Marietta to Host Annual Independence Day Parade and Festival

Marietta kicks off its Independence Day celebrations with the annual Let Freedom Ring Parade at 10 a.m. Thursday.

This year’s parade will feature more than 2,000 participants in almost 100 entries ranging from local marching bands, civic organizations, beauty pageant queens and more. Nearly 30,000 people are expected to attend.

The parade begins at Roswell Street Baptist Church and spans a 1.5 mile route along Roswell Street, then East Park Square and down Cherokee Street, ending at North Marietta Parkway.

The parade will enter Marietta Square around 10:30 a.m., according to Rich Buss, the city’s parks director.

The parade began about 56 years ago when it was started by former Mayor Bill Dunaway in partnership with the Marietta Jaycees, Buss said.

“The parade is always kicked off by the Marietta Lions Club who provides a lot of flags for the people around the parade route,” he said.

In addition to local first responders, political candidates and a horse brigade, attendees can expect appearances from usual favorites like the Marietta High School Marching Band and the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids in their iconic pastel dresses.

This year’s grand marshal is retired Marietta physical education teacher Beth Graham.

“Graham is a Marietta native and was a pretty accomplished athlete when she was in high school and played college athletics,” Buss said. “She’s just so well known in the community… She’s very much a lover of Marietta and a good representative.”

After the parade, attendees can enjoy an all-day festival on Marietta Square featuring over 80 arts and crafts vendors as well as food and drink and a kids zone with inflatables. The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At 2 p.m., the Glover Bell will be rung 13 times for the 13 colonies during a bell-ringing ceremony.

Throughout the day, there will also be several free concerts on the main stage, with music from Scott Thompson at noon, the Atlanta Concert Band at 2:30 p.m. and R&B singer-songwriter and harpist Tulani at 7 p.m. Headliner Savannah Jack will perform original country music and covers from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

There will be tables set up in front of the stage available for reservation. Eight-top tables are $100 and 6-top tables are $80. According to park officials, there are still some tables available.

The festivities will end with a bang with a firework show at dark. The fireworks will be shot from the Marietta First United Methodist Church parking lot, likely around 9:30 p.m.

According to the National Weather Service, Thursday’s forecast shows a 40% chance of rain with scattered thunderstorms mainly after 2 p.m. and a high of 94 degrees. What time the firework show begins will depend on the weather.

“Some years we’ll shoot them off just a little bit early if we have to beat some thunder and lightning that might be approaching us,” Buss said. “Folks should get there ahead of the time they might expect if they’re traveling to get there, in case fireworks have to go off a little early.”

To reserve a concert table or for more information about reservations, contact Laura McLaughlin at laura@jrmmanagement.com.

In preparation for the parade, several streets around the Square will be temporarily closed. More information on road closures can be found at https://www.mariettaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10061/Street-Closings — 4th-July .

For additional information about Thursday’s events, call the Marietta Parks and Recreation department at 770-794-5601. Weather-related updates will be posted on the city’s Facebook and Twitter pages as well as the Marietta Parks and Recreation website.

Here are the organizations participating in the parade:

♦ 3 Amigos Mexican Bar & Grill

♦ Active Pest Control

♦ American Axes

♦ Bear Fruit

♦ Boy Scouts of America — Foothills District (from Atlanta Area Council)

♦ Burn Boot Camp Marietta

♦ Calvary Children’s Home with GRMC

♦ Christian Motorcyclists Association

♦ Civil Air Patrol

♦ Classic Glass Corvette Club

♦ Cobb County Democratic Committee

♦ Cobb County Public Library

♦ Cobb County Republican Party

♦ Cobb County Republican Women’s Club

♦ Cobb County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Cobb Taxpayers Association

♦ Committee to Elect Tahnicia Phillips

♦ Committee to Elect Deborah Dance

♦ Council Members

♦ Council Member Cheryl Richardson

♦ Cub Scout Pack 675

♦ Cub Scout Pack 730

♦ Daughters of the American Revolution — Old Noonday Chapter

♦ Devan Seabaugh for State Representative

♦ Dinanath Ramkissoon

♦ DMC of GA

♦ First Presbyterian Church — Pack 252

♦ Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans

♦ Georgia Military Vehicle Preservation Association

♦ Georgia Regional Mustang Club

♦ Georgia Vietnam Veterans Alliance

♦ Girl Scouts of America

♦ Glory Haus

♦ GoMed Mobile Urgent Care

♦ Grand Marshal Beth Graham

♦ Honor Guard

♦ Horace Orr Post 29 American Legion

♦ Joseph’s Junk Removal

♦ Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

♦ Kennesaw Mountain Shrine Club

♦ Kiwanis Club of Marietta

♦ Knights of Columbus

♦ L/Cpl Squire “Skip” Wells Detachment #647 Marine Corps League

♦ League of Women Voters of Marietta — Cobb

♦ Libertarian Party of Georgia

♦ Marietta City Schools

♦ Marietta Fire Department

♦ Marietta High School Marching Band

♦ Marietta Lions Club

♦ Marietta Police

♦ Marietta Ward 7 City Council Member Joseph R. Goldstein

♦ Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin

♦ MG Club of America

♦ Military Vehicle

♦ Miss Cobb County and Pageant Winners

♦ Mobile Azalea Trail Maids

♦ Mulligan’s Food and Spirits

♦ MUST Ministries

♦ Navy League of the United States, Atlanta Metropolitan Council

♦ Niecey’s Hair Braiding

♦ Northwest Georgia Young Marines

♦ Office of the District Attorney Flynn Broady Jr.

♦ OneEighty

♦ Parker Chase

♦ Reagan Box for U.S. Senate

♦ Robin Bishop for State Court Clerk

♦ SA White Oil Co/Star Ranch Rescue

♦ Scots of North Georgia

♦ SD Productions

♦ Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War

♦ Sonya Allen — Cobb County District Attorney

♦ Sparkles Family Fun Center Kennesaw

♦ Team Kennedy

♦ The Committee to Elect Andrew Cole

♦ The Georgia Ballet

♦ The Light of the World Church

♦ The Roof Gallery

♦ TruPrep Emergency Preparedness

♦ Tuesday Coffee and Shoppe

♦ Up Up and Away Junk Hauling

♦ Vigne Committee

♦ Wellstar Health Place

♦ Yaarab Shrine Red Devil Clowns