EAST COBBER Parade and Festival: route, road closures, date

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. This page is updated each year. Details come from the organizer, EAST COBBER magazine, its 2026 route and road closure notice and its rain policy. Parade and festival questions: laren@eastcobber.com.

The EAST COBBER Parade and Festival is East Cobb’s hometown parade, held every year since 1995. More than 2,000 marchers in about 110 entries walk one mile down Johnson Ferry Road on a Saturday morning, tossing candy to the crowd, and a free festival follows at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. The 28th parade was Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The 2027 date has not been announced yet; in recent years it has fallen in September or early October, and the organizer usually announces it in late summer, when entry applications open.

At a glance

• When: a Saturday in early fall, 10 a.m. (2026: Oct. 3; 2025: Sept. 13)
• Route: 1223 Johnson Ferry Road (Princeton Lakes entrance) south to Olde Towne Parkway
• Festival: about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., north parking lot, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 955 Johnson Ferry Road
• Cost: free
• Road closure: Johnson Ferry Road, Roswell Road to Lower Roswell Road, about 9:45 to 11:30 a.m.
• Organizer: EAST COBBER magazine, eastcobber.com/parade

Recent dates

Sources: EAST COBBER’s 2026, 2025 and 2023 parade articles. We will post the 2027 date here as soon as EAST COBBER announces it.

The route

The parade steps off at 10 a.m. in front of the Princeton Lakes subdivision, 1223 Johnson Ferry Road, travels one mile south on Johnson Ferry Road and turns onto Olde Towne Parkway, the organizer says. Expect high school marching bands, floats, scout troops, school and athletic teams, classic cars, local businesses and nonprofits. East Cobb schools’ principals and teachers of the year are honored along the route.

It is known locally as the “candy parade”: nearly every entry throws candy, so children line Johnson Ferry Road with bags.

Road closures and detours

From the organizer’s 2026 route notice:

• Johnson Ferry Road is closed in both directions between Roswell Road and Lower Roswell Road, by Cobb County Police, from 9:45 a.m. The notice gives the reopening time as both 11:15 and 11:30 a.m.; plan on 11:30.
• Princeton Lakes Drive is closed from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
• Woodlawn Road is also closed.
• Cobb County DOT sets detours at Indian Hills Parkway at Roswell Road and at Lower Roswell Road, and at Timber Ridge Road at Roswell Road and at Lower Roswell Road.

If you live inside the closed stretch, leave before 9:45 a.m. or plan to stay home until lunchtime. Check our road closures page the week of the parade.

The festival

After the parade, the EAST COBBER Festival runs from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the north parking lot of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 955 Johnson Ferry Road. It has live entertainment, face painting, inflatables and games, booths from local businesses and nonprofits, and food from East Cobb restaurants and food trucks. Admission to the parade and the festival is free.

Rain policy

From EAST COBBER’s rain policy:

• The event is not canceled the night before; a little drizzle does not stop it.
• If storms threaten, Cobb County Police decide at 9 a.m. whether to delay or cancel.
• There is no rain date.
• Any cancellation is posted on the EAST COBBER Facebook page that morning.

Marching or exhibiting

Schools, businesses, nonprofits, scouts, community groups and arts and crafts vendors can apply to march or take a festival booth. For 2026 the application deadline was Monday, Sept. 14. Sponsorships are also available. Contact laren@eastcobber.com or apply through eastcobber.com/parade.

What this means for you

• Watch for the 2027 date in late summer; it has been held in September or early October.
• Stake out a spot on Johnson Ferry Road before 10 a.m. and bring a bag for candy.
• Driving that morning? Avoid Johnson Ferry Road between Roswell and Lower Roswell roads until about 11:30 a.m.

More: fall festivals and pumpkin patches, things to do in East Cobb, the Taste of East Cobb and the Marietta Greek Festival.

Frequently asked questions

When is the EAST COBBER Parade in 2027?

The 2027 date has not been announced. The parade is held on a Saturday morning in early fall: Oct. 3 in 2026, Sept. 13 in 2025 and Sept. 9 in 2023.

What is the EAST COBBER Parade route?

It steps off at 10 a.m. at the Princeton Lakes entrance, 1223 Johnson Ferry Road, and runs one mile south on Johnson Ferry Road to Olde Towne Parkway.

What roads close for the EAST COBBER Parade?

In 2026 Cobb County Police closed both directions of Johnson Ferry Road between Roswell Road and Lower Roswell Road from 9:45 to about 11:30 a.m. Princeton Lakes Drive and Woodlawn Road were also closed, with detours on Indian Hills Parkway and Timber Ridge Road.

Is the EAST COBBER Parade free?

Yes. Watching the parade and going to the festival afterward at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church are both free.

What happens if it rains on parade day?

The parade is not canceled the night before. Cobb County Police decide at 9 a.m. whether to delay or cancel if storms threaten, and there is no rain date. Cancellations are posted on EAST COBBER’s Facebook page that day.