On Saturday night, hundreds of handmade lanterns, giant puppets and marching bands will take over the Southwest Trail. The Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade returns Saturday, Sept. 19, for its 16th iteration and its first fall edition since 2019. Last year’s parade was canceled at the last minute because of weather.
Parade creator Chantelle Rytter, who calls herself a parade artist, launched the tradition in 2010, when the Beltline was still a dirt trail behind the dumpsters on the Eastside.
About 500 people showed up, and by her account it was the largest crowd ever to gather there. Now the parade draws thousands. Rytter lived in New Orleans for a decade, and she built the parade from the night lantern processions she’d seen around the world and the anything-goes spirit of Mardi Gras morning.
Unlike most parades, there’s no theme and no club to join. “Be your own theme,” Rytter said. Anyone with a lantern can march behind the bands, and she doesn’t see it as a contest. “Do bring your best lantern, because it’s a gift to your community.”…