After another rainout, Beltline’s Lantern Parade sets redo date

After a rainstorm-induced cancellation for the second year in a row this past Saturday, Atlanta’s most luminous tradition has wasted no time in scheduling a do-over. 

The Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade redo will step off at 8 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 26 with a modified route in Southwest Atlanta. (Forecast calls for a high of 81 degrees, mostly sunny, and 4 percent chance of rain.) 

Plans now call for starting the parade at the Atlanta Beltline Marketplace at Allene location (1089 Allene Ave. SW) and winding it north on the Southwest Trail, before ending at the Lee + White district as typically planned. 

A large-scale, grand-finale jam session with numerous marching bands and the parade’s signature luminous puppets is scheduled to overtake a Lee + White parking lot, beginning around 8:45 p.m.

Beltline officials encourage Atlantans and visitors to walk, bike, skate, or ride public transit to the Lantern Parade. A free bike valet will be offered near the Lee + White food hall off the Beltline, and the ATL Spoke shuttle will run its loop between noon and 10 p.m. Saturday. 

Last year’s cancellation in May means the Lantern Parade hasn’t happened for nearly nearly two and ½ years. 

The 16th incarnation of the parade—as presented by Atlanta Beltline Art and led by parade creator Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons—is accessible to other sections of the city now as more of the Beltline loop has been built. 

Festivals galore 

Earlier in the day on Saturday, hallowed tradition East Atlanta Strut is set to make its late-September return around EAV, with a 5K race at 8:30 a.m., the famed Strut Parade in the village at noon, and numerous other festivities including a Porchfest music lineup until 6 p.m.

A bike valet will be provided at 1342 Glenwood Ave. SE (the far eastern side of the village), near Bellwood Coffee-EAV, Peach State Federal Credit Union, and Root & Blossom Counseling. Here's a handy, overall map for the 2026 Strut: 

Meanwhile, from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, a free electronic music festival called Beats on the Block is set for Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, off the Beltline’s Eastside Trail. 

Beyond the music, expect live art, local food trucks, dancing, beverages, and more.

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