Some things, like your ability to weather both heat and traffic with grace, are easy giveaways that you’re from Atlanta. But there are some baby names that are even more Atlantan than that and will let everyone know how much you love our fair city. Keep reading for a peck of perfectly peachy Georgia-inspired baby names for boys and girls that you’ll love.

Asa
Asa Griggs Candler founded the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1892, and was our city’s 41st mayor from 1916 to 1919. Since he had 5 children, though, and countless grand, great-grand, and great-great grandchildren (most of whom have Asa in their name somewhere), you’re bound to run into one of his descendants at the playground sometime. Just be prepared to be grilled on your lineage.

Ansley
Atlanta’s first suburban neighborhood can be found in Midtown, between Peachtree St. and Piedmont Park. Designed in 1905 for automobile travel, it features wide, winding roads that are still as fun today to travel as they were over a century ago.

André
André Lauren Benjamin, better known as André 3000, is an Altanta rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. You might know him for being part of hip-hop duo OutKast, alongside fellow rapper Big Boi.

August or Augusta
In addition to being the city where every spring The Master’s Tournament takes place, this Georgia town shares a name with Helen Augusta Howard, who established the Georgia Woman Suffrage Association (GWSA) in the 1890s.

Bless
Another sweet middle name, not a one of us can say anything mean about anyone else without saying “bless his heart” to soften the blow.

Candler
See Asa, above. For additional inspiration, Candler Park is one of our favorite spots for a picnic, and is the site of one of our city’s best festivals.

Carter
Jimmy Carter may not be from Atlanta, but we claim him like he is.

Dex
This one’s for you, Decatur. For your funky independence and our favorite book festival of the year, we feel like you need to be honored in the next generation of Atlanta baby’s names.

Eve
Because EAV (East Atlanta Village) would cause some serious distress on standardized test forms later in life, we’ve taken the liberty of transforming one of our city’s most transformative neighborhoods into an easier-to-spell-and-pronounce baby name.

Georgia
Because, you know, we live in Georgia? Also, it’s one of our favorite girl names of all time.

Grady
Henry W. Grady was a Reconstruction-era journalist who coined the phrase “the New South,” and who helped reintegrate Georgia into the Union after the Civil War. Atlanta’s downtown hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital, is named after him, as is Grady High School in Midtown.

Gladys
The “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight—a four-time Grammy Award-winner best known for hits Midnight Train to Georgia and I Heard It Through the Grapevine— was born and raised in Atlanta.

Hot
Because it is. Right now. Atlanta is so. stinking. hot. And will be, until October.

Hartsfield
If the world’s busiest airport is worthy of being named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson, your special delivery is, too. Really, what’s cuter than a nickname of “Hart?”

Inman
One of Atlanta’s oldest and most scenic neighborhoods, first developed in the late 1800s, Inman Park is home to many historic homes and parks. It was Atlanta’s first planned suburb, connected to the city by the first of Atlanta’s electric streetcar lines along Edgewood Avenue. Today, it’s home to one of Atlanta’s longest-running and best annual festivals.

Ivy
Atlanta has its share of Blah Blah Blah, IV, so to make it easier on everyone, just name your namesake Ivy. We’ll know it means “IV.”

Jimmy
Thirty-ninth U.S. president, Jimmy Carter was born in Plains. And even though he lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, we Georgians still see him as a two-termer.

King
Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried in Altanta. A Baptist minister, Dr. King advocated civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, and was the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in Memphis in 1968.

Keisha
Our current Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, is someone whose name you’re going to be hearing a lot of, on both our local and national political stages. Yeay for strong women!

Killer
If you want a name with an edge, naming your little one after local Atlanta musician and businessman Killer Mike (Michael Santiago Render). But don’t let the name fool you. He’s not scary.

Lanier
One of Georgia’s own literary giants, Sidney Lanier also has a pretty big pond (Georgia’s largest recreational lake) named after him—Lake Lanier.

Maynard or May
Atlanta’s first African-American mayor, Maynard Jackson, was elected in 1973, during a time that many cities were still struggling to embrace the forward momentum of the Civil Rights Movement. Also, everyone in Atlanta knows that Marietta is properly pronounced “MAYetta.”

