Macon DJ Roger Riddle and Y-O Latimore of Poetic Peace Arts join us to talk about fun things to do in Middle Georgia over the weekend and beyond.

Roger's picks for April 11:

Magnolia Street Soap Box Derby

The Magnolia Street Soap Box Derby has become one of Macon's favorite family friendly events.

Each year teams build these mini cars, some designed for speed and some built just to look cool and race them down the hill on Magnolia street vying for the fastest time and bragging rights.

Large groups of people come out and cheer on their favorite teams and businesses. It's just plain old fun!

This year the Magnolia Street Soap Box Derby is on Saturday April 12. There's a kids Big Wheel Race. There will also be live music from the sunDollars and DJ Shawty Slim will be spinning tunes during the race. There's food trucks and lots more to see and do.

The fun all starts at noon this Saturday. And you don't want to miss GPB's own Adam Ragusea driving GPB Macon's Soap Box Volkswagon Bus in the race!

'Four Broke Brothers' at the Douglass

J Shawn Durham is a Macon native who has been living in DC the past few years. He has returned home to Macon to debut his one man play Four Broke Brothers at the Douglass Theatre.

The idea behind Four Broke Brothers first came to light 8 years ago when Durham performed a side-splittingly funny poem called “The Broke Brothers Revolution” at Y-O Latimore's Poetic Peace.

The poem talked about what it was like to be a guy on the dating scene in a materialistic world when you have very little income. The poem has since evolved into Durham's first novel, and now a one man play.

Durham assured me that people familiar with the poem and the novel will find lots of new material in the play since it is more about making the transition in life from party lifestyle of a young adult to the responsibility that comes with age.

This event starts at 8pm on Friday, April 11th. Tickets are $15.

--Roger

Y-O's picks for April 11:

National Poetry Month in Middle Georgia

April has been labeled as National Poetry Month. Many people are aware of my passion for the art of poetry.

So far, this month, I've done it on the stage during our weekly scheduled Wednesday night Poetic Peace at Midtown Key Club in downtown Macon.

You may have also witnessed me in Cruz Plaza speaking the word to Mercer students for their 15th Annual African Diaspora celebration. And, guess what, this past Sunday, I spit a poetic piece titled, "Grandma's Grocery Voyage" to my Grandma Chunk for her 85th birthday in her dining room.

This Friday, April 11, I've been invited to host a poetry jam at a spot called My Nook iCafe & Lounge on North Columbia Street in Milledgeville.

Four other poets who are regulars at Poetic Peace events along with about five spectators of the sport will join me in a convoy of vehicles down Highway 49.

Finally, for 13 of the 18 years of the Pan African Festival, I've teamed up with the Tubman African American Museum to chair the Pan African Festival's Poetry Cafe which for the last three years has evolved into the Pan African Festival's Poetry Theatre.

We changed the concept because we started watching screenings of spoken word documentaries, such as "To Be Heard," "Louder than a Bomb" along with featuring local and special guest poets.

On Thursday, April 24, we will view the documentary film titled, "You Belong Everywhere" with a nationally known poet named Abyss Graham at the Douglass Theatre from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. We will close out with an open mic session, and this event is free.

In the meantime, write a poem and snap snap to celebrate National Poetry Month.

'Back to the Future' at Luther Williams Stadium

Tonight, Macon Bibb County Parks and Recreation, a Knight Arts grantee, kicks of their 2014 Sundown Screen Series with the original film "Back to the Future." It will be shown at the Luther Williams Stadium.

This series runs from tonight until the month of September. The whole concept is quite cool. You can make it out of a date night with your honey or the family. It's free and takes place every Friday from nightfall around 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.

You can bring your own food and blankets to watch movies on green space under the stars. How romantic?

Most of the movies will be shown at the Luther Williams Stadium, although the 2014 Sundown Screen Series will travel around showing movies at the Bloomfield, Frank Johnson and Rosa Jackson Recreation Centers along with Lake Tobesofkee and Tattnall Square Park.

Oh, and if it rains, the screenings will be canceled.

For more information, call Ellen Banas with Macon Bibb Parks and Recreation at (478) 751-9280.

--Y-0

Tags: national poetry month, Adam Ragusea, Roger Riddle, Y-O Latimore, Douglass Theatre, Magnolia Street Soap Box Derby, J Shawn Durham