Shreveport Mardi Gras kicks off this weekend with the Krewe of Centaur on Saturday, and the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux on Sunday. Shreveport/Bossier Visitor and Conventions Bureau Public Relations Manager Chris Jay says the Saturday celebration starts at 430 PM, and features 45 floats rolling down Clyde Fant Parkway…
“It is one of the largest krewes in the state of Louisiana, and they will rain on you with beads, doubloons, stuffed animals, all sorts of stuff.”
Jay says the pet parade the next day also is no joke either, with average attendance around 10,000 people.
Folks may be surprised to find out that Shreveport historically has had a vibrant Mardi Gras scene. Jay says old photo books show substantial parades rolling rolling over 100 years ago, but…
“It stalled out around the time of the great depression, and it just never came back until 1989, which is when the Krewe of Gemini was founded.”
Records of American “Mardi Gras” celebrations date back to the early 1700s, but the first parade to feature the ubiquitous “throws” is dated to 1870.
If you’re looking to visit Shreveport and don’t have friends or family to catch the fun with, Jay recommends visiting the Mardi Gras Bash tent, where out-of-towners can meet and greet for a full day of fun…
“This coming Saturday we have about 450 people who are going to be in that Mardi Gras Bash tent, and as soon as the parade ends they just vanish into the casinos and bars.”
The next weekend features a packed schedule as well, with parades on March 2nd and 3rd.
