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A fan's guide to Atlanta
By Todd Iscovitz
ESPN.com
After the Falcons reached last year's Super Bowl, the city and people of Atlanta surely hoped the team could repeat the feat in 2000, when the game would be played on their home turf. But devastating early-season injuries all but eliminated the Falcons from contention for Super Bowl XXXIV. So for football's season finale, Atlantans have turned their attention instead to serving up huge helpings of Southern hospitality to greet the legions of fans making the trip to the Peach State.
Let our Fan's Guide to Atlanta help you navigate the best things to do and places to go during Super Bowl week. Although most of the events and activities center around the unique experience that is the Super Bowl, we'll also throw in a few diversions that are musts for any visit to Atlanta.
What to do
From Thursday through Sunday, the ninth annual NFL Experience -- an interactive pro football theme park complete with games, display booths, food and entertainment -- will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center right next to the Georgia Dome. Tickets -- $15 and $10 for children under 12 -- can be bought at the door or by calling 404-249-6400. Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Jan. 27 and 28, 11 a.m. to midnight on Jan. 29 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 30.
One of the most anticipated events of Super Bowl week is the 989 Sports NFL Players Party, which allows fans to mix and mingle with more than 400 active and retired NFL players. Hours are 5 p.m. to 1 a.m daily and tickets are $15 per day or $25 for a 3-day pass. Call 888-657-2789 for more information.
One of the hottest Super Bowl parties will be SuperJam 2000 on Saturday night, hosted by pro football and baseball players, including the Falcons' own Terance Mathis. It's at Carbo's Café & Ballroom, 3717 Roswell Road.
If the largest single-day sporting event in the world doesn't satisfy your craving for live sporting events, you can check out the Atlanta Hawks at the new Philips Arena, 100 Techwood Drive, over Super Bowl weekend. They take on the New York Knicks on Friday night with tickets priced from $20 to $55. Also, the city's new NHL team, the Thrashers, play the Phoenix Coyotes at Philips on Wednesday tickets are $10 to $70. Tickets to both events can be ordered at 404-249-6400. If college basketball's your thing, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets face the North Carolina Tar Heels at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Saturday at noon. Tickets are $20. For more information call 888-832-4849.
Interested in participating rather than watching? Enter this midtown Saucony Super Race 5K on Saturday morning, at 8 a.m. $20 to enter. For more information call 404-231-9064.
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ESPN ZONE - ATLANTA | | If you don't have tickets and are looking for the ultimate place to watch the game on Super Sunday, check out the newest ESPN Zone, the ultimate dining and entertainment experience for sports fans. Located in the Buckhead area at 3030 Atlanta St., the newest ESPN Zone doesn't offically open until Sunday morning at 11 a.m. but fans can get a chance to preview the 34,000 square
foot facility by watching special ESPN broadcasts originating
from the Zone during Super Bowl week. |
Also on Saturday, NFL running backs Robert Griffith and Jerome Bettis team up to host Super Celebrity Bowl, a celebrity bowling tournament at Express Bowling Lanes, 1936 Piedmont Circle, to benefit college scholarship programs. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $5/spectator. $500/bowler. Call 770-429-4625.
Where to eat
On the culinary front, on Saturday, NFL players team up with their moms and Atlanta's best soul-food restaurants at the Park Tavern, 500 10th St, for the Taste of Soul Player Cook-off to benefit local hunger relief efforts. 2-6 p.m. $15/advance. $20/day of event. For more information, call 1-800-289-6187.
For good food, a good time and to support a good cause, there's Taste of the NFL, a food- and wine-tasting extravaganza benefiting hunger-relief organizations. Held at the Georgia Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center on Saturday, it features the top chefs from each of the 31 NFL cities paired with an alumni player from each team. Tickets are $300 and the hours are 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Call 612-835-7621 for more information.
An Atlanta institution since 1928, The Varsity is a fast-food mecca and as much a place to see as it is to eat. Billed as the world's largest drive-in restaurant, it serves more than two miles of hot dogs a day. The main location is at 61 North Ave.
Out and about
Musically speaking, the Super Bowl Concert Series presents Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd on Friday night, at 8 p.m. at the historic Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. NE. Tickets range from $33 to $78. Call 404-249-6400.
If you want to explore one of Atlanta's many neighborhoods but still don't want to miss out on the action, try Bats and Balls, a busy sports bar in the Buckhead section, about 10 miles northwest of downtown. 3049 Peachtree Rd. 404- 816-9931.
Comedian Dom Irrera presents Super Bowl Style Comedy on Thursday and Friday at the Punch Line, 280 Hilderbrand Drive NE in Sandy Springs, an Atlanta suburb. Tickets are $15. Call (404) 252-LAFF (5233) for show times.
Other events
Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. SE, has two new giant panda cubs that arrived from China in November. Hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily and admission is $12, $10 for ages 55 and up and $8 for children 3-11. Call 404-624-5600 for more information.
The High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, presents Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People featuring all the artists' 322 covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Admission is $12-$15 and hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday - Wednesday, and 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling 404-733-5000.
The CNN studio tour offers guests an insider's view of how breaking news is reported. The 40-minute walking tour is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and reservations are strongly recommended. Call 404- 827-2300 for more information.
Follow the history of the world's most famous soft drink through hundreds of artifacts, exhibits, and videos at the World of Coca-Cola, 55 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The museum is open Mon. through Sat. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children 6 to 11, and free for children under 5. Call 404-676-5151 for more information.
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