Little 5 Points Halloween Parade (Reynolds: school, living, eat)

[afdinatl]

I'm going this weekend for the first time. What should I expect?

[atlantamoi]

Your post had me check out some YouTube videos (a few available). I'm wondering if this would be a no-no for my 4-year-old. He went to the DragonCon parade last year with no issues.

[ATLondoner]

Originally Posted by atlantamoi

Your post had me check out some YouTube videos (a few available). I'm wondering if this would be a no-no for my 4-year-old. He went to the DragonCon parade last year with no issues.

Perfectly fine for the whole family....its damn good fun!

[cqholt]

Laughs, fun, good food, open container, and crowds. There is little parking, so to avoid the congestion I would suggest riding MARTA and exiting at the Inman Park/Reynoldstown Station.

[Nast]

It's been rainy the past couple of years so we've skipped it; but prior to that we brought our kids when they were 4 and 5 and there weren't too many issues. There are a couple of things that may be considered a bit more "adult", either in terms of risqueness or goriness, but overall the kids focused on other things and had a good time.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

I'm going this weekend for the first time. What should I expect?

Expect large crowds ands impossibly long lines for carnival food. Eat lunch before you get there.

[a2t]

this is funny, we just went to the roswell parade since we live up here now. we used to go the L5P parade with our kids.

L5P parade kid appropriate? uhh no. people who are living the dream with kids downtown will tell you it is, but like everything in L5P it isnt, trust me.

last time we went (with our kids) there was an S&M float with a death metal speed band playing on a flat bed dragging fake bloody heads from chains off the back bumper, with a bunch of guys with chainsaws running up and down the street next to it, also covered in fake blood (hopefully fake blood who knows). there were other floats equally as hard to explain to my little ones...

maybe not exactly kid appropriate ? Im no genius.

i remarked to my wife at the roswell parade this year there was a distinct lack of S/M floats with heads being dragged behind...she said yeah no guys dressed up like Judas Priest in the back of a truck pretend f/cking. LOL. More kid friendly in ros, also way more old and crusty ... like everything up here. I say take em but cover their eyes every now and then like a good intown parent would. and yeah, i def miss the open container. wouldnt even consider it up in the burbs.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by a2t

this is funny, we just went to the roswell parade since we live up here now. we used to go the L5P parade with our kids.

L5P parade kid appropriate? uhh no. people who are living the dream with kids downtown will tell you it is, but like everything in L5P it isnt, trust me.

last time we went (with our kids) there was an S&M float with a death metal speed band playing on a flat bed dragging fake bloody heads from chains off the back bumper, with a bunch of guys with chainsaws running up and down the street next to it, also covered in fake blood (hopefully fake blood who knows). there were other floats equally as hard to explain to my little ones...

maybe not exactly kid appropriate ? Im no genius.

i remarked to my wife at the roswell parade this year there was a distinct lack of S/M floats with heads being dragged behind...she said yeah no guys dressed up like Judas Priest in the back of a truck pretend f/cking. LOL. More kid friendly in ros, also way more old and crusty ... like everything up here. I say take em but cover their eyes every now and then like a good intown parent would. and yeah, i def miss the open container. wouldnt even consider it up in the burbs.

Everyone's definition of 'kid appropriate' is different, but I saw lots of kids enjoying the parade. It was toned down from 2 years ago and my 15 month daughter had a great time.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Everyone's definition of 'kid appropriate' is different, but I saw lots of kids enjoying the parade. It was toned down from 2 years ago and my 15 month daughter had a great time.

Had a great time at the parade this year with my 4y/o and (almost) 11y/o. They were in the parade with their music school. If your kids are easily freaked out, or if you normally aren't comfortable with L5P in the middle of the day, maybe not for you--otherwise it's a great gathering for adults and kids. The only complaint we got was from the little one, because he was not getting candy because we were marching--made up for it at the end, though--so all is well in the world!

[atler8]

I have attended the parade in Little Five Points twice.
The first time was a surprising & eyeopening experience of amazement on my behalf at the size & scope of the entertainment & creativity of the parade participants and onlookers. The parade & overall event really blew me away!
The 2nd time I attended was in 2012. Unfortunately that year the hype I gave to a friend I took along who had never seen it was not matched by what we experienced. The big problem that absolutely was a major downer & caused me to think that I may never attend it again was the drunken behavior of many patrons.
In particular there was one group of very drunken middle aged people that consisted of about 3 couples. They kept on bumping into & jostling others with their revelry & unsteadiness which also meant that alcohol was spilled aplenty on others as well as the sidewalk.
They also dipped in and out of the parade by dancing around in the street & at one point, one of the women rode away on a scooter that was part of the parade. When she returned, she distracted everyone in the area by loudly looking for and complaining that she had lost a shoe. She kept on shouting"Romney" over and over & over again because there had been both a Democratic as well as a Republican inspired small float or group that paraded by us.
We left that area soon enough to get away from them before they vomited, which 2 of them appeared to be about to do, but noticed the stench of alcohol a lot elsewhere too. I'm not a teetotaller by any means but too much of it in a public event can be tiresome or ruining to what should have been another great LFP experience.
I'm not saying that everyone will encounter a negative scene like what we saw that year but sadly that possible factor should be realized & taken into account when considering bringing small children to what can potentially for most attendees be a wonderful Halloween parade..