Peachy
Peachtree just doesn’t work when it comes to a first, or even middle, name. But shorten it, and you’ll find yourself with a Peach of a name—perfect for a precious baby from the Peach State.

Simon
In the 1850s, Spanish explorers used Catholic missions along the Georgia coast to assimilate Native Americans into the colonial system spreading north from Florida. The village of San Simón on current-day Saint Simons Island was a refugee village for non-converts, and is the island’s namesake.

Savannah
Founded in the early 1700s by English colonists led by James Oglethorpe, Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and was once named Yamacraw Bluff. We think Savannah is a prettier baby name than Yamacraw, but you choose.

Ty
Georgia’s baseball player Ty Cobb was born in Narrows. Nicknamed “The Georgia Peach,” he was the first player elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1936.

Wylie
Just outside the Krog Street Tunnel, where you’ll find a constantly evolving slice of Atlanta street art, is the BeltLine and Wylie Street. It’s a cool part of town, and an even cooler boy baby name or girl baby name.

Walker
This is for all our Georgia fans, because in the world of sports, there no name more revered in this state than Herschel Walker. And it’s a great name, too.

Yonah
Just a few hours from Atlanta’s city lights is Yonah Mountain, located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest between the towns of Cleveland and Helen. Yonah is the Cherokee word for Bear, which we also love, but is a little to Alabama-y for our taste.

Make sure to capture all the pics of your little Atlantan—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.

Try not to cry watching this adorable video of Michael Bublé and his son Noah.

Father-of-three Michael Bublé tried hard to hold back tears after listening to his son, Noah, eight, surprised him with a performance of his new song, “I’ll Never Not Love You,” on the piano.

The four-time Grammy Award winner shared the adorable video and joined in to sing along with his son, who was deep in concentration trying to impress his famous dad. “Noah surprised me after I was away on tour. He worked so hard to learn this song. So proud of my guy,” he wrote over the video. “More talent in his little fingers than I have in my whole body,” he captioned the post.

The sentiment is even sweeter given Noah was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a kind of liver cancer, in 2016 at just three years old. Bublé, who also shares son Elias, six, and daughter Vida, four, with his wife, Luisana (who is expecting their fourth child!) watched on while Noah played, singing along and stopping to squeeze his son’s shoulder. He even turned to him and others in the room, mouthing “Dude!” at his performance.

Luisana commented “My baby!!” on his post.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to thank all of you for your support, your love and for all your prayers,” Buble told Marca earlier this year of his comeback album after taking time off to be with Noah during chemo.

“‘Higher’ is the depiction of all the happiness in my heart right now. It’s a love letter to the world because it’s a wonderful moment in my life,” he said. “I was doing bath time with the kids, and my son Noah told me he wrote a song. He began to sing it and I thought it was a great song. Months later, I sang the song to a very famous composer and he also said it was great. Within 30 minutes, we had a finished song and it’s the greatest hit on the radio I’ve had over 20 years in my career.”

All thanks to Noah, who looks like he may have a successful career just like his dad someday.

This weekend is hoppin’! Portland has pulled out all the stops with activities and events that offer local and visiting families the opportunity to jazz it up, get rolling and jump their wiggles out. Read on to find out more.

photo via istock

Glow Skate

The ever popular Glow Skate night is back ! It’s Friday night and oaks park is turning down the lights so they can turn up the fun!  Skate under our fabulous disco lights all night long, join in black-out skate, and get a free glow stick with paid admission! Event Details.

2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival

Presented this year by PDX Jazz, a local jazz organization, the Portland Jazz Festival enters its 19th consecutive year of celebrating jazz and Black History Month This year’s festivities feature GRAMMY Award Winners, as well as local artists! Whether your family members are die-hard jazz lovers who wouldn’t mind spending a few bucks on tickets for select performances, or  would prefer to attend one of the many free musical shows, options are not in short supply. Event Details.

Sky Zone

Let go of gravity and grab some air on these sprawling wall-to-wall trampoline courts. Your kids can challenge a friend or show off their inner acrobat. Reach new heights while flipping and jumping on the biggest trampoline court in our park. Event Details.

