Dragon Con is back for 2021, including the Dragon Con Parade, with many changes

Dragon Con is back with in-person events in 2021, but there are many changes.

The five-day convention and parade have been an annual Labor Day Weekend tradition in Atlanta since 1987. In 2020, it was reinvented as a virtual event. 

Dragon Con 2021 runs from September 2nd to 6th this year, with events at five hotels in downtown Atlanta.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 4th.
BUT, unless you have purchased a ticket to attend the Dragon Con convention, you will NOT be able to watch the parade in person along Peachtree Street.

Only Dragon Con badge holders can watch from the sidelines.

The parade will be broadcast live on local channel CW69. It will also be streamed live on YouTube and other social media platforms.

Another change this year:
You can NOT buy a single-day Saturday pass to Dragon Con — another effort to cut down on crowding on parade day.

However, you can buy a Dragon Con Goes Virtual pass for just $10. This gives you virtual access to the parade and other programming, like panels and talks. 

As always, you can stream some content for FREE on the Dragon Con TV YouTube channel. From the Con’s FAQ page:

We will still post content to the DragonConTV YouTube Channel before, during and after Dragon Con 2021. You can find guest interviews, convention highlights, full coverage of the Dragon Con Parade, and the usual “comedy” you’ve come to expect from DragonConTV.

The convention also plans to host a virtual marketplace again this year.

Want to attend Dragon Con in person?

Here’s what you need to know.

Badges will NOT be sold onsite, so you’ll have to buy a membership pass online in advance — and be forewarned that attendance is limited, so the passes may sell out. 

PRICES:
One day memberships range from $20 to $60 for the various days. (Remember, there is no one-day pass for Saturday.)
A five-day pass is $140.

Thinking about crashing the party?
There will be advanced security this year, around the clock, to ensure that only pass holders can access the events.

More Labor Day Weekend events:

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Friday, September 3, 2021

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Monday, September 6, 2021

Content below the line is from a previous year and is not current.

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It wouldn’t be Labor Day Weekend without the throngs of costumed visitors wandering around downtown Atlanta. Yep, it’s time for Dragon Con again, including the parade.

The spectacle of cosplayer showcasing their favorite superheroes and sci-fi characters parading down Peachtree Street attracts over 75,000 spectators.

The Dragon Con parade is free and open to the public. It happens this year on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 10 a.m., although the crowds will begin gathering and staking out their spots by 8 a.m.

Bring the kids, put on your own costumes, and watch elaborate cosplayers march through downtown Atlanta.

Parade route:

• The parade kicks off at the corner of Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue.
• It will proceed south on Peachtree all the way to to Andrew Young International Blvd.
• It will turn left onto AYI Blvd and one block to Peachtree Center Avenue, where it will turn left again.
• The parade will then proceed a block and a half northward to end in front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Last year, 80,000 people turned out for Dragon Con events and festivities. Hint: Take MARTA!

Dragon Con is one of the largest science fiction and fantasy conventions in the world.

Visit the parade’s Facebook page.

Visit the parade’s web page. (Includes a map of the parade route)

 

TIP: If you really can’t handle the parade crowds, just head downtown anytime from Friday through Sunday. Take MARTA to Peachtree Center Station, then just wander around the area. You’ll see plenty of elaborate costumes. Or check out the lobbies of these downtown hotels: Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta, and Westin Peachtree Plaza.

Getting there

It is so imperative that you ride MARTA downtown, that the good folks at MARTA have put together several detailed guides to help demystify the process for infrequent riders.

These guides are highly recommended:

How to ride MARTA to Dragon Con.

5 tips for taking MARTA to Dragon Con.

 

 

Check out last year’s parade:

 

 

More Labor Day Weekend fun around Atlanta:

Friday, August 30, 2019

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Monday, September 2, 2019

 

 

 

 

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