Show off that hideous tangle of ill-tinted woven yarn at Marietta’s Ugly Sweater Parade

Three Christmas sweaters

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

Marietta city, Georgia

People

Population, Census, April 1, 202060972
Population, Census, April 1, 201056579
Age and Sex
Persons under 5 years, percent6.7%
Persons under 18 years, percent21.8%
Persons 65 years and over, percent13.2%
Female persons, percent49.9%
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent53.4%
Black or African American alone, percent(a)32.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a)0.6%
Asian alone, percent(a)1.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a)0.0%
Two or More Races, percent4.7%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)15.7%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent46.4%
Population Characteristics
Veterans, 2016-20202678
Foreign born persons, percent, 2016-202016.6%
Housing
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2016-202044.0%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2016-2020$310,100
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2016-2020$1,856
Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2016-2020$526
Median gross rent, 2016-2020$1,145
Families & Living Arrangements
Households, 2016-202024148
Persons per household, 2016-20202.39
Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2016-202077.9%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2016-202023.7%
Computer and Internet Use
Households with a computer, percent, 2016-202095.1%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2016-202086.6%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202088.6%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202044.0%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2016-20206.3%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent20.2%
Economy
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202067.2%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202061.2%
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2012 ($1,000)(c)264544
Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1584232
Total manufacturers shipments, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1129407
Total retail sales, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1976915
Total retail sales per capita, 2012(c)$33,875
Transportation
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2016-202028.5
Income & Poverty
Median household income (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$59,594
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$36,112
Persons in poverty, percent14.1%
Businesses
All firms, 201210501
Men-owned firms, 20124934
Women-owned firms, 20124186
Minority-owned firms, 20124286
Nonminority-owned firms, 20125502
Veteran-owned firms, 20121015
Nonveteran-owned firms, 20128663
Geography
Population per square mile, 20102451.4
Land area in square miles, 201023.08