THE PINK PIG IS BACK

2008 Priscilla the Pink Pig. A train ride through a life-size storybook that includes the original Pink Pig and her friends. Under the big tent in the Lenox Road upper-level parking deck. Benefits Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 1-Dec. 30; noon-6 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 1-30 and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 7-28. Plus, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 1-3 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 4 (except 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 28; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 24 and Dec. 31). Closed Nov. 27 and Dec. 25. $3; on Nov. 1, Macy’s at Lenox Square, 3393 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 770-913-5639, www.macys.com/pinkpig.

Three or four years ago I made a comment on the AJC when they were asking about memories of The Original RICH'S Pink Pig. And they took my comment from hundreds and
published it in The Atlanta Journal here is the comment I said :

Pink Pig' Rides Again at Atlanta Department Store.

Byline: Renee Degross

Oct. 31--Dennis Whitefield's parents used to let him skip school to ride the Pink Pig at Rich's old downtown store. The next day, the note for teachers would say, "Please excuse Dennis ... as he was sick of school."

Starting Saturday, Whitefield and other Atlantans with fond memories of the ride -- along with those too young to remember it -- will have a chance to see the new version at the Rich's-Macy's at Lenox Square.

WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES ?
If you have a picture of yourself riding the Original Pink Pig please share with us.
give us the link or send it to me to post.


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Two holiday traditions associated with Rich's were the Great Tree and the Pink Pig.


Two holiday traditions associated with Rich's were the Great Tree and the Pink Pig. Starting in 1947, the Great Tree, conceptualized by executive Frank Pallotta, was a massive real evergreen that was set up on top of the multi-level glass skybridge connecting the main downtown Atlanta store with the Store For Homes across Forsyth Street. After the closure of the downtown store in 1991, the Great Tree, and the annual Thankgsiving evening tree-lighting festivities, moved to nearby Underground Atlanta. After several years of poor attendance, the Tree was moved to the top of the Men's Store at the Lenox Square location. This placed the tree on the corner of the mall closest to the prominent intersection of Peachtree and Lenox Roads. The tree lighting ceremony traditionally features country and pop music performers from Georgia, such as Kenny Rogers, several choirs from local churches, and a rendition of "O Holy Night" with the tree being lit by a child during the high note of the line "O light divine."

The Pink Pig was a child-scaled monorail that originally circled the toy department in the downtown Store for Homes. After several years, it was moved to the roof of the Store For Homes building. The front car of the train had a pig's face, and the last car had a curly tail. The original train featured Priscilla Pig, while a second train added to the track was named Percival. For many years after the closure of the downtown store, the Pink Pig was set up at the Festival of Trees at the Georgia World Congress Center. During the Rich's-Macy's era, in an effort to show respect for the traditions of Rich's, a redesigned Pink Pig, this time a child-sized train rather than a monorail, was set up on the top level of a parking deck at Lenox Square Mall under an enormous pink tent. The train ride takes children (and adults, who can now fit) through a storybook tale of Priscilla Pig. The original Pink Pig monorail cars are now at the Atlanta History Center where they are occasionally displayed.