Triple Rainbow at Family Day

Join Portland’s newest family band Triple Rainbow as they celebrate the release of their first album “You Are Magic.” Jared, July and Piper Mees will perform the title song from the album, along with their pop-punk hit “Why Can’t Every Day Be Halloween?” and the delightfully creative song “Slime.” Get out your best costumes and instruments (real, created or imagined) and rock out with the newest family band on the national kindie scene. Event Details.

Black History Online Learning Course

Perhaps you and your family have always wanted to know a little bit more than free readings, talks or a chapter of a book at school could deliver. Look no further than Simon Education, an online schooling program that is offering a month long event geared towards Black History! Spanning the nearly 250,000 years of Black history, your child will follow the two child superheros as they relive the events and evolution that is Black history throughout time. This event does require a donation, about $10 per family, and doles out much more knowledge than money is worth! Grab the kids and work your way through the four modules of awe and inspiration together. Event Details.

23rd Annual Portland Benefit

Head to the Alberta Rose Theatre to celebrate circus and Clowns Without Borders. Enjoy an amazing evening of variety and comedy to benefit Clowns Without Borders USA Many of the Northwest’s top circus artists, physical comedians, musicians, magicians, and more gather their talents for one special evening each year. Event Details.

Beyond Van Gogh Portland

Immerse yourself in the world of Vincent Van Gogh like you’ve never experienced before. Beyond Van Gogh is a rich and unique multimedia experience, taking the viewer on a journey through over 300 iconic artworks including instantly-recognizable classics “The Starry Night”, “Sunflowers”, and “Cafe Terrace at Night”, now freed from their frames. Set to a symphonic score and using the artist’s own dreams, thoughts, and words to drive the experience as a narrative, Van Gogh’s art comes to life by appearing and disappearing, flowing across multiple surfaces and heightening the senses with their immense detail. Guests will leave with a new appreciation of this prolific artist’s stunning work. Event Details.

The Art of Netsuke Carvings

Portland Japanese Garden will be hosting it’s first art exhibition of the year, “Fashion and Fantasy: The Art of Netsuke Carvings” in the Pavilion Gallery. Once immensely popular across Japan, netsuke (pronounced nets-keh), small accessories fashioned from wood, ivory, or porcelain, blurred the lines between function and art in their heyday. “Fashion and Fantasy” will showcase the fascinating world of these miniature Japanese carvings traditionally used to secure small pouches to men’s pocketless kimonos. Drawing on a recent gift from the The Netsuke Collection of James R. Coonan, Denise C. Bates and Lurline C. Menzies, this exhibition explores the breathtaking stories, artistic expression and imagination that netsuke capture. Event Details.

Starry Nights Live

Planets, constellations, the zodiac, shooting stars and satellites are all in the night sky if you know when and where to look. Navigate by the stars and discover how you can become a backyard astronomer. This live presentation focuses on the night sky during the current month. Event Details.

—Annette Benedetti

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Black History Month is an important observance that when celebrated by attending well organized and educational events, both in-person and online, can help your family understand and support the Black community year-round. As James Baldwin said, Black history is American history. There’s much to celebrate and honor, and a lot of work to be done toward racial justice. So how can you and your children celebrate, learn and engage with Black history in Portland? Read on for ways to involve the whole family this February and beyond.

Portland Jazz Festival

Spencer C. via Yelp

Presented this year by PDX Jazz, a local jazz organization, the Portland Jazz Festival enters its 19th consecutive year of celebrating jazz and Black History Month This year's festivities feature GRAMMY Award Winners, as well as local artists! Whether your family members are die-hard jazz lovers who wouldn't mind spending a few bucks on tickets for select performances, or  wouled prefer to attend one of the many free musical shows, options are not in short supply. Head online for more information about performance scheduling, ticket pricing, and of course, the COVID-19 policy and then get jazzy with it!

When: Feb. 17- 26
Online: pdxjazz.org/festival/

Multonomah County Library's Black Storytime!

Maybe you are crunched with work and the little ones are too tired to get out of the house. Don't worry. This event is online and geared to the tiniest of tots. If you are a new parent, or a parent with a child up to age 6, this is the event for you! Set the laptop up and jump in for a live storytelling experience, a bit of singing, and a whole lot of fun. This event is only thirty minutes, the perfect amount of time to keep your little one engaged, entertained and learning. Head online to register via Zoom, free of charge!

