The Dragon Con Parade
It means getting up early.
It means coming prepared with enough bottles of water to get you through a typically gross and sticky late-summer morning in Atlanta.
But the Dragon Con Parade is such an experience that it's worth the hassle.
And, actually, there are plenty of ways to make the experience relatively painless.
Start with … don't even try driving downtown Saturday morning. Between the parade route and staging area running down a chunk of Peachtree Street, Andrew Young International Boulevard and Peachtree Center Avenue (see the map for specifics) and the combined crowds from Dragon Con and Saturday night's Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome with Alabama and West Virginia, your trusty Toyota doesn't stand a chance.
Last year, Con officials estimated about 75,000 people crowded the area to watch the (literal) parade of Darth Vaders, zombies, steam punks and Super Girls, and a similar number is expected this year.
So take MARTA. The Civic Center and Peachtree Center stops are the closest to the action, and you’ll be much less cranky upon arrival.
Speaking of arrival, if you wait until five minutes before the 10 a.m. start time, there’s a good chance you’ll be standing on tippy toes behind a Wookiee while trying to catch a glimpse of the colorful controlled mayhem in the street.
Most years, fans begin arriving before 8 a.m., so plan accordingly. The parade will start on Spring Street and end on Peachtree Center Avenue, between John Portman Boulevard and Baker Street, in front of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
Once you’ve staked out your spot, it is advised to stay put. Parade organizers also would appreciate it if you could refrain from standing or sitting in the street. You never know when a Batmobile might peel out and guess which one of you would win that battle.
Try to remain respectful of the 3,000-plus parade participants as well. That might seem like a no-brainer, but when 75,000 people and heat mesh, manners are sometimes forgotten.
See that member of the Box Heroes? Well, he can’t really see you. So abide by those traffic rules that most Atlantans usually ignore and give him the right of way.
In fact, just stick with that theory for the entire weekend.
