Masters Week offers fun things to do besides watching golf
The Masters Tournament hits Augusta this week, but it's not the only event coming to the area during the first week of April.
Whether it's a concert, dinner, or a night out on the town, there's plenty to do during, before and after the Masters.
Annual classics like Rock Fore! Dough and the Major Rager are returning, but there will also be plenty of other local events like First Friday, trivia nights, and a stunt motor vehicle show. Plus, Easter will be Sunday, which means egg hunts, visits from the Easter Bunny and other spring fun.
Here are more details on these and other festivities coming to the Augusta area:
Major Rager
Masters Week's annual North Augusta concert, Major Rager, is back Saturday, but has been moved to the Imperial Theatre in Augusta at 749 Broad St due to inclement weather. Headlining will be the rock band Futurebirds, from Athens, plus The Stews. Tickets can be bought online at fwbpro.com.
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Easter Festivities
Here are a few of the biggest Easter events scheduled through out the area:
Fatty Masha’s Annual Easter Eggstravaganza returns 2-5 p.m. Saturday at Pendleton King Park in Augusta, 1600 Troupe St. There will be free food, games and prizes. The egg hunt will start 4:30 p.m. and is for ages 2-12.
The Easter Bunny will be at the Augusta Mall through the rest of the week. Visits can be scheduled any day. Appointments can be made online at augustamall.com.
Bridge Community Church's "Community Easter Day" is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hephzibah church at 103 Diamond Lakes Way. There will be egg hunt, games, crafts, food, face painting, inflatables and a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Kennedy Middle's "Easter Eggs-perience" is Saturday at the Aiken school at 274 E. Pine Log Rd. There will be egg hunts all morning in addition to inflatables, animals from Eudora Farms, food vendors, a visit from the Easter Bunny, touch-a-trucks, and other activities. Admission is free. For the full schedule of hunts, go to the event's Facebook page.
Oak Ministries' first annual "Worship in the Park" is 2-5 p.m. Easter Sunday at Evans Towne Center Park's Red Maple Pavilion in Evans at 7016 Evans Towne Center Blvd. Families are invited to bring their lawn chairs for an afternoon of fellowship, food, games, and prizes.
First Friday
Downtown Augusta really turns out to celebrate on the evening of the First Friday of the month. Local businesses along Broad Street offer sales and there is live entertainment, including Arcane Arts' fire dancers at 8 p.m. at 11th and Broad streets, as well as a drum circle at Vintage Ooollee from 7-9:30 p.m. at 1121 Broad St.
Coffee and Cars
For the Saturday-morning automobile aficionados, Coffee and Cars Augusta returns to the parking lot of the Augusta-Richmond County Judicial Center at 735 James Brown Blvd. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Enjoy a cup of Joe while checking out a variety of makes and models.
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Jazz Fest
The first annual Jazz Fest takes place Friday-Sunday afternoon at Toaste of Augusta restaurant at 1135 Broad St. It's being hosted by Dreamers Entertainment and local violinist JaVonne Jones, who will be performing alongside other jazz artists from the Augusta area and the larger southeast. Admission starts at $20. A full schedule and ticket information is available on the event's Facebook page.
Vehicular Stunt Show
NITRO EXTREME'S touring show will screech to a halt in the parking lot of Augusta Mall off Wrightsboro Road the afternoons of Thursday-Sunday. Cars, motorcycle and other vehicles will thunder through the sky and roar across the road with death-defying stunts. Ticket and discount information is available on the event's Facebook page.
Improv Theatre
The Augusta improv group Schrodinger's Cat will present "eXtreme Theatre Games" 8 p.m. to midnight, including intermissions, on Friday at Le Chat Noir in Augusta, 304 8th St. Drinks will be available as the troupe performs comedic, improvised scenes and theatre games. Guests must be present at 8 or tickets will be made forfeit. Tickets can be bought online at simpletix.com starting at $20.
Dueling Dancing Drum Lines
The 3rd annual HBCU Community Battle is Saturday at Paine College's Heal Athletics Sports Complex in Augusta at 1255 Druid Park Ave. Doors open at 3 p.m. This is a dance/drum line showcase pitting collegiate teams from across the southeast against each other. The event will be hosted by the local Created 2 Play drum line. Tickets range in price from $5 to $20 and are available online at ticketleap.com.
Trip Back in Time
The Augusta Museum of History on Reynolds Street is hosting another Voices of the Past event on Saturday. These events are free with museum admission and feature a live portrayal of a historical figure.
The museum will be featuring the "Petersburg Boat Captain," which is based on oral histories from 'Buck' Balchin of Elberton, Georgia, about his grandfather, James Henry Balchin, who from the mid-19th century until 1900 crewed and piloted cotton boats.
For more information, check out the museum's Facebook page.
Throwback Movie Night
Georgia Theatre Company's Evans Cinemas will be showing the 1973 cult classic "Jesus Christ Superstar" Sunday as part of the Flashback Cinema series. The theater is located in Evans at 4365 Towne Center Blvd. Adult tickets cost $10 for the 1:15 p.m. show and $13 for the 6:45 p.m. show.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Things to do Masters Week: concerts, car shows, circus and more fun
