40th Anniversary Special Series – Part 3

The Dragon Con parade kicks off (for the 25^th time including the 2020 Virtual Parade) at 10 am Saturday, September 5, 2026. Stretching just over a mile in length, it will begin at the intersection of Peachtree and Linden and conclude in front of the Marriott Marquis hotel. The parade has become a hallmark event in the city of Atlanta, and for many, the defining event of Dragon Con. Like so much of Dragon Con, the parade’s origins can be found in the effort by Pat Henry and the leadership team to deal with the convention’s growth and expansion. In an interview with Rodney Ho of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Henry recounted the tale of the parade’s humble origins. It was during the 2000 convention that he and Rob Pauley decided to take a break from the convention and go for a walk. They found their way down Peachtree Street where they came upon a parade. It was a Salvation Army parade, and with that the idea was born.

The Salvation Army is famous for its parades led by brass marching bands, which became part of the parades to distract and entertain the crowds while protecting speakers from hostile and sometimes violent crowds. The parade that Henry and Pauley saw represented the continuation of a tradition more than 110 years old at the time. It had an impact on the co-chairman, who declared to his friend, “we could do that!”

The following year brought the idea into reality. Dragon Con moved into a second hotel, the Marriott Marquis. It was an important move as the vendor hall was being relocated there. Henry wanted to make sure guests made that connection and didn’t simply continue to congregate at the Hyatt. He would achieve that by organizing a parade.

The first Dragon Con parade began at Centennial Park. Henry gathered several groups, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Netherworld Haunted House, and Lips Down on Dixie (a Rocky Horror Picture Show acting troupe that continues to present RHPS at the con) to constitute the first parade. Led by a troupe of bagpipers, they marched from the park to the Marriott Marquis on Saturday morning. That first parade lasted approximately 20 minutes and passed directly through the front doors of the Marriott Marquis and into the hotel, where parade goers were greeted with lemonade and cookies. Ho describes the crowd for that first parade as “incidental,” but the foundation had been set. Participants loved it, interest increased, and (like so much of Dragon Con culture) a tradition was born.

Over the years, the parade has grown in both size and popularity with more than 3,000 participants across almost 60 groups and tens of thousands of spectators. Since 2016, the parade has been broadcast live on local television. According to Annie Carter, parade director, while the parade has had its Grand Marshal (Stan Lee was passionate about being in it after watching for the first time) and groups expanding/contracting through the years, the parade always ends with the Star Wars costumers and Santa Claus.

Josh Mueller is the public relations officer of the Georgia Garrison of the 501^st Legion, the internationally known Star Wars costuming club. According to Mueller, the Star Wars contingent has consistently been among the largest (if not largest) single section of the parade. Star Wars costumers in the 501^st enjoy the distinction of having participated in every parade since its inception. However, Mueller pointed out, the 501^st is only a portion of that larger parade group. The world of Star Wars costuming has expanded significantly and now includes “sister organizations” representing rebels (Rebel Legion), Mandalorians (Mando Mercs), and “anything else Star Wars that doesn’t necessarily fit our Imperial niche.” It is still the case though that several of the people marching in the Star Wars section are independent of any group affiliation. Like so much else of the Dragon Con world, Mueller emphasized that they do everything they can to make these folks feel welcome.

Click here for notes and acknowledgements from the author.