Tech Town @ Atlantic Station

Kudos to Georgia Tech AD Dan Radakovich and the Athletic Association for partnering with Atlantic Station this football season and creating Tech Town. On Friday nights before every Tech home football game in 2011, Central Park in Atlantic Station becomes a giant pep rally for the Yellow Jackets.
I passed by the first Tech Town on September 16 before our game against Kansas, but didn’t really get the full experience until this past Friday before our game versus Maryland. It was more fun than I expected and the best part of all: it was free.
The Ramblin’ Wreck was there as well as a ginormous inflatable Buzz, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band, Buzz himself, cheerleaders, dance team, Georgia Tech twirlers, and former Jacket athletes. Athletes in attendance included former football players Randy and Kelley Rhino, Sean Bedford, and Felipe Claybrooks. Each was interviewed by the MC and spoke to the crowd over the mike.
I spent a few minutes talking to Sean Bedford and his mom. Bedford, an aerospace engineering grad and First Team All-​ACC selection, is best known for helping Tech win the 2009 ACC title. He let me check out his awesome conference championship ring.
The women’s basketball team was also at the fan fest, signing autographs and posing for photos. Tailgaters Alley, one of the best stores to find Georgia Tech merchandise, had several tents set up, selling everything from clothing to car accessories. There were other various tents set up specifically for the event, including one that sold beer and food.
Tech football highlights played non-​stop on a giant projection screen (the same one Atlantic Station uses for its movie nights). Two stages were set up and a couple bands played. One was a bluegrass band and the other was a rock band. Throughout the night, the MC would give away all sorts of free Tech gear, mostly t-​shirts.
The highlights of the night were the cheerleading and dance routines, Buzz, and the fireworks. The fireworks went off at 9:30pm sharp.
The Georgia Tech and Atlantic Station web sites say the Friday Night Fan Fests run from 6pm to 10pm, but the action this past Friday really did not start until 7pm.
Tech Town also runs Saturdays of the home football games. Fans attending the game can park their vehicles (RVs included) in Atlantic Station for $ 10 and take an air-​conditioned shuttle to and from the stadium. Also, if you show your football tickets to many of the restaurants and retailers in Atlantic Station, you can get discounts. Check out the list of discounts here:
I think Tech Town is a win-​win for both Georgia Tech and Atlantic Station. Tech is able to partner with a neighboring community to develop more buzz and exposure for the school and its athletic programs, and hopefully gain new fans along the way. Atlantic Station is able to add another fun, family-​friendly event to it’s lineup and generate more business for the development.
While it was a good event, I did see some areas that could have been improved upon. I think Tech and/​or Atlantic Station could have done a better job communicating to the public exactly what to expect at the fan fest. A good example is the former athletes that attended the event — I don’t think there was any announcement that these guys were going to be there. If there was such an announcement, I’m sure the turnout would have been better.
Only two home games remain on the schedule which means only two more Friday Night Fan Fests. They will take place on October 28 (before the ¹⁰⁄₂₉ game vs. Clemson) and November 25 (before the ¹¹⁄₂₆ game vs. UGA). Go Jackets!