Check out Best Bets for this weekend and beyond

Friday, Sept. 5 — Saturday, Sept. 6

Life lessons from Oprah! Iconic Oprah Winfrey brings her Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend to town to Philips Arena tonight at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. On Friday night Oprah takes the stages and tells personal stories and on Saturday she leads a day-long gathering with handpicked “life trailblazers” including “Eat Pray Love” best-selling author, Elizabeth Gilbert; one of the Time’s 100 Most Influential People, Pastor Rob Bell; world-renowned MD and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra; and from OWN and O, The Oprah Magazine, best-selling author and spiritual life coach Iyanla Vanzant. www.philipsarena.com

Friday, Sept. 5

Come support Jerusalem House at the Big Wooden Deck Party II tonight from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. A $20 donation to Jerusalem House gets you a bottomless martini, Henry’s Midtown, www.henrysatl.com

“Doubt: A Parable” plays at Out of Box Theatre in Marietta tonight at 8 p.m. The play is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award and the local cast features multi-award-winning playwright and actor Topher Payne as Father Flynn. The play runs through Sept. 6, www.outofboxtheatre.com

Edie Cheezburger and her usual assortment of special guests present “The Other Show” drag event weekly at Jungle, 9:30 p.m., www.jungleatl.com

Get your dancing shoes on. It’s Pump Friday with DJ Mike Pope at the Heretic, 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com

The M4M Hardbody Revue, hosted by Envy Van Michaels, is a competition for men with a $100 cash prize weekly, LeBUZZ, www.thenewlebuzz.com

Traxx Girls night at My Sister’s Room offers drink specials, great music and lots of beautiful women, 10 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com

Saturday, Sept. 6
The Official World Famous Drive Invasion comes to Turner Field this year to celebrate classic car and drive-in movie culture. The Silverscreen & Gasoline Car Show, Jim Stacy’s Food Truck Midway, a massive Artist Market, vendors, 12 bands on 2 stages, kids zone and three classic creature features projected onto a 40-foot movie screen. Admission price is $25 a person. Gates open at 10 a.m, first band takes stage at 11 a.m., www.facebook.com/driveinvasion

HGTV is looking for professional designers who want to be TV personalities for their new renovation show “Flipping the Block.” An open casting call will be held today at the W Midtown from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Visit the website at www.JSCasting.com for more information about the show and how to apply.

The new Real Youth group is holding a picnic and field day for LGBTQ youth and allies as well as families, teachers and supporters. There will be food, drinks, games, community and conversation. The event will be from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Oak Hill area of Piedmont Park, www.facebook.com/RealYouthAtl

Atlanta Gender Variations: Parents of gender variant/trans children support group meets in Atlanta – See more at: www.pflagatl.org/firstmondaysupport#sthash.jpPDqpgp.dpuf, 2 – 4 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org

SAGE Atlanta hosts its Lesbian 50+ Potluck & Social beginning at 6 p.m., Phillip Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.org

“Let’s Make a Deal,” hosted by Ken, rounds up contestants tonight at Friends on Ponce, 6 – 10 p.m., www.friendsonponce-atl.com

The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and The Atlanta Eagle bring you a night of fun and frolic the first Saturday night of the month with Jockstrap Sister Twister, supporting the work of the local Sisters, 9 – 11 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

Beloved Atlanta performer Michelle Malone visits Eddie’s Attic, 9:45 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com
Monica Van Pelt presents Synergy at 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

Sunday, Sept. 7

The Sisters of Sequins hosted by Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce offers up drag extravaganza, laughs and a Gospel brunch special. Doors open at 12:15 p.m. with a 1:30 p.m. program, Lips Atlanta, www.lipsatl.com

$2 well drinks are on tap all day and night at Sunday Funday at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309

Monday, Sept. 8

The Suzy Bass Awards is hosting a celebration to announce the nominations for the 2014 Suzi Bass Awards. There will be light bites and wine to begin the celebration of its 10th anniversary. This is a free event, 6:30-8 p.m. at Actor’s Express, http://suziawards.org

Making Space: A Community Writing Group for Activists, Healers, and Every Day Heroes is a writing group for those of us who work, move or spend time serving others through human service and community professions (psychologists, educators, social workers, etc). Here, we will use writing as a means for deepening our understandings of our private and public journeys, our relationships, work and how we make space for ourselves (or don’t) in the midst of it all. This is Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program. The suggested donation is $10.  6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

The Stars of the Century drag show is every Monday at Jungle, 10 p.m., http://tinyurl.com/matzdvf

Tuesday, Sept. 9

Stories on the Square is an open mic storytelling event where participants share true personal stories within seven minutes. The theme for this week’s show is “School Daze” and is held in the back room of the Famous Pub in Decatur, www.facebook.com/StoriesontheSquare

JasonMraz-NewPub-BilZelmanHe’s hot – and he can carry a tune. Jason Mraz sings some of his hits at the Fox Theatre tonight, 8 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org

The Atlanta Gay Chamber of Commerce hosts its Business Builder Luncheon today at 11:45 a.m. at Southern Art restaurant inside the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead, 3315 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326

Cockpit Atlanta is the home for YouTubesday ‘90s mix, with VJ Ayem, www.facebook.com/cockpit.atlanta

It’s going to be bloody – Zombie Night Bingo is a fundraiser for PALS Atlanta, with hosts Bubba D. Licious, Jaye Lish and Edie Cheezburger, 7:30 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

Wednesday, Sept. 10 – Saturday, Sept. 13

The fifth annual Marietta Rainbow Festival – Marietta Pride kicks off today and runs through Saturday, Sept. 13. One of the major events is the Historic Equality Celebration in Glover Park on Marietta Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Events in the park will include live performances, vendors, and speakers for the entire day. This is open to the public and free. LeBuzz will host special performances throughout and the event also includes a kick-off party, a variety of shows and other entertainment and vendor areas, www.rainbowgeorgia.org

Wednesday, Sept. 10

Get your bingo on tonight at Joe’s on Juniper at 8 p.m., www.joesonjuniper.com

Thursday, Sept. 11

Decadence: A Night of Drinking and Debauchery is every Thursday starting at 10 p.m., hosted by Adam Bland and Ashley Mitchell with beats by DJ Daryl Cox. A wet underwear contest begins at 11 p.m., with a cash prize and dancers galore, TEN Atlanta, www.tenatlanta.com

UPCOMING

Friday, Sept. 12 – 14

Bring the little ones to “Sesame Street Live” at the Fox Theatre, various performances times, www.foxtheatre.org

Friday, Sept. 12

Topher Payne’s “Perfect Arrangement” opens at Onstage Atlanta tonight, courtesy of Process Theatre, www.onstageatlanta.com

The Shout Show is a monthly showcase of LGBT artists – musicians, poets and filmmakers— at the Rush Center Annex, 7 – 9 p.m., www.rushcenteratl.org

The acclaimed “Love is Strange” with John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as lovers opens at the Midtown Art Cinema, www.landmarktheatres.com