Where: Virtual
When: Feb. 2
Cost: Free
Online: here

OPB: Oregon's Black Pioneers

This February, OPB is publishing a 30 minute special that will air on TV and be available online, documenting Oregon's Black Pioneers. In this special, OPB will cover the centuries-long story that covers the African American from the late 18th century to the present. Gather the family around a computer, iPad, or television to learn about the Black Pioneers of Oregon from the comfort of your own home! Flexible, free, and full of educational material, this is an event you can be sure will enrich your family this Black History Month!

Where: Virtual
When: Monday, Feb. 7 from 9:30 - 10 p.m.
Online: here

Black History Online Learning Course

Oregon Historical Society

Perhaps you and your family have always wanted to know a little bit more than free readings, talks or a chapter of a book at school could deliver. Look no further than Simon Education, an online schooling program that is offering a month long event geared towards Black History! Spanning the nearly 250,000 years of Black history, your child will follow the two child superheros as they relive the events and evolution that is Black history throughout time. This event does require a donation, about $10 per family, and doles out much more knowledge than money is worth! Grab the kids and work your way through the four modules of awe and inspiration together. 

Where: Virtual
When: Feb 5, 12, 19, & 26
Online at: here

PCC's Cascade Festival of African Films

Take things back to the start of it all: Africa. Through films and their unique storytelling capacities, this year's Annual Cascade Festival is honoring the cultural and historical saga that is Africa. Films like Diatribe: From the Village to the Streets or Casablanca Beats take viewers from past to present and everywhere in between. Films are being shown through the beginning of March, so don't sweat the timing too much! There is an opportunity every weekend to spend some quality time with the family in front of the big screen.

Where: Virtual & In-Person
When:  Feb. 4 - Mar. 5
Online: here

Trail Blazers: Celebration of Black History

Kim G. via Yelp

"Let's go Blazers!". This is a phrase you and your family must know well if you know the Trail Blazers. Whether you're big into sports or just when your friends make you sit through a game, this Black History Month event hosted by Portland's NBA team is one you'll surely not want to miss! Friday, February 21st marks another year of the annual celebration by the Trail Blazers and will feature live performances, fundraising opportunities, and, you guessed it, sick Trail Blazers swag! Fundraising will be for the Black Education Achievement Movement, an organization driven to help African youth pursue furthered education. So pop on all your sports apparel, grab the kids and head to the MODA center this February to get involved and give back!

Where: MODA Center, 1 N Center Ct St., 
When:  Feb.12, 2 p.m.
Online: here

Clinton Street Theater's Hidden Colors

Come out for another film screening at Portland's Clinton Street Theater this February! The theater is showing Tariq Nasheed's Hidden Colors, a documentary highlighting African and aboriginal historical stories that have been left out of the mainstream voice. Listen to featured voices of scholars, social movement leaders, and historians as they unpack the largely untold history of Black History Month! This is sure to be a memorable experience, so head to Clinton Street Theater's website to secure the family's tickets now!

Where: Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St.
When: February 9, 16, 22
Online: here

Black Love Day Comedy Show & Fundraiser

Maybe your children are a bit older, and maybe you have some money to spend. If that sounds right, then this is the Black History Month event for you. Built around Black Love Day, a prequel to Valentine's Day that expresses and discusses love within Black culture, this comedy show and fundraiser is a catered evening full of food, drinks, and hilarity. Come ready to dine, drink and donate, laugh, love and laugh some more all night long! 

Where: The Suite Spot PDX, 24-32 NW 2nd Ave., 
When: Feb. 13
Cost: $60 - $300
Online: here

—Hannah Judge

Featured photo: PDX Jazz Festival via yelp

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Barbie has always been a gal who takes on challenges and doesn’t shy away from trying new jobs. Now, she’s digging into an underrepresented career where women make up less than 3%: music producers.

Barbie Music Producer ($15) is the newest a doll in a long line of over 200 careers and she’s packing a punch. Dressed in jeans, graphic tee, platforms, crop jacket, and colorful hair, Barbie comes with headphones, computer and sound mixing board.

