Mardi Gras Picks: February 9—13

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Lucie Monk Carter

The Krewe of Southdowns' family-friendly nighttime parade returns on February 24.

The region is as littered with Mardi Gras parades as the street with beads this February. Here we present a few of our favorites, but there are plenty where these came from. The parade roundup in Acadiana is summed up nicely at lafayettetravel.com while mardigrasneworleans.com provides in-depth information on New Orleans-area parades. In general, the websites of parish tourism offices are good resources. Happy Mardi Gras!

February 9

• Krewe of Southdowns, Baton Rouge: The theme this year is “Renaissance,” with this family-friendly flambeaux-inspired nighttime parade rolling along its usual route from Glasgow Middle School through the Southdowns neighborhood. 7 pm. southdowns.org.

February 9—11

• Lil Nate’s L’Argent Trailride, Chicken Run, and Parade, Opelousas: It’s a Mardi Gras weekend in Opelousas with zydeco headliners:  Chris Ardoin, Brian Jack, Leon Chavis, and of course, Lil Nate. A dance featuring Lil Nate at Miller’s Zydeco Hall of Fame (11154 Highway 190) kicks off the three-day event at 10 pm. On Saturday, head to the Yambilee Arena building (1939 West Landry Street) for some roping and riding at noon, followed by a dance and live music from 4 pm–2 am. The trail ride leaves at noon the next day from the Yambilee arena, with the parade following at 1 pm. cajuntravel.com.

February  9—13

• Eunice's Courir de Mardi Gras dates back to the city's earliest days in the late nineteenth century. Featuring riders on horseback in masks, conspiring in chicken-chasing, revelry, general silliness, and an effort to make a community-wide gumbo, this tradition has now expanded to five days of live music, street & barn dances at various venues in the area, cooking demos, exhibits, a boucherie, and a culminating chicken-run (courir) on Mardi Gras Day at 8 am. There are also special parades and runs for the children on Sunday. Far too much to list here! Find a full schedule of events at (337) 457-7389. cajuntravel.com.

February 9—13

• Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival, Lafayette: With live music, a carnival midway, local food, and lots of parades. Parades all follow the usual Lafayette parade route, starting at the corner of Simcoe and Jefferson Streets, through downtown to Johnston Street, and ending up at Cajun Field, where the festival will be in full swing.

• February 9: Midway rides open 12 pm–11 pm with bands performing throughout the evening

• February 10: The Children’s Parade (12:30 pm) and Krewe of Bonaparte Parade (6:30 pm)

• February 11: Midway rides open 12 pm–11 pm with bands performing throughout the evening

• February 12: Queen Evangeline’s Parade (6:00 pm)

• February 13: King Gabriel’s Parade (10 am); Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade (1 pm); and Townsquare Media Independent Parade (2:30 pm)

Details at gomardigras.com

February 10

• Spanish Town Parade, Baton Rouge: Spanish Town’s annual parade of miscreants rolls from Spanish Town Road and Fifth Street, to Lafayette Street and Main. The krewes dole out dozens of infamously irreverent floats, with marching bands, dance troupes, and waves of pink throws. Come early. This year’s theme is “Game of Thongs.” Noon. spanishtownmardigras.com.

February 10

• Capitol Park Museum’s Spanish Town Parade Party, Baton Rouge: Looking for a way to experience the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade with the children, minus the grueling hunt for a functioning public restroom? Try Capitol Park Museum’s annual Spanish Town Parade Party, which gives the kids a safe place for festive arts and crafts. Moreover, adults and children will enjoy complimentary museum access, a covered parade-viewing area on Spanish Town Road, clean bathrooms, food, and king cake tasting, which add up to a hassle-free parade day. 10 am—2 pm. $35 admission, $25 for members; $5 for children 12 and younger. Tickets at eventbrite.com. 

February 10—11

• Our friends on the river in St. Charles Parish offer two parades this weekend: Luling's Krewe of Lul at noon, February 10, in Luling and the Krewe of Des Allemands at 1 pm, February 11, in (surprise!) Des Allemands. Find these krewes on Facebook for details.

February 13

• Lions Club Mardi Gras Parade, New Roads: New Roads boasts Louisiana’s second oldest Mardi Gras celebration outside New Orleans. Plenty of floats, high-stepping marching bands, resplendent royalty, and lots of family fun. 1:30 pm. (225) 638-7478. Preceding the Lions Club Parade is the Community Center of Pointe Coupee Parade, 10:30 am. (225) 718-4411.

• Krewe of Zulu, New Orleans: A parading krewe since 1909, Zulu was the first and for many years the only krewe representing New Orleans’ black community. Its extraordinary costumes, float designs, and history distinguish it from all other Mardi Gras parades. 8 am. kreweofzulu.com.

• Krewe of Rex, New Orleans: Elaborately decorated, hand-painted floats, masked riders in historic costumes, and a rich and colorful history make Rex one of the cultural centerpieces of Mardi Gras. Rex was formed in 1872, making it the oldest continually operating krewe. The identities of Rex’s king and queen remains secret until Lundi Gras. To capture one of the specially struck Rex doubloons during the parade is a singular honor. 10 am. rexorganization.com.