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Spilling the Tea Since 1773: Your Guide to NGA CAN's July 4th Parade & Festival Booth

  • Jun 30
  • 9 min read

Updated: Jul 1


This Saturday, July 4th, NGA CAN is showing up in Woodstock in a big way. We're rolling a decorated truck through the city's July 4th Spectacular Parade and setting up a booth at the Festival afterward. Whether you're riding, walking, tabling, or just cheering from the sidewalk, here's everything you need to know.



We are canceling sign waving in Woodstock, Canton, and Jasper, as well as the Bridge Brigade for the 4th of July. All our energy is going into the parade and the festival booth.


The Theme


Spilling the Tea Since 1773. Revolutionary. Festive. A little rebellious. Exactly right for the 4th of July.


Dress in red, white, and blue. Wear something fun, festive, and unapologetically spirited. Channel revolution. Think colonial tea party meets modern civic power. Just keep it family friendly: absolutely no profanity on clothing, signs, or anything else. The primary audience for this parade is children and families, and we want to delight them.


We may have extra "Spilling the Tea Since 1773" shirts available the morning of the event, but sizes and quantities are not guaranteed. If you want to make sure you get one, order yours now from the NGA CAN General Store, where you can also find matching hats and bags. It may not arrive before the 4th, but all proceeds go to NGA CAN's work: https://www.ngacan.org/category/spilling-the-tea-since-1773

Spilling the Tea Since 1773 T-Shirt
Buy Now

The Schedule


  • 7:00 AM Meet behind Woodstock Elementary School to decorate the truck (and the trailer, if we secure one). You don't HAVE to help decorate to walk or ride with us, but we cannot join the parade lineup with an undecorated vehicle, so please come help if you can! We have decorations for everyone to use.

  • 8:00 AM Lineup begins in the front parking lot of Woodstock Elementary School at 230 Rope Mill Road, Woodstock, GA 30188. Do not arrive before 8:00 AM or you will be turned away.

  • 9:30 AM Lineup ends. If you are not there by 9:30, you will not be allowed to join. Everyone who wants to walk MUST be there by 9:30.

  • 10:00 AM Parade starts.

  • 11:15 AM Parade ends (approximate) at Sam's Club on Main Street near Highway 92.

  • 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Festival at The Park at City Center (Arnold Mill Road and Towne Lake Parkway). Stop by the NGA CAN booth!


Booth setup volunteers: If you are helping with the festival booth instead of (or in addition to) the parade, booth load in at The Park at City Center runs from 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM. All vendors must be set up and ready by 10:00 AM. See the Festival Booth section below for driving directions and parking.




Where to Park and How to Get to Lineup


If you're walking in the parade and driving yourself, you have a few options. Each has tradeoffs, so pick the one that works best for your situation.


Option 1: Park at Woodstock Church of Christ (219 Rope Mill Road), directly across from the elementary school. This gets you closest to the 7:00 AM decorating meetup and the lineup area. The downside is that the parade ends 1.3 miles away at Sam's Club, so you will need a ride back to your car after the parade. We will coordinate rides back for anyone who parks here.

  • Tip: The walk from the back of the school to the front is fairly long. If you're arriving early to help decorate (we meet behind the school at 7:00 AM), consider parking in the back lot first, helping with decorating, and then moving your car across the street to the church lot before lineup begins at 8:00 AM. That way you avoid hauling your gear across the entire school campus on foot.


Option 2: Park at Sam's Club (near the end of the parade route on Main Street near Highway 92). Walk from Sam's Club up to Woodstock Elementary School before the parade. This means a longer walk beforehand (about 1.3 miles), but when the parade ends, you're already at your car and can leave immediately. This is a great option if you want to avoid depending on a post-parade ride.


Option 3: Carpool and split the difference. If you're coming with a group, consider dropping walkers at the school, then parking at Sam's Club. The driver walks or rides back to the school for lineup, and everyone meets up at Sam's Club at the end. This works especially well for groups.


  • Important: Walkers and riders must be dropped off at the BACK of the school and take the shortcut on the side of the building to join the lineup at the front. Do not attempt to drop anyone off at the front of the school. The city is very strict about this for safety reasons.



The Parade Route


The route is approximately 1.3 miles and runs from Woodstock Elementary School (230 Rope Mill Road) down Rope Mill Road to Main Street, then south on Main Street to Sam's Club just before Highway 92.


There is no shuttle back to the start. When the parade ends, you either get picked up at Sam's Club or walk back. Plan accordingly using the parking options above.



Prepare for the Heat


This is not optional reading. July in Georgia is brutal, and this parade involves standing in a parking lot for up to two hours before you even start walking. If we're lucky, we'll line up in the shade. If we're not, we'll be roasting in full sun while waiting.


Bring about three times more water, electrolytes, snacks, sunscreen, and portable fans than you think you need. That is not an exaggeration. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are serious risks this weekend. Take care of yourself and those around you.


Wear a hat. Wear sunscreen. Bring a handheld fan or a battery powered one. Freeze some water bottles the night before so they stay cold longer. Consider bringing a small cooler if you're able to.


Consider bringing a small folding chair as well. You may be standing in the lineup area for a while before the parade starts, and having somewhere to sit makes a big difference in the heat. If you don't have a folding chair but would like to ride in the truck, let us know and we'll bring one for you.


