Podcast 345 – Sounds of Dunwoody Is Back at the Shops of Dunwoody – Nida Mudd & Miguel Romero

Sounds of Dunwoody Is Back at the Shops of Dunwoody

Sounds of Dunwoody returns to the Shops of Dunwoody in Dunwoody, Georgia on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and organizers Nida Mudd of Judy & Grace Boutique and Miguel Romero of Taqueria Los Hermanos came back on the podcast to walk me through year two. Four local bands play from 4 to 11 PM, and five Shops of Dunwoody restaurants are giving 10% of their proceeds to the Dunwoody High School football program.

In This Episode

• The 2nd annual Sounds of Dunwoody music fest is Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 4 to 11 PM at the Shops of Dunwoody.
• The lineup: Bad Habits at 4pm, District 5 (Dunwoody High School students) at 5pm, the Basement Band at 6pm and Family Truckster at 8pm.
• Dunwoody Tavern, Taqueria Los Hermanos, Nai Thai, Porter Brew & Que Brewery and Vintage Pizzeria are donating 10% of proceeds to Dunwoody Wildcat Football.
• The Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance, a Create Dunwoody committee, is introducing business owners across the Village and runs Sips Around the Village.
• What’s new at the Shops of Dunwoody: Beyond Juicery + Eatery, SWEAT440, a new Japanese restaurant on the way and Dunwoody Tavern’s 30th anniversary on November 7.

What Is Sounds of Dunwoody?

Sounds of Dunwoody is a music fest at the Shops of Dunwoody, the shopping center at Chamblee Dunwoody Road near Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody Village. It’s the center’s own event, built by its own merchants. More than anyone, it’s put on by Nida and Miguel.

This is year two. Nida and Miguel were on the show a year ago (Podcast 307) to launch the first one. When I asked how it went, the answer came fast. “Yeah, went great. We had a good turnout. People really enjoyed it and we had great live music.”

The plan this year is simple: make it bigger.

Here are the basics:

• When: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 4 to 11 PM
• Where: The Shops of Dunwoody, 5500 Chamblee Dunwoody Road
• Stage: Right in the middle of the plaza, in front of Judy & Grace Boutique and Palm Beach Tan
• Cause: Dunwoody High School Football Fundraiser
• Sponsors: Shops of Dunwoody Merchants, El Mayor Tequila and Create Dunwoody

I love that this one is coming back. Showing up a second year is how something turns into a Dunwoody tradition.

Who Is Playing Sounds of Dunwoody This Year?

Four local bands, seven hours of music. Here’s the order from the official flyer:

• 4 PM: Bad Habits featuring Miguel Romero
• 5 PM: District 5, the Dunwoody High School student band
• 6 PM: The Basement Band
• 8 PM: Family Truckster

Bad Habits is Miguel’s band, and he’s the rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist. They play hard rock. “Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne band, The Beatles, we like them as well,” Miguel said. Miguel used to sing lead back when the band didn’t have a singer. He was honest about it. “I think I’m a solid like seven out of 10, but now we have a far better singer and he’s the man.”

District 5 is the Dunwoody High School band. They were supposed to open, but one of the members couldn’t make it right at 4. So Nida said they moved the students to the 5 o’clock slot. Find them on Instagram at @district.5.band. I’m REALLY excited to see these kids play. I’ve been following them online and they seem like a lot of fun.

The Basement Band is a Dunwoody rock band that plays rock, pop and Americana covers with an original tune mixed in. They played Tunes and Taps in May.

Family Truckster closes the night. They’re a Dunwoody cover band playing “favorites from the 80’s, 90’s, and today. And (almost) anything.” Family Truckster is a staple in the music scene around Dunwoody.

How Does Sounds of Dunwoody Help Dunwoody High School Football?

This is the part they wanted to emphasize most.

“Dunwoody Tavern, Los Hermanos, Nai Thai, Porter and Vintage, we’re all donating 10% of our proceeds to the Dunwoody High School football program.” “Whoever comes, they can go and show their support by getting food, getting drinks, and it’s for a good cause.”

So here’s the deal. Eat dinner and get drinks at Dunwoody Tavern, Taqueria Los Hermanos, Nai Thai, Porter Brew & Que Brewery or Vintage Pizzeria that night and you’re helping the Wildcats.

Nida was upfront about the money side, too. “Matt, events like this cannot be put on for free,” she said. Many of the restaurants in the center are sponsoring the event so it can stay a true community night.

I’m a big believer in this kind of thing. When local businesses pool their money to throw a party for their neighbors and then hand part of the night to the high school, that’s Dunwoody at its best.

What Else Is Happening at the Event?

It isn’t just music. Nida walked me through the rest of the day.

A kids’ corner by Los Hermanos. Every time my family shows up there, there are kids (including mine) running around, so it’s the perfect spot.

