5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 8

1.  Birthday celebrations surrounding the Earl Smith Strand Theatre culminate tonight with “Double Feature” to honor the birthdays of both Earl Smith and The Strand. This annual fundraising gala encourages Marietta to gather to applaud the renovation of the theater, which has been open for two years.

This black-tie event will feature live stage entertainment, hors d’oeuvres, a birthday toast and a silent auction to benefit the Strand. Tickets are $60. For information, call 770-293-0080.

2. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art opens the “Relics” exhibition by TindelMichi from 6 to 8 p.m. today.

TindelMichi is John Tindel and Michi Meko, a collaboration of two artists with a distinctive flair for art influenced by the South. The exhibit marks a reunion after a three-year hiatus of the duo whose work is shown through heavily layered paintings, large sculptures and sound installations.

Admission is $8 for guests and free for members. Light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. For information, contact Sally Macaulay, executive director, at 770-528-1444, ext. 14 or visit www.mariettacobbartmuseum.org.

3. The Blackwell Playhouse presents a stage version of “Pinocchio” at 3 p.m. Tickets for the show are $8, but kids can enjoy free face painting for 30 minutes before showtime. Call 678-213-3311 for reservations.

4. The Cobb County Taxpayers Association will meet from noon to 2 p.m. at 536 Cobb Parkway about the organization’s opposition to the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), an initiative placed on the ballot by the Cobb Board of Commissioners for a vote on March 15.

Go to www.votenomarch15.com for information.

5.  Marietta-Roswell Chapter of the Delta-Sigma Theta Sorority is hosting a community blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, 340 Aviation Road. For information, www.dstmrac.org or 770-473-5508.