In addition to the inspiring new doll, Barbie is coming together with Grammy-Award nominated music producer, songwriter, singer and actress Ester Dean and Girls Make Beats to fund Girls Make Beats scholarships so young girls can reach their dreams in music. Girls Makes Beat is an organization whose mission is to give females a larger presence in the industry as audio engineers, DJ’s and music producers.

Young musicians ages 5-17 can tune in live when Barbie, Girls Make Beats and Ester Dean host a live webinar on Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. PST, open to girls ages 5-17 to get more inspiration. Additionally, Barbie and MTV will host a takeover over Saturday Music Video Block on Sept. 18 at 8 a.m. EST with exclusive women-produced music hits. Want even more inspo?

Catch Ester Dean on Barbie’s newest blog, “I Interview Ester Dean, Song Machine” on Fri., Sept. 24th on the Barbie YouTube channel.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of Mattel

 

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There’s a new series coming to Disney Channel & Disney Junior: It’s the Mickey Mouse Funhouse—and it sure is fun inside!

Check out this trailer to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy on all-new, exciting adventures. You’ll also meet a brand new character named Funny, an enchanted talking playhouse.

When the gang steps inside Funny the playhouse, they’re transported to new lands and embark on all sorts of amazing adventures. Funny may sound familiar; he’s voiced by Harvey Guillén from FX’s What We Do in the Shadows. The series’ guest cast also includes Jenifer Lewis (from ABC’s black-ish) and Grammy Award nominee Mickey Guyton.

Perfect for the preschool crowd (and fun for kids and adults of all ages!), Mickey Mouse Funhouse premieres on Friday, August 20th. The premiere will be simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior at 8 a.m. EDT/PDT.

—Eva Ingvarson Cerise

All images and trailer courtesy of Disney

 

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Are you a fan of  musicals? Then you’ll want to get in on the upcoming original, Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical.

The one-night-only musical version of the Pixar and Disney film is being brought to life in a whole new way, with Broadway stars leading the way. Premiering Fri. Jan. 1, 2021 and available to stream for 72 hours, the event costs just $5 and can be purchased on todaytix.com.

So how did TikTok get involved with making a musical? It all started when TikTok user Emily Jacobsen posted a love ballad to Remy back in August, which kicked off other creators on the social media platform to do the same. Jacobsen is such a fan that she was even invited to get a sneak peak of the upcoming attraction at EPCOT!

Now, the fan-inspired musical is actually happening and with lots of stars that include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess, Kevin Chamberlin, Tony Award winner André De Shields, Andrew Barth Feldman, Grammy Award nominee Adam Lambert, Tony winner Priscilla Lopez, Tony nominee Ashley Park, Owen Tabaka, Ashley Park and three-time Tony nominee Mary Testa.e

Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical features original songs created by musical theater lovers on TikTok and will be performed by the 20-piece Broadway Sinfonietta orchestra. Proceeds benefit The Actors Fund, which has been supporting out-of-work performers and crew since Broadway shut down in March due to the pandemic.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: Wikipedia

 

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Last month Disney+ announced The Right Stuff highlighting the high-stakes space race era. The streaming service is also releasing The Real Right Stuff which is a companion piece to the scripted series. This documentary will premiere Fri., Nov. 20. 

The Real Right Stuff tells the remarkable true story of the nation’s first astronauts, the original Mercury 7, and pulls from hundreds of hours of archival film and radio broadcasts, interviews, home movies and other rare and never-before-seen material to catapult viewers back to the late 1950s. The two-hour documentary, from National Geographic will air the same day as the  season finale of The Right Stuff. 

Directed and produced by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Tom Jennings (Apollo: Missions to the Moon, Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes), The Real Right Stuff is a gripping account of NASA’s Project Mercury program, which revolutionized America’s role in human space exploration and inspired future generations of space enthusiasts. Free of modern-day narration and interviews, the special uses Jennings’ signature style to give viewers unparalleled access to the early days of the space race.