Shops of Dunwoody Farmers Market vendors. Family-friendly vendors from the Shops of Dunwoody Farmers Market will be set up from 4 to 8 PM. That’s the market that started in 2025 in the old Burger King lot on the edge of the center, and it’s separate from the Dunwoody Farmers Market at Brook Run put on by the DHA.

Football on the TVs. Here’s my favorite detail. Miguel picked October 24th on purpose. “There’s a lot of great football games that day, but UGA is not playing that day. That’s why we chose the date.” Very good call.

You can still catch the games, too. Nida said Dunwoody Tavern, Los Hermanos and Vintage will all have them on.

Why Did the Shops of Dunwoody Need Its Own Event?

Nida saw a gap.

“We all know there’s so many things happening in Dunwoody,” she said. The Funwoody restaurants have live music every weekend. High Street and Ashford Lane have events going on, and so do Sandy Springs and Roswell.

“And I just wanted something to come into the Shops of Dunwoody because we really don’t have an event in the Shops of Dunwoody. So we’re calling this a music fest.”

So last year she went door to door to a few shop owners. Miguel raised his hand and said, “I’ll do it. I’ll help you.”

Now they split the work. “I’m letting Miguel be the spokesperson and our salesperson,” Nida said. “And then I’m helping with the organizing, just the back roads.”

What’s cool is what’s happened since. Huw Thomas and Miguel came on in May (Podcast 330) to launch Tunes and Taps. Huw pointed to that first music fest as proof that a concert on that green actually works. One event led to another. The Shops of Dunwoody is quietly turning into one of the best places in town to hear live music.

What Is the Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance?

Sounds of Dunwoody is a Shops of Dunwoody production. But it’s happening at a time when the whole Village is getting more connected, and a lot of that comes from the Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance.

The Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance is a group of business owners, managers and property stakeholders in the Greater Dunwoody Village. They share resources, plan events and promotions, and work on ways to bring more people into the district.

It held its first meeting on March 6, 2023, organized by the City of Dunwoody Economic Development Department. Partners include Discover Dunwoody and the Perimeter Chamber, and in 2026 the Alliance became an official committee of Create Dunwoody, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Nida credited Lauren Sok, who owns Functionize Health & Physical Therapy here in Dunwoody, and Rosemary Watts, who leads Create Dunwoody, for pulling the merchants together.

How Is the Alliance Bringing the Village Together?

The Village isn’t one shopping center. It’s a handful of them sitting side by side, and for years those owners didn’t really know each other. They certainly didn’t work together for the same goal. The Alliance is changing that. It introduces them, and then each center does its own thing. Funwoody runs Funwoody events. The Shops of Dunwoody runs Sounds of Dunwoody. But now everybody knows who to call when it’s time to collaborate.

Nida gave a lot of credit to David Abes and his son Mitchell Abes. Their center, home to the Funwoody restaurants and Village Threads, was “kind of the base structure.” Now the Shops of Dunwoody merchants are getting involved, too.

“It’s really starting to stick that we know we kind of need to collaborate and get together to create a strong alliance of the merchants,” she said.

More and more events are popping up in the Village because the people behind these businesses finally know each other. If you’re thinking about living in Dunwoody, that’s exactly the kind of small-town energy you’re buying into.

How Did Sips Around the Village Work?

The best example of the Alliance in action so far is Sips Around the Village, which happened Saturday, August 29, 2026.

On the show it was described as “the first time that all the owners came together and talked about, okay, what are we gonna do here?” Mitchell Abes got a big shout out for organizing it, along with David Abes.

Here’s how it worked:

• Tickets: About $40 for five tokens, depending on when you bought.
• Tokens: Each one got you a small drink at any participating restaurant.
• Passport: You got a map and a passport, and managers stamped it at each stop. Hit all of them, or most of them, and you were in the running for a prize.
• Music: Live music at almost every single stop.
• Cause: It raised money for the Dunwoody Police Foundation.

Check-in was at {S}table, the newest Funwoody restaurant. People hit Darren Benda’s Chupito’s Azteca Grille and the Funwoody restaurants, then actually walked across the street to Vintage Pizzeria, Los Hermanos and Dunwoody Tavern.

Los Hermanos served its skinny margaritas at Sips, and Miguel gave a fair warning. “They’re very strong and they’re very tasty.” Over the years, people have actually complained they’re too strong. Basically, “they tasted so good that I got drunk.” Well, I think that’s kind of the idea, right? It sneaks up on you. For the record, my wife Sasha loves them.

What’s New at the Shops of Dunwoody?

The center has been busy. Asana Partners bought the Shops of Dunwoody in March 2025, and in June 2026 four new tenants were announced: Beyond Juicery + Eatery, SWEAT440, Jetset Pilates and Tenku Sushi.

