4 fun ways to celebrate 2017 Oscar season

Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics, The outfits worn by Kate Winslet, Johnny Depp and Dustin Hoffman in “Finding Neverland” are on display in the Banquet Hall in Biltmore House. The costumes are included in the exhibit “Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics,” on display through July 4.

Credit: Nedra Rhone

Credit: Nedra Rhone

Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics, The outfits worn by Kate Winslet, Johnny Depp and Dustin Hoffman in “Finding Neverland” are on display in the Banquet Hall in Biltmore House. The costumes are included in the exhibit “Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics,” on display through July 4.

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the 89th Academy Awards and for good reason -- this year's broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 26, offers a few departures from the past. According to WalletHub's Oscars by the Numbers, this year will be the first time:

  • Jimmy Kimmel serves as host
  • Black actors are nominated in every acting category
  • 683 new Academy members will vote,  46% of whom are women and 41% of whom are people of color

Before you plant yourself in front of the television and lose almost four hours of your life -- the 2016 show was 217 minutes -- here are a few things you can do to get yourself in an Oscars state of mind:

See Academy Award winnings hop costumes on display at the BiltmoreThe Biltmore Estate's newest exhibition, Designed for Drama: Fashion from the Classics (Feb. 10-July 4), features costumes that were previously nominated or that previously won Academy Awards. More than 40 costumes are on display throughout the house from 13 films including Pride and Prejudice, Finding Neverland, Anna Karenina and more. Entry to the exhibition is included in Biltmore admission, but you can save $10 when you buy seven or more days in advance. See website for details.

AMC 24-hour Marathon viewing of Oscar nominated films : Did you miss seeing the 9 films nominated for Best Picture? You can still catch part two of the AMC movie marathon. This Saturday, see "Moonlight," "Lion," "Hacksaw Ridge," "Arrival" and, "Hidden Figures," all in one day at one of three participating theaters: AMC Parkway Pointe in Atlanta, AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville and AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 in Cumming. Tickets cost $32.50 each day.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.amctheatres.com.

Watch an Oscar inspired dance film short from Alvin Ailey and the composer of "Moonlight": Short on time and money? Watch this new dance film short by director Anna Rose Holmer which serves as a tribute to director Barry Jenkins's award-winning drama, "Moonlight." The collaboration between New York's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (the company performed in Atlanta this past weekend) and Academy Award-nominated composer Nicholas Britell is choreographed by Alvin Ailey artistic director Robert Battle and features dancers Jamar Roberts, Christopher Taylor and Jeremy T. Villas dancing in blue-lit movement to Britell's score.

Get Red Carpet ready with Spa810 in Buckhead : If watching the Oscar red carpet is more your thing. Get yourself in gear with a deal on an Oscar worthy treatment. The new Spa810 Buckhead is offering the Red Carpet-Ready Face & Body Facial, featuring the clinical Fire and Ice Facial, which exfoliates, plumps and hydrates your skin. A NuFace application is like a mini facelift that will to lift and tone your skin and the Strawberry Laser Lipo body contouring treatment will help you lose inches from your trouble areas. The treatment is regularly $490, but you can get it now through Feb. 28 for $299.

Join the AJC's live Oscar Night Party on Feb. 26, beginning at 5 p.m until the very end on Facebook. Coverage will feature Red Carpet commentary with panelists including Rachel Evans of SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film and movie talk with panelists Kathleen Bertrand of the Bronze Lens Film Festival; D.W. Moffett, actor and chair of film and television at SCAD; Britt Pitre, media production chair at Atlanta Technical College and Gil Robertson, president of the African American Film Critics Association.