Ditch Tradition and Dive In to New Experiences at Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium’s annual Festival of the SEAson transforms North America’s most popular aquarium into a veritable winter wonderland through daily special events, thousands of twinkling lights, music, extravagant holiday trees and appearances from Santa and SCUBA Claus. 

This year’s Festival of the SEAson is set to be more thrilling than ever before thanks to the debut of a 3D-mapped, 60-foot-high atrium nature show. This extraordinary show, titled “The Sea Around Us,” explores the natural wonders of the sea and its connection with the natural world on land.

“It is with the full family experience in mind that Georgia Aquarium’s Festival of the SEAson shakes up holiday traditions year after year,” said Georgia Aquarium’s VP of Marketing and Communications, Debbie Campbell. "Whether the visit is a gift or a family outing, we promise to give visitors a truly unique holiday experience that will create special and lasting memories.”

Bring the entire family to the aquarium this holiday season. Additional Festival of the SEAson highlights include:

• SCUBA Claus – For the tenth year in a row, guests can catch sight of SCUBA Claus diving into Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot and swimming among the whale sharks, manta rays and thousands of fish during the dive shows at 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday until December 25.
• Holiday Tree Lightings – At 10:30 a.m. daily, Georgia Aquarium will host a festive Tree Lighting in the Atrium, complete with carols sung by the attraction’s own Holiday Singers. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to sing along!
• Holidazzle – The choreographed Holidazzle light and music show shines and sparkles to the rhythms of classic holiday tunes in the Georgia Aquarium’s Atrium at the top of every hour.
• Underwater Menorah – See the amazing underwater menorah in the world’s largest aquatic habitat, Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot. In celebration of Hanukkah and in accordance with tradition, another candle will be magically lit under water each evening of the holiday, beginning December 6 and running through December 14. 
• Symphony of Snow – Back for its second year, Symphony of Snow is Georgia Aquarium’s popular Broadway-style live musical, which includes holiday classics and culminates with the entrance of Santa Claus. Symphony of Snow takes place every weekend beginning November 21.
• Breakfast with Santa – Have breakfast with Santa while also taking in majestic aquatic animals. This special A.M. meal will be prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering. Guests will have quality time with Old Saint Nick and enjoy activities such as letter writing and creating a festive holiday craft. Breakfast with Santa is on December 12 at 9 a.m. Tickets are $19.95 per person for non-members and $14.95 per person for members. 

Festival of the SEAson runs from November 21 through December 25. General aquarium admission is required for all Festival of the SEAson activities. Admission tickets are $32.95 for children, $38.95 for adults and $34.95 for seniors. Some Festival of the SEAson activities require a separate activity ticket purchase. For details, to purchase tickets or learn more about Festival of the SEAson, call (404) 581-4000 or visit georgiaaquarium.org. 

Visit the Georgia Aquarium over Spring Break! @GeorgiaAquarium

Are you staying in Atlanta during Spring Break? If so, take your family to the Georgia Aquarium! We went to the Aquarium today and brought three of our cousins (who happen to be triplets) along for the adventure! 

Conveniently located in downtown Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium is the perfect starting point for a day filled with family fun. There are 6 hotels, 5 (soon to be7!) attractions and 17 restaurants all within a 12-minute walk from the front door of Georgia Aquarium.

We were especially excited because we had the opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes tour of the world's largest aquarium. We learned about what it takes to keep the aquarium running. 

Highlights from the tour: 

• We went to the top of the live coral reef exhibit located above Tropical Diver.
• Observed where the Aquarium team cares for the animals and prepares their food at the  Commissary and Veterinary Clinic.                                                        
• Enjoyed the view at the top of the largest ocean exhibit in North America (Ocean Voyager, built by The Home Depot), and observed the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, as it swam below us!

Viewed the African penguins in the Correll Center Animal Care Suite.

We planned our visit around free activities offered throughout the day. After the guided behind-the-scences tour we went to see AT&T Dolphin Tales.

• AT&T Dolphin Tales: Choose your seats no later than 20 minutes before the show!
• Interactive Dive Shows: Tropical Diver and Ocean Voyager galleries have divers.
• Animal Feedings: Check the computer screens outside each gallery with daily feeding times for marquee animals.

Georgia Aquarium provides a beautiful backdrop for photos:

• “The Perfect Silhouette”: It is no surprise Ocean Voyager provides an artistic backdrop for a photo; many movies have chosen this gallery to feature in their films.
• “Just Another Fish in the Sea”: Many of the exhibits feature windows where children can get up close and almost look as if they are inside with some of their favorite animals. Try making a scary face inside our Piranha exhibit in River Scout!

Fun Fact: Even though whale sharks are the world's largest fish (they breathe using their gills), they can only eat krill.
The whale sharks throat is only the size of a quarter.

