By Sarah Cusick. A few Friday evenings ago, you may have spotted your neighbors heading out in their finest casino-inspired attire. Their destination was the Marianna Room, the event space above The Wrecking Bar on Moreland. The occasion was Fall Ball 2026, a warm-up for Fall Fest put together by CPNO and a crew of volunteer neighbors. At 7 PM sharp, the doors opened on the party we all needed. Check out our slide show below.
Last year, longtime Fall Ball host Brittany Schwartzwald brought in a casino game company to liven things up, and it was such a hit that we brought them back. Who doesn’t love a little friendly faux-gambling to break the ice? It turns out this neighborhood loves to play. Blackjack tables were stacked two rows deep. The craps table was packed with high rollers. The poker room stayed serious and quiet as neighbors waited on the flop, the turn, and the river. And roulette kept everyone on their toes.
More than 100 neighbors bought tickets ahead of time. The energy built all night, and at 10 PM we wrapped up with a raffle of a few small but mighty prizes, including a dinner party hosted at the winners home by Chef Matt.
This party took a lot of people to pull off. My thanks go to co-hosts Alexis von Dickman, Andy Deutsch, and Lauren Gloster; to Roger Bakeman, webmaster extraordinaire; to Eden, Paul, and the fantastic staff of the Wrecking Bar; and to the casino dealers from Big Eastern Events, who worked hard all night to give every guest a great game.
We’re already planning for next year. We’ll offer more non-alcoholic drinks, and we’ll keep the party going until at least 11 PM. Fall Ball was lively, fancy, and new. Most of all, it demonstrated our shared love of Candler Park and all the folks who live here. If you missed it this year, dust off your best late-summer Atlanta look and join us next fall. The tables will be waiting.