Happy Friday to the West Side! The Anthem will cross 900 subscribers today and I’m thankful for every one of you!
We’ve got an absolutely jam packed weekend ahead of us… Juneteenth, the World Cup, and Father’s Day.
Let’s get into this Friday’s Anthem 👇
The Anthem is made possible in part by El Tesoro West End & South Downtown, a neighborhood treasure serving good quality food at reasonable prices. See the menu here.
🌯 El Tesoro’s showing all World Cup matches at both their West End location and their new South Downtown location. Where are you watching?
🧇 Waffle House opened a pop-up merch shop downtown at 135 Andrew Young Int'l Blvd with waffle and soccer gear. Open 10am-6pm through June 21, and 9am on game days.
🍖 Little Rey is running dad's dino ribs at all locations Saturday and Sunday: smoked beef short rib, salsa macha, rancho primo beans, wood grilled onions, cilantro, onion, and corn or flour tortillas.
🍺 The Westwood's new happiest of hours runs 2-4pm on weekdays, anchored by a $6 Tecate tallboy and Altos combo, plus $4 wells and $10 Corona pitchers.
🌙 Craving a hibachi burrito at 1am? Mattchews' is open until 2am at 1790 Howell Mill Rd NW.
🍹 Boxcar rolled out new summer margaritas: a Twisted Apple with Crown Royal Apple, lime, and agave, and a Chipotle Mango with Tanteo Chipotle Tequila, lime, and mango.
🌭 Pepper's Hotdogs unveiled the Downtown ATL Dog, piled with bacon, pico de gallo, garlic aioli, peppers, and onions. Catch them at the Flatiron Building, Monday through Friday, 10a-3p.
🍕 Phew Pies is running a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza for June, aka "North of Death," at every weekly pop-up for the rest of the month. A strong enough response could land it on the regular menu.
🍖 Broad Street BBQ's takeout window is now open in South Downtown while the dining room gets finished. Hot sammies, cold drinks, and great meat seven days a week, 11a-9p (10p Fri and Sat). The bar's stocked too, including their award-winning cocktail The Police.
🍺 Wild Heaven is running $2 match day beers through the World Cup. Show up on match day in any participating country's jersey and your first beer is $2, at the West End taproom.
🙏 Giving Kitchen has a reminder for the summer of soccer: with World Cup crowds packing restaurants and bars, tip generously and be patient with the servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff making it all happen.
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This week's Events are presented by Camp Days. If your summer childcare strategy is still "we'll figure it out," it's time to meet Camp Days. They've done the hard research for you… hundreds of Atlanta-area camps across sports, arts, STEM, outdoor adventures, and more, all in one place. Less chaos, more camp. Search camps at campdays.com.
🌿 6/19-21 - Celebrate with Plants - New to keeping plants alive? Georgia Plant Trade and Sales is at Wild Heaven West End from 1-6pm to help you learn, grow, and take a few home. | More Info
🍸 6/19 - Juneteenth Market & National Martini Day - Monday Night Brewing's The Grove pairs martini specials with a Beltline Vintage Market from 2-9pm, spotlighting Black makers and curators. | More Info
✊🏾 6/19-21 - Juneteenth Weekend Celebration - Chattahoochee Food Works spotlights Black-owned businesses all weekend with music, food, and community. Saturday is the big one: a Juneteenth Indie Market from 2-5p, then a live DJ 5-9p. | More Info
🛼 6/19 - Juneteenth Cookout - A full family cookout at Cascade Skating, 7-11p: BBQ and a curated food menu, inflatables, dominoes and spades, VIP room activities, and skating with a cultural vibe. Outdoor activities come with admission. | $15 + $5 skate rental | More Info
🏆 6/19 - Juneteenth Chef Showdown - Watch two chefs battle a mystery basket at Koncept House Capitol View, with guest judge Chef Catore deciding the winner. VIP tickets get you plated tastings from both and a vote on the viewers-choice award. BBQ, cocktails, and a DJ all night, 6pm-12am. | More Info
