Scrubs, Maple Sugar Candy and Maple Syrups, 

Adorable Children's clothes, dolls, UGA signs, metal sculptures, Barbecue Sauces, awesome-smelling candied almonds and pecans, stone cutting boards, soaps, and so much more!! Lots of holiday-themed products for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!  

I'm not kidding when I say you can do all your Christmas shopping here!

Tasty dips & soups to sample ~  and yes, we sampled and bought a little packet of butter garlic sauce for dipping your bread ~ yummmm!

For his treat, he chose grasshopper fudge (mint/chocolate, not the bug!)   Oh, and see his cool necklace? He made that, plus another one for his sister at the Michaels trailer! 

After walking through the entire Festival, he wanted to take a break under the shade for a few minutes to enjoy his fudge!

I was thinking there would be some great food trucks, but mostly saw restaurants there today  - Roly Poly, Chick Fil A, Sonny's, Moe's, etc.... there was a sushi/noodle truck and a grilled food truck, but it wasn't open when we passed by for this pic...

There was this food truck ~ and I was proud of myself for not trying a cupcake, they looked very good!

Plenty of shaded seats if you need a break or want to sit and eat ~ 

After we left the Festival, we drove around the mountain to the playground - it's a great big, circular play structure. David had a ball today! 

We LOVE Stone Mountain Park!! 

Thanks so very much for letting us visit the Yellow Daisy Festival today!

Stone Mountain Park provided me with a pass to attend the Festival and a t-shirt from the Yellow Daisy Festival in exchange for writing about the Festival.  However, all opinions in this post are my own and were not influenced by receiving these items from SMP.