It is that time of year for a little Mardi Gras fun! Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” and reflects the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before fasting for Lent. It is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world, including Shreveport, Louisiana. No better way to kick off the Mardi Gras season than the Krewe of Centaur Parade on February 23 in Shreveport, Louisiana beginning at 4:30 PM, one of the largest parades in northern Louisiana with marching bands and brightly colored floats. This year’s Grand Marshal for the parade is Shreveport native and up and coming country music star, Jordan Davis. Organizers expect over 400,000 people to attend the Krewe of Centaur parade or Krewe of Gemini parade. Both will begin on Clyde Fant Parkway at Lake Street in downtown Shreveport and end on East Kings Highway at East Preston Street.

Bring a lawn chair and an ice chest and plan to make a fun day of it. Premium parade-watching spots will fill up quickly, so arrive early for the best spot on the parade route to ensure a good look at the elaborately decorated floats loaded down with lots of “throws”, items thrown by members of the Mardi Gras Krewes. Be sure to bring a bag to hold all of the beads and throws from the floats. Some throws include foil-wrapped hot dogs, elaborate masks, royalty beads (custom made medallions autographed by “royalty”), moon pies, colorful cups, t-shirts, and lots and lots of colorful beads. Not only are the float decorations spectacular but the people on the floats are dressed in amazing costumes and masks. The floats are lighted, making them even more amazing at night.

For those who want to make a weekend of it, a Krewe of Centaur float-loading party from 5:00 to 9:00 PM, February 22 is free to the public. Krewes open their warehouses to the public the day before the parade for all to see the colorful floats up close. This event is called “the party before the party” where the public can meet the krewe royalty and collect special beads. This will take place at the Centaur building and will feature a free concert by the band, Tipsey. Before heading home, stop by one of the local bakeries and pick up a king cake. It is not Mardi Gras without a king cake. Head on down to Shreveport, Louisiana this weekend for some family fun.