Weekends in metro Atlanta can test drivers’ patience.
Throw SEC Championship festivities and the Children’s Christmas Parade into the mix, and you can expect guaranteed bottlenecks.
Here are some tips to help you navigate it all as well as the weather forecast from Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Katie Walls.
A BUSY WEEKEND LINEUP
What: The Children's Christmas Parade
When: The parade starts at 10:20 a.m. Saturday at Peachtree and 16th streets. The parade ends at noon Peachtree and 5th streets.
Where: Peachtree Street in Midtown
Estimated attendance: 10,000 to 15,000
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
What: Dr Pepper SEC FanFare
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Georgia World Congress Center
Estimated attendance: 40,000 over two days.
Credit: Brynn Anderson
Credit: Brynn Anderson
What: SEC Championship between Auburn and Georgia
When: Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Estimated capacity: 73,000
TRAFFIC
Preparations for the parade start early Saturday, said Ashley Frasca, traffic reporter for News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB. The parade route is south on Peachtree Street, which will be closed between 16th and 5th streets.
“If you’re in and around Midtown, Juniper (Street), Piedmont (Avenue), and Monroe Drive are all good alternate routes to Peachtree Street,” Frasca said.
As for the game, whenever a large sporting event like the SEC Championship game comes to the city, remember to be patient with out-of-town drivers, Frasca said.
“The area around Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be buzzing with activity all day long, so you do not want to get stuck along Northside Drive or I-75/85, the Downtown Connector,” Frasca said.
Taking MARTA is a great idea, she said. If you’re traveling through the city between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., you can also take I-285 on either side of Atlanta.
WEATHER
A mostly cloudy sky with a 20 percent chance for a light shower is expected for the parade, Walls said.
“Temperatures during parade time will be warming from the mid- to upper 50s,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The game is indoors, but fans headed for the stadium or related events nearby should see the same cloud cover and rain chances, according to Walls.
“Temperatures at 4 p.m. will be in the lower 60s, cooling into the upper 50s by the end of the game,” she said.
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