🔬 6/20 - Science Guys of Atlanta - The Science Guys set up in the Atlanta Breakfast Club parking lot for hands-on experiments the whole family will love, 9a-12p. Bring the kids, grab breakfast, get a little scientific. | FREE | More Info
💃 6/20 - Salsa Night - Terminal South is hosting a free, beginner-friendly salsa class on the Switchman Hall patio, 6-7p, with instructors Carlos Robertson and Neasy Griffin. Food, drinks, and dessert from the vendors, plus free parking. | FREE | More Info
⚽ 6/20 - 2026 World Cup Watch Party - ATL Parks and Rec is screening Germany vs. Ivory Coast on the big screen at Atlanta Memorial Park, 4p. Food trucks, pickup games, and bring your own lawn chairs. | FREE | More Info
🪑 6/20 - Parking Lot Yard Sale - The Modernist Design Collective turns its lot into a 13-dealer vintage market with deals all day, 11a-6p, and free ice cream in the afternoon. The whole 30,000 sq ft store is open too. | FREE | More Info
🏆 6/20 - World Drinking Games - Round up four friends, pick a country, and dress the part for a day of guided beer games at The Grove. Keg holding, flip cup relays, and beer pong with prizes for the top three teams, plus matches on TV from 1pm. | $60 per team | More Info
🧘 6/20 - Men's Wellness Mat Pilates - Ahead of Father's Day, Rosalyn Renay leads a free mat Pilates experience for men at FitSquad Studios, 9-10:30a. New to Pilates or just want a reset, it's built around movement, mindset, and recovery. Limited spots, register now. | FREE | More Info
⚽ 6/20-21 - Atlanta Beltline Fest - The Beltline throws a two-day World Cup celebration at Pittsburgh Yards with match screenings, live music from Busta Rhymes and Tobe Nwigwe, cultural workshops, and family-friendly activities. 10am-7pm, and you can roll right in off the Southside Trail. | More Info
🧶 6/21 - Atlanta Crochet Workshop - Alt Hookers hosts a beginner-friendly crochet workshop at CreateATL, 1p, all skill levels welcome. Cute projects, good vibes, and a hobby that isn't scrolling. | More Info
🛍️ 6/21 - Off the Rails - A free vintage and handmade pop-up showcasing the best of ATL, with a live DJ, games, local shopping, and food trucks. Right at 143 Alabama St SW, just outside the Five Points MARTA station and in the heart of the World Cup action. | More Info
🌮 6/21 - All Community Taco Ride - RAR ATL is rolling out a 14.4-mile social-paced ride with taco stops at four-plus spots along the route. Meet at 9:30a, roll at 10a from the RAR Bike Shop at CreateATL in Adair Park. Drop in and out as you like. | FREE | More Info
🔥 6/21 - Father's Day at The Grove - If your dad loves beer, grilling, and soccer, The Grove has all three: a free first beer for dads, burgers and dogs off the grill, and matches on the big screen. | More Info
♠️ 6/25 - Spades Night - Spades of Atlanta takes over Monday Night Garage for a night of spades, trash talk, and good people from 6-9pm. Free parking available at 933 Lee St SW. | More Info
🍷 6/25 - Dive Into West Coast Classics - Sip and learn your way down the Pacific Highway with Hop City at Boxcar in West End ATL, 6-7:30p. Six West Coast wines, from big names to deeper cuts. | $15 | More Info
⛳ Atlanta Golf & Social is hosting a meetup at Bobby Jones Golf Course on Saturday, June 27: nine holes, a bite at Boone's, and casual putting games over drinks. Space is limited and the ticket covers golf, food, and your first drink, so grab a spot soon if you're in.
🚂 The train fiasco at MARTA continues. New trains were supposed to debut before the World Cup, but now there’s no clear timetable for rolling them out at all. MARTA CEO thinks this will be a minor blip on the radar in the long-run. Probably true, still embarrassing.
🌎 67,442 people packed the stadium for a match between two teams most of them don't support. WABE has a great read on the fans who drove and flew in from all over to be there, a reminder that for a few weeks this summer, Atlanta is a World Cup city.
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See you next week!
Connor