Parents of school alumni offer tips

The Forum will host eight graduations in the coming weeks, so downtown parking space will be prime real estate for three of the four weekends in May.

The season kicks off Thursday with the Georgia Northwestern Technical College graduation. Shorter University and Georgia Highlands College also have graduations set for this upcoming weekend. Model, Pepperell, Coosa, Armuchee and Rome high schools will all hold graduations at The Forum as well.

The Downtown Development Parking Office has laid out a list of parking options, but additional advice from experienced event attendees is often helpful.

Bill Fortenberry, whose son graduated last year from Rome High, said the best bet is to park in the Third Avenue Parking Deck next to The Forum.

“You will be at the ceremony much longer than you think and the last thing you need to be worrying about is whether you’re going to get a parking ticket,” Fortenberry said. “Arrive early because the closer-in seats fill up quickly,” he said about seating inside The Forum.

Fortenberry also advises to not worry about taking pictures during the ceremony, because there are no good seats for photo-taking.

“Wait until after the ceremony when the students spill out on the Town Green,” he said. “My favorite pictures are the candid shots I took with my son and his friends there.”

Off- street parking is available at several downtown locations, according to the parking office.

The Third Avenue parking deck next to The Forum is $ 5, and the Sixth Avenue parking deck two blocks away is $ 2 per event. The West Fourth Avenue parking deck at the corner of East First Street is $3 per event.

For free parking, look for space at the lots on East Third Avenue and on West Third Street across the Oostanaula River from The Forum. On- street parking along Broad Street and surrounding streets also is free, but it is limited to two hours per day. Georgia Northwestern Technical College

Shorter University

Georgia Highlands College

Veteran graduation mom Stephanie Stevens has a different idea about parking, she said.

“We have always parked far away, on the other side of Broad Street,” she said. “We usually park on First Street or something because it is so much easier to get in and out.”

Stevens had a son graduate in 2015 and a daughter graduate in 2013, both from Rome High, and she has two more children in high school now.

“Get there early and don’t plan to do anything else that day,” said Stevens. “It’s stressful enough without trying to accomplish anything else. You’re in for a long wait, so pack snacks if you have younger children and bring something for them to do during the wait.”

Stevens said the day should just be about being a parent.

“Expect to be there for a long time, because they will want to pose with their friends,” she said. “And try to not fall apart when they start playing ‘Pomp and Circumstance,’ but it is fine if you do. It’s all worth it.”