The East Atlanta Strut. Image via event materials.

For more than two decades, the fourth Saturday in September brings masses of people to East Atlanta Village for a festival full of food, drink, music and this year… llamas?

The East Atlanta Strut has always been a little weird, and this year won’t be any different. Creative Director Davy Minor told Atlanta Loop about 10,000 folks will crowd into the EAV streets this Saturday morning and afternoon to check out all the quirky neighborhood has to offer.

But it’s difficult to describe what the Strut is. “Ultimately, it’s a street festival,” Minor said. “The parade is a large competent of it, but a street festival encapsulates the totality of what it is.”

The undefinable nature is understandable. The Strut has all the trappings of a traditional street festival – food vendors, beer tents and the like, but the event is infused with a little East Atlanta flavor. The year’s Strut will also include a new vintage market, an aerialist performance and adult games including big wheel races, mechanical bulls and feats of strength, stamina and beard-growing.

The parade – or Strut –  itself is also delightfully strange. Billed as “the wackiest and most fun parade in East Atlanta,” it has included, but not been limited to, Darth Vader, marching bands, dragons on wheels and drag queens, according to program materials. The strut starts at 2 p.m. at Glenwood at Patterson.

The music is also particularly exciting this year. “We’ve got a really cool, diverse lineup,” Minor said. From hip-hop to goth rock, all the bands on the lineup are local to Atlanta. Flamingo Shadow is the de-facto headliner. Gold Yards and Material Girls will also be making appearances.

Minor emphasized that due to crowd size, stutters are encouraged to leave the cars at home and find alternative methods of transportation. Participants who want to imbibe will need to purchase a wristband from an authorized tent for $5. The wristband purchase helps fund the festival and keep the Strut strutting for years to come.