The Veterinary Services and Conservation Medicine Department provides veterinary medical treatment at Georgia Aquarium.

Using two fingers to gently touch starfish!

Checking out the whale sharks below!

The Georgia Aquarium is open 365 days a year. Check out the Georgia Aquarium's Kids Corner for a variety of fun Atlanta kids activities that you can do before, during and after your trip to the Aquarium.

It's Spring Break! Plan your trip to visit the world's largest aquarium: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/plan-your-visit/

Explore the Georgia Aquarium's Festival of the SEAson #FestivalofSEAson

The boys and I had a great day today visiting the Georgia Aquarium's 'Festival of the SEAson,' the Aquarium's month-long celebration of the holidays, transforms the Aquarium's galleries and exhibits into a winter wonderland - incorporating live holiday musical performances, a spectacular light show, appearances by Santa and my favorite SCUBA Claus!
 

This winter season bring your family and friends to the Georgia Aquarium! When you visit this month, be sure to take a photograph with Georgia Aquarium's own seaside St. Nick! Santa is available for kids of all ages during scheduled dates and times in the Atrium, and is waiting to hear what all of Georgia Aquarium's guests hope for this holiday.

See SCUBA Claus and "Diving Santa!"

Dates:
November 29 - December 1, 2013
December 5-8, 2013
December 12-15, 2013
December 19-22, 2013
Times: During 12:00pm and 12:30pm dive shows
Location: Ocean Voyager Theater
Cost: Included with Total Ticket admission

 

Don't miss out on visiting the Georgia Aquarium's Festival of the SEAson. Follow our recent visit on Twitter @SojournerRuth and hashtag #FestivalofSEAson on Instagram.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org

Our Trip to the Georgia Aquarium (Captured in Photos) #GeorgiaAquarium @GeorgiaAquarium

Did you know that the Georgia Aquarium has attracted more than eleven million visitors? 

The Aquarium has dedicated twenty-five percent of the gallery space to educating students of all ages who visit the Aquarium. 

Explore the world’s largest and most engaging aquarium and add to your adventure with guided tours, special exhibits and more. Buy online! Save time and skip the line!

Visit: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/acb/stores/1/category.aspx

Mother's Day Brunch at Georgia Aquarium

Join Georgia Aquarium for its annual Mother’s Day Brunch in the Oceans Ballroom on Sunday, May 12.  Wolfgang Puck Catering is preparing a lavish buffet sure to be the most exquisite fare she’s tasted all year. Seating will begin at 11 a.m.  No other Mother’s Day brunch invites families to dine in front of the tranquil Ocean Voyager window or interact with the beluga whales and then spend the day visiting the Aquarium. 

The buffet will feature dishes such as Black Pepper Crusted Prime Rib of Beef, Made-to-Order Omelets, Mascarpone Stuffed French Bread with Apples and Spicy Candied Pecans, and a vast selection of assorted pastries, prepared to the high standards of Wolfgang Puck Catering. This meal wouldn’t be complete without a taste or two from our assortment of decadent desserts from the Chef’s Selection of five desserts. Tickets for members are $45 for adults and $20 for children. Tickets for guests are $66.95 for adults and seniors and $14.95 for children (3-12). Ticket prices include general admission to all six permanent galleries of the Aquarium, the Aquarium’s live AT&T Dolphin Tales show, Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow and even access to the temporary gallery featuring: Frogs – A Chorus of Colors.

Souvenir photographs to commemorate this special Mother’s Day experience are available to purchase. This memento will serve as a reminder for years to come of this special occasion.

Guests of this unique Mother’s Day Brunch are welcome to enter Georgia Aquarium at any time before or up to the seating time. The Aquarium opens at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 12. The AT&T Dolphin Tales show times are 12p.m., 2:30p.m., and 4:30p.m., so please plan accordingly.

Please plan to enter the Aquarium at least 15 minutes prior to your brunch seating time. We cannot accommodate parties that arrive more than one hour after their seating start time, please plan to allow yourself time for Aquarium entry.

For more information and to make reservations, call 404-581-4000 or visit www.georgiaaquairum.org

Designer Bags Full of Fun, Philanthropy and Fabulousness! 2012 "Fun-lanthropy" YWCA of Greater Atlanta Gala! [Photos]

Open Your Purse to the YWCA is a silent and live auction to benefit the YWCA and the Women in Transition program. It has been called an evening of “guilt-free shopping at its finest,” as attendees know that their fun and fabulous purchases can have a life-changing impact on Atlanta women and children. Last year's event was a tremendous success with more than 425 women helping to raise over $135,000.

Check out photos below from this year's successful event! We hope to see you next year! 

 

Founded in 1902, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta is a movement whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. We fulfill our mission with programs that support Atlanta’s women and girls through education, advocacy, and unity.

For more information about the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, please visit: http://www.ywcaatlanta.org/about-ywca-greater-atlanta