Downtown Atlanta is set to party like it’s pre-pandemic times again on New Year’s Eve, and MARTA officials say they’re planning accordingly.

MARTA plans to run more frequent train service to all downtown stations on Saturday in anticipation of huge crowds attending the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl parade and game—and the Peach Drop’s first blowout at Underground Atlanta in six years.

Beginning at noon Saturday, trains will run every seven and ½ minutes on north-south and east-west routes. Specifically, those are the Red/Gold Line between Lindbergh Center Station and Airport Station, and the Blue/Green Line between Ashby Station and King Memorial Station.

Then, at 5 p.m., train service frequency will increase to six minutes, MARTA officials announced today.

Also, from 6 to 8 p.m., MARTA plans to run a shuttle train between Five Points Station and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium/State Farm Arena/GWCC Station to transport football fanatics to the Peach Bowl.

After the big game and Peach Drop, MARTA says extra trains will be in service to handle increased ridership leaving downtown.

The agency notes that MARTA police officers and other personnel—all wearing yellow safety vests—will be stationed on platforms to help load and unload trains.

The Peach Bowl parade is scheduled from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Peachtree Street.

At Underground Atlanta, the (free) festivities begin at 6 p.m.   

Following Underground Atlanta’s first sale in recent years, Peach Drop festivities moved to Woodruff Park in 2017, and they haven’t returned to Underground since. Until now.

Acts scheduled to perform at Underground on Saturday include Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Athens rock band Drivin N Cryin, YoungBloodZ, Jagged Edge, and Atlanta country-rap artist Blanco Brown.

The Peach Drop was cancelled in 2019 (lack of venue) and in 2020 (global pandemic).

A planned 2021 return of the time-honored tradition to Underground, featuring Goodie Mob and Ashanti, was nixed at the last minute by a surge in the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

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