Parade Throws


We will have bags and some parade throws for everyone, but we need you to supplement if you can. Bring about three times more throws than you think you need. The route is 1.3 miles, and it goes fast.


Good throws: individually wrapped candy (nothing chocolate or anything that melts easily in the heat), small toys, trinkets, stickers, temporary tattoos, mini flags, beads. You can even print out your favorite inspiring quotes from our founding documents and hand them out. Last year we threw some pocket Constitutions -- so get creative!


Per city rules, do not whip candy into the crowd. Toss or roll it gently to the curb so kids don't run into the street. Even better, walkers should hand items directly to children on the side of the road.


No confetti, streamers, bouncy balls, or frisbees. Squishy balls are OK.


The Waiver


The City of Woodstock requires every parade and vending participant to sign an Accident Waiver and Release of Liability Form. We will handle this at lineup and checkin. Just show up and we'll have the forms ready for you to sign before the parade and festival begins.



Festival Booth


After the parade, head to The Park at City Center (Arnold Mill Road and Towne Lake Parkway) for the Woodstock Festival, running from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.


NGA CAN will have a booth where we'll share information about who we are, what we do, and resources from allied organizations. We'll also have a few fun things for kids (and kids at heart).


Booth Setup Volunteers


We need a small crew at The Park at City Center to handle booth load in while the rest of us are at the elementary school for the parade. Booth load in runs from 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM, and all booths must be set up and ready by 10:00 AM. The festival opens immediately after the parade, around 10:30 AM.


If you are volunteering for booth setup, you must arrive during the load in window. Anyone arriving after 9:30 AM will be turned away by city staff with no exceptions.


You cannot tear down early. The festival runs until 3:00 PM, and the city strictly enforces this. Tearing down before 3:00 PM can get us banned from future events.


Booth location will be assigned by city staff a few days before the event. An email with your volunteer schedule and the booth assignment will go out to everyone who filled out the sign-up form.



Getting to The Park at City Center (Booth Volunteers)


This is important: roads will be closed for the Freedom Run from 6:45 AM to 8:30 AM, which overlaps with booth load in. You cannot enter the park from Arnold Mill Road. You MUST follow these directions.


From Towne Lake Parkway: Turn left onto 575 North. Take Exit 9 (Ridgewalk Parkway) and turn right. Turn right on Main Street (Hwy 5). Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From Highway 92: Take Hwy 92 to Neese Road. Take Neese Road to Arnold Mill Road. Turn left on Arnold Mill Road. Turn right on Dobbs Road and follow to Main Street. Turn left on Main Street. Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From Arnold Mill Road and 140: Follow Arnold Mill Road towards downtown Woodstock past Neese Road. Turn right on Dobbs Road and follow to Main Street. Turn left on Main Street. Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From East Cherokee: Head south on Main Street (Hwy 5). Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From I-75: Follow 75 to 575. Exit at Ridgewalk Parkway (Exit 9). Turn right onto Ridgewalk Parkway. Turn right onto Main Street (Hwy 5). Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From I-575 Northbound: Follow 575 to Ridgewalk Parkway (Exit 9) and turn right. Turn right on Main Street (Hwy 5). Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


From I-575 Southbound: Follow 575 to Ridgewalk Parkway (Exit 9) and turn left. Turn right on Main Street (Hwy 5). Turn left onto East Main Street before the railroad tracks. Follow staff direction for unloading.


[MAP PLACEHOLDER: Driving directions to The Park at City Center via East Main Street]


Booth Volunteer Parking


After you unload your supplies at the booth site, you must move your car off site immediately. Booth volunteers on the upper level of the park will park at Chattahoochee Technical College, just north of The Park at City Center on Main Street (about a block and a half walk back to the park). Staff will direct you.


You will need a vendor pass displayed on your dashboard to get through police barricades and into the parking area. We will email the vendor pass to booth setup volunteers before the event and also include a paper copy with the t-shirt you requested.


Booth Rules


  • No stakes in the ground. Use water jugs, weights, or sandbags to secure your tent.

  • All displayed items must be appropriate for family viewing, including young children.

  • Keep the booth space clean and free of hazards. All trash must be disposed of properly, and the site must be clean before you leave.

  • Everything must be removed from the park immediately after the event. Nothing can be left overnight.


For Everyone Else


If you can't walk in the parade or volunteer at the booth, please stop by! And encourage other folks you know to do the same. This is one of the best opportunities all year to build community connections with your neighbors.



Quick Reference


Road Closures


Main Street and Rope Mill Road will be closed from Woodstock Elementary School to Highway 92 during these windows:


  • 6:45 AM to 8:30 AM (Freedom Run Race)

  • 9:45 AM to 11:30 AM (July 4th Spectacular Parade)


Dozens of intersections along Main Street, Market Street, Arnold Mill, Rope Mill, and Towne Lake Parkway will also have roadblocks. Plan your route accordingly and give yourself extra time. Full details at https://www.WoodstockParksandRec.com.


This 4th of July, let's remind our community that freedom thrives when people participate. Let's celebrate, and let's keep building the kind of country we want to live in.

See you Saturday.


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