How the Dragon Con Parade comes together

But many of those who took part loved it and each year, the parade has grown in size, length and scope, evolving into a distinctly Atlanta institution.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

“I would love to tell you this was very scientifically and business based,” Henry said. “It wasn’t. We shoot from the hip a lot.”

Before the pandemic, tens of thousands of spectators would line the sidewalks to watch thousands of cosplay lovers walk the 1.1-mile route. This year’s parade will be the first since 2019 with no COVID-19 restrictions. (The parade didn’t happen in 2020 and last year’s version only allowed Dragon Con ticketholders to watch in person.)

Attendees this year will see 57 different groups covering everything from dragons to Vikings. All 3,250 individual spots were quickly filled up in February. There are also slots for 50 floats and vehicles.

“I’ve done conventions all over the country,” said Chace Ambrose, who oversees the Georgia Ghostbusters. “Not a lot of them do parades. It’s kind of rare. Not every convention has the financial backing of Dragon Con or such a good relationship with the city.”

Families often bring their children to cheer on the procession. “I love seeing the little kids’ faces light up,” said Jerry Peacock, who runs the Muscle Nerdz group. “They see their heroes in person. It’s magical.”

Putting something this huge together is not for the faint of heart. It takes patience, logistical know-how and people skills. Atlanta native Annie Carter is only in her second year as volunteer parade director but spent the past decade gleaning knowledge from Jan Price, the beloved original parade coordinator who succumbed to cancer last year. Price, Carter said, was the glue that kept the entire parade from collapsing on itself.

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Carter, who works in TV and film production, said she tries her best to emulate Price’s calm. One of Carter’s big jobs: placing the 57 groups in what she thinks is a reasonable order. But she does keep some things consistent: The final group is always an array of “Star Wars” characters, followed by a man dressed up as Santa from the animated series “Futurama.” “Jan loved ending the parade with a Santa,” said Carter.

The only tangible celebrity presence is the Grand Marshal. Past marshals have included “Ghostbusters” star Ernie Hudson, classic movie legend Mickey Rooney, Marvel comics impresario Stan Lee and the recently deceased “Star Trek” star Nichelle Nichols.

Carter looks forward to the parade every year, no matter the logistical headaches.

“I’ll do this,” she said, “as long Dragon Con lets me.”

Credit: DRAGON CON

Credit: DRAGON CON

Here’s a sampling of the groups that parade-goers will get to see:

Credit: CONTRB

Credit: CONTRB

Georgia Ghostbusters

What is this: This celebration of the original 1984 movie and subsequent films also includes a mini-convention PKE Surge within Dragon Con featuring a mixer and special panels for about 30 hardcore participants.

Parade slots requested: 100

Number of years participating in the parade, counting this year: 14

Credit: CONTRIBU

Credit: CONTRIBU

Cage Crew

What is this: The idea to celebrate Nicolas Cage came from 33-year-old Midtown video producer Kyle Hebert’s whimsical brain. “He’s got a unique niche in pop culture and it’s been growing over the past decade,” Hebert said. So last year, Hebert and some friends created oversized Cage masks from various notable films of his like “Con Air and “The Rock” and walked around the convention on a lark. Reaction was so strong, he decided to do it again this year but also participate in the parade.

Parade slots requested: 20

Number of years in the parade, counting this year: 1

Credit: Neal Gruber

Credit: Neal Gruber

Muscle Nerdz

What is this? Nerds are not known for their toned bods, but a group of weight-lifting, core-loving Dragon Con regulars decided to blend brains with brawn. Since 2017, they’ve held a costume/bodybuilding combo contest during the convention. “We’ve been slowly building our presence at Dragon Con,” said Muscle Nerdz organizer Peacock. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback so we thought we could take it a little further and have our finalists walk the parade and show off their stuff.”

Parade slots requested: 20

Number of years on the parade, counting this year: 1

Credit: NETHERWORLD

Credit: NETHERWORLD

Netherworld

What is this? Netherworld Haunted House, now in Stone Mountain, opened in 1997 and is now one of the most popular haunted houses in the area with more than 400 employees. Netherworld has sponsored the parade telecast on the CW since 2016.

Parade slots requested: 80

Number of years on the parade, counting this year: all 21

Credit: Jonathan Phillips

Credit: Jonathan Phillips

Star Wars

What is this: The most popular theme at the parade is anything “Star Wars” and those who show up each year hail from a conglomeration of different groups such as 501st Legion, Rebel Legion and Mando Mercs. Josh Mueller, who wears a Stormtrooper outfit each year and does public relations for the Georgia Garrison of the 501st Legion, said he thinks “Star Wars” has broad, timeless appeal and the costumes are fun to wear: “The story of an underdog fighting the good fight against an obviously bad guy is easily digestible and translates well across the world.”

Parade slots requested: 200

Number of years with the parade: all 21

IF YOU GO

Dragon Con parade, 10 a.m.-noon. Saturday, Sept. 3. Free, the parade route starts at Linden Ave. and Peachtree Street and runs south to the Westin, then east on Andrew Young International Blvd, then north on Peachtree Center Ave. ending at the Marriott. dragoncon.org, also available live to view on the CW and Dragon Con TV on YouTube.