Everybody has owned one at one time or another. Some people have been cursed with multiple ones over their life-time, often provided by well-meaning parents, aunts or uncles.

I’m talking about the ugly sweater.

Mine was a Christmas sweater, dark green with a muddy-looking flower print. It just screamed “the person who gave me this hates me!”

Well, the City of Marietta is providing you with a chance to proudly march forward and display that hideous woven tangle of crass, badly-tinted yarn at the inaugural Ugly Sweater Parade on Thursday November 30.

The following announcement reprinted from the Marietta website gives the details:

Marietta Parks, Recreation & Facilities is proud to announce “Marietta’s Ugly Sweater Parade” is back during Marietta’s Christmas Tree Lighting event on Thursday, November 30th! The parade was such a hit in its inaugural year, that a limited number of automobiles will be allowed this year.  Don your ugliest of Holiday sweaters (family appropriate) and join Santa in his parade to the Square! 

The Marietta Ugly Sweater Holiday Parade is part of the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival, which is held annually. This traditional, old fashioned day of family fun is centered on the Christmas Tree Lighting celebration, and includes choir performances, meet and greets with Santa Claus, and the annual lighting of the tree. The .4-mile parade will step off at 4:45PM at Marietta City Hall Upper Parking Deck, travel down Lawrence St, around the Square and ends at Glover Park via East Park Square.

Any individual, organization, group, business or other entity that desires to participate in the parade must submit an application. All forms must be completed in their entirety and received by Marietta Parks, Recreation & Facilities prior to the deadline.

*The City of Marietta reserves the right to cancel any events at any time due to an Executive Order issued by Governor Brian Kemp due to COVID-19 or any other outside factors.

For more information or to register please visit the website.

Application Deadline: 5:00PM, November 10, 2023

About the City of Marietta

The City of Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County. The latest estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the population of the city at 60,867 which makes it the largest city in Cobb County by population.

However, the city is in a neck-and-neck race with fast-growing Smyrna, whose population was 56,666 at the last estimate.

Here are a few fast facts from the Census Bureau