Children's Christmas Parade facts for kids
The Children's Christmas Parade is a super fun Christmas parade that helps raise money for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. It started way back in 1981 with Egleston Children’s Hospital. Every year, it happens on the first Saturday in December. That's usually the second weekend after Thanksgiving.
Lots of people watch this parade! Over 500,000 people watch it on TV or come to see it live. It's the biggest holiday parade in the Southeast! You'll see amazing floats, huge helium balloons, and cool marching bands. Watching the parade is free for everyone. You can also buy special seats if you want to.
The parade is shown live on WSB-TV 2.1 in HDTV from 10:30 AM EST until noon. They even show it again on Christmas Day! Many companies help make the parade possible. Some of them are Wells Fargo, Macy's, Geico, Coca-Cola, and Publix.
Before the parade, you can enjoy "Breakfast with Santa." This special event includes a buffet breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. You can also meet many cartoon characters and mascots! This breakfast is now held at the W Hotel Atlanta Midtown. In 2020, a virtual parade took place instead of the usual live event.
Where Does the Parade Go?
For many years, the parade started on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. The route was about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. It went south on Peachtree Street, then turned onto Marietta Street at Five Points. The parade then ended near Centennial Olympic Park. This route passed by the old Davison's building, which later became Macy's.
In 2013, the parade route changed. Organizers moved it from downtown to Midtown. This was done to make space for building the new Atlanta Streetcar. The new route (you can see it on the map to the left) starts at Peachtree Street and 16th Street. This is in front of the High Museum of Art. The parade then travels for about 1.0 mile (1.6 km). It finishes at Peachtree Street and 5th Street.
What is the Festival of Trees?
The parade used to be the first event for the nine-day Festival of Trees. This festival also helped raise money for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. It was originally held at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Even though the Festival of Trees moved in 2007, the Children's Christmas Parade stayed in downtown Atlanta. This kept a nearly 30-year tradition alive. The Festival of Trees started in 1979. However, it was canceled in 2009 after becoming much smaller in earlier years. In 2008, the "festival" was a special party hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta.
