Atlanta LGBTQ Culture Explorers

Cocktails in the Garden: Atlanta Botanical Garden

Thu, Jul 23 · 5:30 PM EDT

Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA, US

The Atlanta Botanical Garden's Cocktails in the Garden - its long-running Thursday after-hours series - returns for 2026 with a new focus: each Thursday from June 11 through July 30 carries a regional theme in tribute to Atlanta's role as a FIFA World Cup host city. We've chosen the European Garden Party (Thursday, July 23), included with Garden admission.

In addition to specialty cocktails and curated playlists is the headlining exhibition: Niki in the Garden, the Garden's encore presentation marking its 50th anniversary, with roughly 41 monumental sculptures by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle distributed across the grounds and conservatories. The Garden bills it as one of the largest outdoor presentations of her work ever mounted in North America; the original 2006 installation here drew major regional acclaim and remains fondly remembered by longtime Atlanta arts audiences.

Event Plan:

5:30p.m. - ABG Cocktails Event

• Meet at the entrance to the Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Address: 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
• Tickets are $27.95 and can be purchased online at the ABG Box Office
• Be sure to purchase tickets for Thursday, July 23rd - the date matters

7:45 - Dinner at Longleaf Restaurant in the ABG (optional)

• We secured 26 dinner spots at Longleaf, the restaurant in the park.
• All dinner spots are now claimed - see my comment below.

We hope you can join for what promises to be a fun evening.

Docent tour of Dior: Crafting Fashion at SCAD FASH

Sat, Aug 8 · 11:00 AM EDT

SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, 1600 Peachtree Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA, US

Dior: Crafting Fashion is the first presentation of the House of Dior in the Southeastern United States, organized exclusively by Christian Dior Couture in partnership with SCAD and curated by Hélène Starkman, Cultural Projects Director and Exhibitions Curator for Dior. The show pulls nearly one hundred archival pieces - several never before publicly exhibited - across seven thematic galleries that trace the maison from Christian Dior's 1947 "New Look" to current Artistic Director Jonathan Anderson, the first designer to lead both Dior's women's and men's collections since the founder himself. Fashionista notes the exhibition lands ahead of Dior's 80th anniversary; the SCAD-Dior collaboration follows 2025's Christian Dior: Jardins Rêvés at SCAD's Lacoste campus in Provence, which drew record-breaking attendance.

ArtsATL's Robert Stalker singled out the central gallery, The Dior Gardens, as the exhibit's breathtaking centerpiece - flowers suspended from the ceiling, gowns bathed in pink light - and praised the curatorial choice to recast underappreciated designers: architect-trained Gianfranco Ferré's 1996 embroidered silk evening gown, and Maria Grazia Chiuri (Dior's first female creative director) revealed as a masterly couturier beyond her slogan T-shirts. The exhibit closes with Stars in Dior, a room dedicated to Hollywood adopters from Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor to Marlene Dietrich (who reportedly told producers, "No Dior, no Dietrich") and includes John Galliano's 1996 Diana slip dress.

We’ve secured a private docent tour for our group.

Event Plan

11:00 – Brunch – The Hive (confirmed)

• Address: 1845 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
• The restaurant is a 5-minute drive to the Museum
• You must post a comment below if you wish to join for brunch.
• FYI: This restaurant will not issue separate checks for large groups. You’ll settle up with me.

1:00 – SCAD FASH Exhibit docent tour, just for our group

• Address: 1600 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
• Group Admission is $5.00 per person – includes admission and docent-led tour (you will pay me)
• Note: SCAD FASH caps docent tours to 20 people maximum.

We hope you can join for what promises to be an engaging exhibit.