Peach Bowl Weekend: Tips To Live Like An ATL Local

Atlanta UCF Alumni Chapter

By Jenna Marina Lee

ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2017) – When news broke that the UCF football team was headed to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, perhaps no one was more overjoyed than the Atlanta UCF Alumni Chapter.

With roughly 4,200 UCF graduates living in the Atlanta metro area, it’s one of the largest hot spots in the country for alumni.

“I was bombarded with messages. Everyone was so excited,” said Falini Shah ’14, chair of the Atlanta chapter. “I know we’re going to leave our mark here, and everybody is going to enjoy their time in Atlanta.”

Atlanta’s group is one of 25 active UCF Alumni chapters or clubs around the country.

Shah recently moved to Atlanta from Denver, where she served as the chair-elect for one year. The regional chapter and club program has helped her network and create new friendships as she has started her career in healthcare. She is a big advocate for getting involved with the chapter and club program as a way to grow professionally and stay connected to UCF.

“If there’s any hesitation, I’ve found it’s related to time commitment. A lot of people say, ‘I already work 50-60 hour weeks and I have a family and I like to travel a lot, I just don’t think I’m going to be as available.’ But it’s really what you make it,” she said. “So any sort of involvement you’re able to give back to a university that has given so much to you, I would say take up that opportunity. You just never know who you’re going to meet at these events.”

The group has been helping prepare the city transform into #Knightlanta. Shah and several devoted members of the chapter recently traveled around the city hanging UCF flags at local establishments to help make UCF fans feel more at home when they arrive on bowl weekend.

“When I was going around to these places asking them to hang up our flags, all I had to say was we were able to sell out our allotment of 13,000 tickets in less than a day, and everyone I talked to was like, ‘Yeah, put up some flags! We’re happy to have you guys!’” Shah said. “We’ve done so well for ourselves this year, and it shows in how strongly Knight Nation supports UCF.”

The chapter also has some tips to share with fellow Knights who are traveling to its city. Read on for Shah’s local guide to Atlanta.

>Where is the best place for a cup of coffee that’s not Starbucks?
Dancing Goats Coffee Bar. They have a few locations around the city, and in addition to their specialty coffees, they have a lot of great pastries that they make on site.

>I’ve been to Six Flags, the Coca-Cola Factory and the Georgia Aquarium. What are some other sites I shouldn’t miss?
Ponce City Market. During the day it’s all retail shops and food. There’s a winery, a brewery, a couple of small plate restaurants of any cuisine you can think of. On Friday and Saturday nights they turn the entire roof into a mini amusement park with a putt-putt golf course and carnival games. They also have an ice skating rink right now through the holidays.
Atlanta has a lot of history and we have several museums. One of my favorites is called the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is also something I’d recommend for everyone, especially during the holidays. They have special light displays.

>Where can I go to get a jump on my New Year’s resolution to exercise more?
The BeltLine. Also, the Chattahoochee River Trails. You can walk, bike or run on various trails and there are beautiful views year round. It’s great for all ages.

>When it’s any weekend but the Peach Bowl, where can I hang out with fellow Knights in Atlanta?
The hardest part about Atlanta is that it’s so big. Our watch parties are held at The Bird Rotisserie & Sports, which is in between the metropolitan area and the suburbs, and my goal has been to make sure that we have events in different parts of Atlanta so everyone can be involved in one way or another.