Atlanta Carnival 2013 - Parade INFO

If you're looking for a Carnival band to play with, the Atlanta Carnival Bands Association website has a comprehensive listing. Most bands offer both a costumed section and  t-shirt sections as well and in most cases you can find a band that is all-inclusive; they will provide drinks and food on the road during the day.
http://www.atlantacarnival.org/bands.html

Now as for the Carnival parade itself, be warned that the parade route has changed and the Carnival Village location has now changed as well. No longer will we be feting on the corner of Fort Street and Auburn Avenue, we're going to be at Morris Brown Stadium instead. I have mixed feelings about this location especially considering that parking will probably be a bitch, that plus the fact that college campuses are notorious for towing, ticketing and booting cars.....consider yourselves warned.

PARADE ROUTE

Here's a link to the parade route map:
http://www.atlantacarnival.org/images/map/MAP.jpg

• Staging - Staging will take place on RALPH MCGILL BLVD NE between Pine Street and Baker Street (as usual) near the Atlanta Civic Center
• West along Ralph McGill to Peachtree Center Ave
• Left Turn (South) on Peachtree Center Avenue
• Right Turn (West) on Edgewood Avenue
• Right Turn (West) on Marietta Street
• Left Turn (South) on Centennial Olympic Park West
• Right Turn (West) on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
• END - Atlanta Carnival Village, Herndon Stadium, Morris Brown College 

Atlanta Carnival Village
Morris Brown College
Herndon Stadium
643 Martin Luther King Drive
Atlanta, GA
parade begins at 12:00 pm sharp
$10 entry fee for the Carnival Village
Purchase Tickets: http://25thannualatlantacaribbeancarnival-erec.eventbrite.com/?rank=4

SYNOPSIS: There will be a whole host of artistes performing live at the Carnival Village including Iwer George, Skinny Fabulous, Edwin Yearwood and Benjai among others. Be warned, the lines to purchase tickets are usually long so it would be best to get there early, gates open at 10:00 am.

PARKING: As I'd mentioned previously, parking is probably going to be a mess but I suspect the paid lots on Northside Drive opposite the Georgia World Congress Center will be open (it's a bit of a walk though). Careful when trying to park around Morehouse College, Spelman College or CAU, they boot cars as though their lives depended on it.

MARTA - A viable alternative would be to park at a MARTA station and take the train. Vine City MARTA station is relatively close by and parking at most stations is free for 24 hours. I'd recommend parking at any of the stations on the East line to avoid having to switch trains downtown; Indian Creek, Avondale Estates, Kensington Stations come to mind, they've got huge, relatively secure parking lots. Another option is to park at the Atlanta Civic Center where the parade starts, leave your car there and just ride the train from Vine City back to Civic Center. It's a four block walk from the Marta Station back to Civc Center.