By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

You’ll find pumpkins of all sizes at pumpkin patches and corn mazes during the fall months. Most are operated by local farm families, who want to share the farm experience as well as a little farm fun with others.

When the leaves take on autumn hues, the air is a little crisper and pumpkins litter farm fields like orange confetti, it’s definitely time for a trip to a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin patches have seriously come into their own since my older children were young. In fact, I’m not sure where you went to visit one back then, but there sure weren’t any advertised in my vicinity. Not so now. Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are all the rage in the fall.

To run a farm these days, it takes a lot of hard work (sweat), patience, love and faith in the weather. You’ll find that a number of farm families want to share their farm experiences and their knowledge about animals and plants and let visitors, especially youngsters, have a good time doing it. Each September and October when the pumpkins are ripe on the vines, many farms open their gates, so to speak, to schoolchildren during the week and the public on the weekends. I’ve taken Brianna to Uncle Bob’s Pumpkin Patch in Coweta County a couple of times and to Ison’s Farm in Fayette County with a preschool group, but there are numerous ones around the state. (more…)

 By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Art gallery openings are exciting events. An opening, such as this one for the Dogwood Gallery’s Martin Pate exhibit, can bring an early understanding and appreciation of art to any child.

Like many kids, Brianna likes to draw. Like many parents, we like to go to art gallery openings—the night when a gallery introduces a new show or artist. We decided it wasn’t too early to let her come along, so Brianna has attended several openings with us the last few months—the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia for “Rising Movers & Shakers,” Callanwolde for its Elizabeth D’Angelo exhibit, and, just this past Saturday night, Dogwood Gallery in Fayette County for its Martin Pate opening.

Gallery openings are usually vibrant events—colorful artwork, art-funky attired people, and tasty hors d’oeuvres and drink. Of course, gallery openings are also usually adult gatherings, but I have noticed several other parents bringing children of all ages along on these outings. And the gallery owners I’ve met don’t seem to mind—especially if children stick close to their parents and display some interest in what is going on. A gallery opening can be an educational experience. Brianna certainly appreciates the artwork she sees, and we supplement the trip with talking about her favorite piece of artwork and introducing her to the artist if it is someone we know personally. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Twenty-some years ago, my longtime friend Wendi Farr and I would take our young girls to The Foxx Theater in Atlanta for various plays and musical theater. As we said back then, “We’re going to give them culture and expose them to the arts, whether they like it or not.” Today, as far as I’m concerned, our old adage still holds true, but fortunately I don’t have to travel to Atlanta with Brianna to give her a bit of cultural entertainment. There are more and more regional and local theater groups that are doing a wonderful job. In my locale, The Legacy Theatre in Tyrone ranks right up there with any theatrical performances going on anywhere in the state, the region and across the country – for adults and children.

My first experience with The Legacy Theatre was last December when I went with Brianna and her pre-school class to see a performance of “The Elves and the Shoemaker.” All the acting was first-rate—not a weakness anywhere. The choreography was outstanding and, most importantly, the kids enjoyed themselves immensely. Brianna, who was four at the time, was so mesmerized that I immediately looked into the rest of children’s series to see what was offered and ended up buying tickets for the remaining season.

This summer, the regular season ended with a musical production of “The Wizard of Oz,” and Brianna and I were once again enthralled—Dorothy and the gang, singing and dancing Munchkins, poppies, trees and jitterbug ghosts—all New York City worthy. (more…)