While the rest of America carries out traditional New Year’s resolutions (dieting, anyone?), Louisianans dive headfirst into King Cakes and excess in celebration of Mardi Gras. Carnival season kicks off in early 2023, and Shreveport-Bossier’s weekend events calendar is packed with parades, masked balls, parties and more!
It all begins with the Twelfth Night, on January 7th. This is the official introduction to the Mardi Gras Season where the area krewe’s kings, queens, and royal courts are presented to the public. It is a night of food, fun, and entertainment. The celebration kicks off the first Saturday in January.
Grand Bals
Put your best face (or mask) forward and celebrate with the krewes as they present their royal courts and dance the night away. Check with each krewe when purchasing tickets for dress codes, age restrictions, and information about food and drinks.
Float Loading Parties
“The party before the party” starts as krewes in Shreveport-Bossier open their dens to the public to load their colorful floats with throws. Dens are where Mardi Gras floats are decorated and constructed by krewe members. Visitors can see all the floats up close and personal before the parades.
Parades
The Krewes of Centaur and Gemini are two of the area’s oldest and largest parading krewes in Shreveport-Bossier, and our parades are designed to be family-friendly.
Here’s the 2023 lineup:
- Krewe of Sobek Parade rolls through the Queensborough Neighborhood (1 p.m., Sat., Jan. 14)
- Krewe of HarambeeMLK Day Parade rolls through downtown Shreveport (1 p.m., Mon., Jan. 16)
- Krewe of Centaur rolls along the Clyde Fant Parkway (3:00 p.m., Saturday February 11).
- Krewe of Barkus and MeouxPet Parade celebrates our pets (11:00 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12).
- Krewe of Gemini rolls along the Clyde Fant Parkway (3:00 p.m., Saturday February 18).
- Krewe of Highland parade rolls through Shreveport’s historic Highland Neighborhood (2 p.m., Sun., Feb. 19).
The 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter is a time of purity meant to be used to pray, fast, and repent. Mardi Gras is supposed to mark the end of indulgence. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent. You don’t have to be Catholic to celebrate the fun times of Mardi Gras. You just get to come have a good time!
Keep an eye on ShreveportMardiGras.com for all the latest updates and events!
For more information about things to do, eat, see, and experience in Shreveport, visit Shreveport-Bossier.org or visit our SB Fun Guide to plan your visit. If you’d like one of our visitor guides, please click here to request one. And be sure to follow Visit Shreveport-Bossier on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok.
