Sports fans and parade lovers will be happy with the offerings in Atlanta this weekend, when several events are expected to draw as many as 170,000 attendees, according to Atlanta police.
Leading off the list of Saturday events is the Children's Christmas Parade benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, which this year moves from downtown to Midtown.
The parade, which marches down Peachtree Street from 16th to 6th streets, steps off at 10:30 a.m., but Doug Turnbull in the AM 750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB Traffic Center said some area streets could be shut down as early as 6 a.m.
Later in the day, the Georgia Dome plays host to the SEC Championship football game. Auburn and Missouri kick off at 4 p.m.
The parade can be accessed via the MARTA Arts Center and Midtown rail stations, while football fans wanting to avoid traffic around the Dome can take MARTA to the Dome/Georgia World Congress Center/Philips Arena/CNN Center station.
To accommodate the parade, MARTA bus routes 27, 36, 37, 99 and 110 will be rerouted from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to MARTA spokesman Jeremy Craig.
Other downtown events include Friday night’s Hawks-Cavaliers basketball game at Philips Arena, the Jingle Bell Jog/Walk at Turner Field at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and the Atlanta Beltline Eastside 10K at 10 a.m. Saturday on Krog Street.
Road construction should be a huge factor, since any construction is weather-permitting and a chilly rain is forecast throughout the weekend.
But if the rain holds off, the state Department of Transportation said there could be a couple of lanes closed on I-85 northbound between Ga. 400 and Cheshire Bridge Road from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for barrier wall work.
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