21st Annual Southwest Atlanta Holiday Parade Saturday

Everybody loves a parade and Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta City Council officials are preparing for a big one this Saturday in the heart of southwest Atlanta.

The 21st Annual Southwest Cascade/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Christmas Parade begins with formation at 11 a.m. in the parking lot of the Kroger at 3425 Cascade Rd., just east of I-285.

The parade march launches promptly at 11:30 a.m., leaves the Kroger lot, heads north on Cascade Road and concludes at Providence Missionary Baptist Church, 2295 Benjamin E. Mays Dr.

As in previous years, the 21st parade will feature area high school sports teams, marching bands, community leaders, and other civic organizations, as well as a special guest appearance by Santa Claus, according to a City of Atlanta news release about the event.

The event is hosted by Mayor Reed, Councilmember C. T. Martin, Councilmember Keisha Lance Bottoms, Councilmember H. Lamar Willis, the Cascade Merchants Association, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Association. The lead sponsors for the festivities are Starbucks, Publix and Kroger.

“The Southwest Atlanta Holiday parade has become a much-anticipated tradition,” Mayor Reed said in the release. “It reflects not only the strong civic and business leadership we have in Southwest Atlanta, but also this community’s commitment to providing a safe, family-friendly environment for all of our residents, especially our young people.”

“Every year, this parade gives us an opportunity to share and celebrate with the residents of southwest Atlanta,” Councilman Martin said.

Each year, the merchants association honors the families of slain firefighters from Atlanta and across the metropolitan area. There also will be special give-a-ways for seniors and children.

For more information or to participate, please contact event coordinator Yvonne Shaw at (404) 330-6023.

Here are a few scenes from last year's parade.