2010-10-16 10th Annual Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade.  If you're unfamiliar with Little Five Points, it's Atlanta answer to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, being a center of artistic expression, local pub and bars showcasing the best in Atlanta alternative and underground music.  It has been the heart of Atlanta Counter Culture since the early 1900s.  This year marked 10 official years of the local freaks gathering in Little Five Points to celebrate the one holiday that makes them all feel normal and the "normal" people get to dress up and take a trip to their wild side.  The Festival began Friday night at 5pm with street vendors, food carts and live out door performances to gear up for the excitement of Saturday.  I was very excited to see that Pallookaville had a line around the truck proving that gourmet corn dogs are never a bad
idea, that with the smell of BBQ, homemade chili and funnel cakes and other fried things that truly make it smell like a fall festival.

Saturday was the main event with the part of the roads blocked off for the Parade, this year's Grand Marshall was Unknown Hinson. He was a natural choice as he regularly does at least two sold out shows each year in Atlanta and was playing at Variety Playhouse later that night.  As the ladies of Syrens of the South were his opening act, Katherine Lashe, Ruby Redmayne and a kidnapped Anita got to ride with him!  The ladies got a lot of practice with their princess waves!  The "float" was actually a vintage black pick-up truck that had a red velvet couch that was accented with zebra stripped faux fur for Unknown Hinson to ride in while the ladies sat down at his feet, it was definitely classy!  (See picture below, thank you Photognome!)  I think what made it especially so was the Pabst Blue Ribbon car directly behind us handing out free schwag.  It was in the shape of a PBR Can with hot rod wheels and the hood ornament was a PBR keg tap.

Honestly, the whole parade was covered in Atlanta Burlesque Stars!  Talloolah Love was playing her viola with The Vauxhall Garden Variety Players, Johnny No Thumbs was drumming with The Imperial Opa Circus, La La Lucious was driving her Pink Pussy Cat Car with Tribe, Pera Dance Studios was showing off many of their amazing teachers including having an aerial rig they pulled with them, Awalim and Turnin' TriXXX danced their way along the parade route.  


Some of my favorite floats included the Kudzu Queen, because we're in Georgia and someone needs to be the Queen of it, and the Java Lords float that sprayed blood out of the claws.  One of my favorite things about parades is always the live music and there were so many bands and groups either playing and marching or floats.  It was an amazing day of the whole community coming together and having a great party.

Below are pictures taken by a little bit of everybody!