A Complete Guide to the Quirky Little 5 Points Halloween Parade

One of my favorite Halloween events is the Little 5 Points Halloween Parade which takes place in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. Little 5 Points is such a unique neighborhood in Atlanta and the halloween parade is just as much fun.

My parade buddy Lisa and I try to go whenever we can and have been bringing the kids since they were in strollers. In addition to being a great halloween parade with a cool variety of marchers, the Little Five Points crowd is just as much fun and their costumes can been just as good, if not better than the ones in the parade.

Little 5 Points: Atlanta Alternative Shopping District

Little Five Points was the first commercial district outside of downtown Atlanta. From the beginning it was an offbeat arts and shopping district. Locals refer to it as the Southern version of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village and the local counter-culture makes for some great people watching, as well an unique shopping and entertainment, and that’s on a normal day.

That same vibe comes through (and is even magnified) during the annual Little Five Points Halloween Parade. This year the parade is slated for Sat. Oct. 21, 2017 from 4 – 6 pm. Come early and stay late, this is also one of the best Halloween festivals in the city. 

This zombie girl scout was just hanging around the parade route

Little 5 Points Halloween Parade Route

The Little Five Points Halloween parade route starts at Austin and Euclid and moves up Euclid to Monroe.  It will turn South on Monroe and proceed to the Wrecking Bar Brewpub where it will do a u-turn and then proceed to Freedom Parkway.

Tips for a great experience at the Little Five Points Halloween Parade

1. Parking can be really tight in L5P, so plan to get there early (it’s great people watching) and be prepared to walk a bit.

2. The Parade is part of the L5P Halloween Festival which runs from noon until 11 pm. There is an artist market, food vendors and live entertainment on multiple stages.

3. The Halloween Parade usually starts at 4 pm, but marchers start gathering at 2 pm. We love strolling through the folks getting ready. Most people are just there to have a good time and don’t mind having their picture taken.

4.  Some costumes can be quite intense. It may be a bit much for young children, although we always see plenty of kids who don’t seem to be scared. You might want to mention before hand that it’s all make believe. In addition, there can be some floats that may be a little inappropriate for kids, but we just pretend we don’t see those. For the most part, the floats and marchers are family friendly, and there are lots of familiar characters for the kids too. One of my favorite marchers are Box Heroes – superheroes made from cardboard boxes. 

5. Beer is sold from street vendors and you are allowed to walk around Little Five Points with the drinks.

Have more tips for the Little 5 Points Halloween Parade? Know of other great halloween parades? Tell us about them in the comments.

Sue Rodman | Managing Editor & Business Development

Sue Rodman is a mother of three boys, a PR professional, writer, and ice cream lover. For eight years, Sue published an award winning family travel blog called Field Trips with Sue, and produced a TV segment with the same name on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. In Sept. 2016 Field Trips with Sue merged with 365 Atlanta Family. In addition to writing blog posts and managing the advertising and public relations for 365 Atlanta Family, Sue does freelance public relations and her writing has appeared online at TravelingMom, Trekaroo, Minitime Family and other family travel sites. She has contributed to print publications such as Family Fun, Simply Buckhead, BuckHaven and Publix Magazine. In addition, Sue has appeared on local and national news talking about family travel. Sue believes anytime is a good time for dessert and there are no bad field trips, just better stories.