Beyond Juicery + Eatery opened on August 29, 2026. Nida is already hooked. “I gotta shout out for their protein berry smoothies. I almost have one daily. They’re so, so good.” It serves smoothies, fresh juice and made-to-order food.

SWEAT440 is a 40-minute interval workout with a new class starting every 10 minutes, so you can jump in whenever your day opens up. It’s the brand’s first Georgia location.

So what has Asana actually changed? Not much, and the merchants seem happy about that. “They haven’t developed anything really,” was the answer on the show. The merchants described Asana as really supportive. “They’re supporting our events.”

What’s Going In Next to Los Hermanos?

I had to ask. Wasabi House sat right next door to Los Hermanos, and it was a big fan favorite.

“It’s a Japanese restaurant, another Japanese restaurant,” Miguel said. He couldn’t remember the name.

Here’s what we know:

• Out: Wasabi House (closed June 14, 2026, after 27 years)
• In: A new Japanese restaurant, most likely Tenku Sushi

Tenku Sushi was announced for the center in June as “a contemporary sushi restaurant.” It hasn’t been officially confirmed that Tenku is taking the old Wasabi House space, but a new Japanese restaurant going in next door makes it a pretty safe bet.

Dunwoody Tavern Turns 30 on November 7

Nida made sure to give a shout out here. Dunwoody Tavern is celebrating its 30th anniversary on November 7, 2026.

Huw Thomas opened it in 1996, right after he moved here before the Atlanta Olympics and noticed the neighborhood had nowhere to grab a beer and a burger. Thirty years later, it’s still the anchor of the Shops of Dunwoody, and one of the best known bars (pubs) in the city.

Nida suggested I check in with Huw about the celebration. He’s a fun podcast person. Huw was great on Podcast 330, and I’d love to have him back.

Judy & Grace Boutique Turns Two

Nida opened Judy & Grace Boutique in the Shops of Dunwoody, and it turns two this November.

“I opened the store because my daughter was heading to college, my fourth child, and I needed a job,” she said. “And I love shopping.”

The boutique is for women roughly 45 to 50 and up. It carries casual everyday clothing, and it specializes in special occasion dresses, including mother of the bride and mother of the groom. “We’ve made lots of friends through the store and enjoy styling beautiful women,” Nida said.

The name honors her mother, Judy, and her daughter, Mattie Grace.

Two years is a big deal. That’s longer than a lot of small businesses last. Nida was honest about what it takes. “I feel like I’m a gambler. Every day I’m gambling. I’m gambling when I’m shopping to purchase things for the store. Are people gonna like this? Am I choosing the right sizes?” “But it is a lot of fun. And you get better and better at it.”

I’m really glad to see it working.

Miguel Romero and Taqueria Los Hermanos

Miguel is the owner and general manager of Taqueria Los Hermanos in Dunwoody. It opened March 4, 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down. “Yeah, an interesting time to open up,” he said. “But yeah, we’ve been doing great ever since.”

Miguel’s family now runs six restaurants: five Los Hermanos locations and one Italian restaurant in Lilburn.

I grew up in Gwinnett, so I grew up with his restaurants. When I heard Los Hermanos was coming to Dunwoody, I reached out to get Miguel on the podcast. I knew they were going to kill it here. They did. It’s also a family favorite at the Weber house.

Connect with Nida Mudd and Miguel Romero

The easiest way to connect with both of them is to show up on October 24th. Grab dinner, catch a set, and say hi. Miguel will be the one on rhythm guitar at 4pm.

• Judy & Grace Boutique: The Shops of Dunwoody, between Palm Beach Tan and Dunwoody Tavern. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM. judyandgraceboutique.com and @judyandgraceboutique on Instagram.
• Taqueria Los Hermanos: The Shops of Dunwoody.
• Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance: createdunwoody.org/vma
• More Village events: discoverdunwoody.com/events (choose “Greater Dunwoody Village” as the category)

See you on the green.

What Is What’s Up Dunwoody?

What’s Up Dunwoody is a local media platform created by REALTOR® Matt Weber, focused on living in Dunwoody, moving to Dunwoody, and staying connected to the community. It began as a podcast and has grown into social media content, local guides, and two of the largest Dunwoody-focused Facebook groups where residents share recommendations and stay in the loop. Matt has expanded slightly outside of Dunwoody and now covers the entire top end of the Perimeter through his Top End ATL channels.

Matt is a Dunwoody REALTOR® who helps people navigate buying, selling, and moving in the area. Stay in the loop with local updates, listings, and insights by signing up here: whatsupdunwoody.com/emailn the area. Stay in the loop with local updates, listings, and insights by signing up here: whatsupdunwoody.com/email

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