The Real Right Stuff

To underscore one of the most dramatic and tenacious times in history, “The Real Right Stuff” features:

  • Never-before-seen footage and newly synced audio – Shown for the first time are the tense moments that immediately followed the Mercury-Redstone 4 flight piloted by Virgil “Gus” Grissom.
  • Rare early radio and video recordings – Viewers experience the historic announcement of the Mercury 7 astronauts from a wide array of news outlets, all jockeying to cover America’s first space team and witness an internal government recording that outlines the formation of NASA from its predecessor, The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
  • Never-before-seen research materials from Tom Wolfe – Hear Wolfe speak with Rene Carpenter, wife of Mercury 7 astronaut Scott Carpenter, and see intimate handwritten notes compiled for Wolfe’s seminal book, “The Right Stuff.”
  • Newly digitized John Glenn home movies – From the archives of The Ohio State University, John Glenn’s rare personal family moments are captured on 8 mm and 16 mm film.
  • Exclusive unseen and rare photographs – For the first time, behind-the-scenes photographs from the infamous LIFE Magazine issue are shared, providing a glimpse into the home lives of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Rare photos from National Geographic’s top photographers who covered the Mercury space program are also revealed.

Composed by James Everingham for Bleeding Fingers Music and produced by Academy Award, Golden Globe, Tony Award and GRAMMY Award winner Hans Zimmer and Emmy-nominated Russell Emanuel, the film’s orchestral score was recorded remotely by a socially distant 44-piece orchestra in May 2020. Each musician self-recorded from home which was then seamlessly weaved together to create a breathtaking score that perfectly captures the zeitgeist of midcentury America.

The Real Right Stuff is produced by 1895 Films for National Geographic. For 1895 Films, Tom Jennings serves as executive producer and director. The film is edited and produced by David Tillman and produced by Chris Morcom. For National Geographic, Simon Raikes is executive producer.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Disney+

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Fans of Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Mac & Cheese won’t have to choose between their two Panera favorites ever again. Today, Panera is pairing these two classic menu items into an entirely new creation – Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese, available now at bakery-cafes nationwide. Since this combination is so irresistible, Panera and two-time Grammy Award Winner Michael Bolton have released a digital short, “When Some Mac Loves Broccoli Cheddar.”

“As the new head Chef at Panera, I am incredibly excited to work with our pantry of fresh, clean ingredients to create delicious new innovations on the Panera menu,” said Claes Petersson, Head Chef and Chief Food & Innovation Officer at Panera. “I’m obsessed with the flavor combination in our new Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese—it’s an insanely craveable and irresistible creation that our customers nationwide are sure to love.”

Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese is a new recipe from Panera and was developed by combining two distinct cheddar cheese sauces into a singular velvety blend, simmered with a burst of seasoned broccoli florets and julienned carrots. Guests can now order Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese in Panera bakery-cafes nationwide, starting at $5.79 or as part of a You Pick 2 order. Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese is also available in the refrigerated deli area at select grocery retailers nationwide as the newest addition to Panera’s line of cafe-inspired grocery products.

“To celebrate the first-ever mash-up of two iconic Panera menu items coming together in perfect harmony, we knew we had to do something big,” said Eduardo Luz, Chief Brand & Concept Officer at Panera. “The combination of our crowd-pleasing Broccoli Cheddar Soup, with our Mac & Cheese is a true embodiment of Panera’s dedication to delicious food. We felt so passionately about the flavor combination that the love song almost wrote itself, and who better to help us announce to the world than love song legend and Panera superfan, Michael Bolton.”

As with all Panera menu items, new Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese is free from artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, or colors from artificial sources as defined by our No No List.  Guests can order nationwide in Panera bakery-cafes, on Panera’s website, or via the Panera app. If you’re on-the-go or just not quite ready to dine in, you can order via Panera Curbside or contactless Delivery, as Panera continues to take steps to serve our communities safely.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Panera

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Last month, Disney+, announced and debuted the teaser video for the visual album Black Is King, written, directed and executive produced by 24-time Grammy Award-winner Beyoncé. Black is King premiered globally on Disney+ on Jul. 31, just in time for the one-year anniversary of the release of Disney’s The Lion King which featured Beyoncé in the role of Nala. This visually stunning album is Beyoncé’s reimagining of the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young people.

As in the story of the young lion cub, Black families are honored in a tale of a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity. His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his father’s teachings and guidance from his childhood love, he earns the virtues needed to reclaim his home and throne. 

Based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, and starring the album’s featured artists and some special guest appearances, Black Is King is a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience. 

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Travis Matthews

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