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Between royal balls, zydeco dances and parades, there are dozens of ways to get involved with the local community this Mardi Gras season. Before February 17, visit you favorite local art shop. Each one is sure to have a Mardi Gras craft to get you in the spirit of revelry. And grab a slice of delectable King Cake as you read through the list of this year’s Mardi Gras events!
January 3 – 12th Night
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Lake Charles Event Center
Admission: $10, Children under 10 are free
Mardi Gras’ first event as royalty of last year, in their grand costumes, give their symbolic goodbyes! See the grand fanfare of costumes and greet the new carnival season. There will be a lively mini parade featuring members of the local krewes under the direction of Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.
February 8 – Lake Charles Mardi Gras Parade & Zydeco Dance
1:00 p.m.
Lake Charles Event Center
The festivities kick off with a parade starting at the Lake Charles Event Center (900 Lakeshore Dr.). The 4.1-mile route heads east down Broad Street, turns north on Shattuck Street and then west onto Belden Street.
After the parade, head over to VFW Hall (2668 US-171, Lake Charles) for the official after-party, where the fun continues with live music and competitions. Don’t miss the Chicken and Pig Run starting at 4:00 p.m. Kids can compete in the Chicken Run for a chance to win $50, while the Pig Run winner takes home $100 or gets to keep the pig!
February 13 – Oak Park Elementary Mardi Gras Parade
12:30 p.m.
The parade turns right onto 4th Avenue, proceeds to 13th Street, makes a right onto 5th Avenue and turns left back onto 18th Street to return to the school. The Royal Court members, representing kindergarten through 5th grade, are selected based on their academic accomplishments:
Kindergarten: Members are chosen based on growth on the DIBELS Middle of the Year Assessment.
1st–5th Grade: Members are selected based on their Accelerated Reader (AR) performance, with the highest number of books read at 85% comprehension or higher.
February 13 – Mardi Gras Merchant’s Parade
Downtown/Midtown Ryan St.
7:00 p.m.
Begins at the Lake Charles Event Center, travels along West Pine Street, continues down Ryan Street and finishes at Sale Road.
February 14 – Children’s Mardi Gras Stroll
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Lakefront Promenade
The parade is a walking parade designed specifically for children ages 3-12. Children are encouraged to decorate their Mardi Gras umbrellas and prepare to show off their Mardi Gras spirit! Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and line-up will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakefront Promenade. There is no fee to enter.
Young revelers will parade down Gill Street to Bord Du Lac and return to Millennium Park. Streets will be closed down allowing children to strut to the tunes of the Second Line Stroll.
February 14 – World Famous Gumbo
Cook-Off
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Lake Charles Event Center Ampitheater
Price: $10 presale, $15 day of event. Children 5 & under are admitted for free.
Starting at 11:00 a.m., the public can dive into the delicious competition and sample every pot of chicken and sausage, seafood or wild game gumbo cooked up by amateur and professional teams. Gates open to the public at 9:00 a.m. This cherished Mardi Gras tradition brings together local krewes, culinary pros and gumbo enthusiasts to whip up hundreds of gallons of rich, spicy gumbo.
February 14 – Krewe of Barkus
1:00-1:30 p.m.
Downtown Lake Charles
Cost: Free to attend. $20 cash for dog entries.
Begins at the corner of Ryan and Broad Streets and ends at Cumulus Broadcasting (425 Broad Street). Watch as costumed pets and their owners parade through Downtown Lake Charles. The highlight of the event? The coveted title of “Mystical Dog” awarded to the most strikingly costumed participant!
February 14 – Krewe of Omega
2:00 p.m.
Downtown Lake Charles
Begins on the north side of the Lake Charles Event Center, travels along Broad Street heading east to Enterprise Boulevard, then turns left onto Mill Street and loops back to the Event Center. Founded in 1970 by Joseph Moffett Jr., the Krewe of Omega was established to bring Mardi Gras festivities to the Black community while fostering social connections for both the young and elderly. The first and oldest krewe in Southwest Louisiana to host its own parade.
February 14 – Lighted Boat Parade
7:00 p.m.
Lakefront Promenade
Gather along the scenic shores of Lake Charles to enjoy a dazzling parade of boats decked out in sparkling lights and vibrant Mardi Gras decorations.
February 15 – Mardi Gras Children’s Day
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Lake Charles Event Center
Children’s Day includes exhibitions of performing arts, technology and science, safety and health, and arts and crafts—all interactive and hands-on. Typical activities for Children’s Day include making Mardi Gras arts and crafts while learning about the traditions and history of the carnival season.
February 15 – Mardi Gras Children’s Day Parade
3:30 p.m.
Downtown Ryan St. to Sale St.
Children of Mardi Gras Krewe members, youth organizations and businesses geared toward kids join local businesses and organizations to bring this parade to life.
February 16 – Mardi Gras Royal Gala
7:00 p.m.
Lake Charles Event Center
Price: Admission $10 per person; free for children 10 and under
This event features a lavish promenade of Krewe royalty, showcasing kings and queens, royal dukes and duchesses, captains, courtesans and jesters—each draped in extravagant, museum-quality costumes that sparkle and shine. As the second-largest Mardi Gras in Louisiana, the Royal Gala is a night of music, dancing and Mardi Gras magic.
February 17 – Iowa Chicken Run
8:00 a.m.
Begins and ends at KC Hall, 503 U.S. Hwy 90
Price: $15 at the door for adults, $10 for kids
Doors open at 8:00 a.m., Mardi Gras floats start lining up at 9:00 a.m. and the parade rolls at 10:00 a.m.
The parade goes west on Hwy. 90, stops at local businesses and continues through neighborhoods with the horses following behind. The captain blows his whistle at participating homes for the participants to get down and dance to zydeco music, which is played with an accordion and scrub board. If the families approve the dancing skills, they donate ingredients to the gumbo and a chicken is thrown into the air. Sometimes the captain will throw multiple chickens in the air several times or more for the children to catch.
The parade stops at Market Basket and the VF Factory Outlet where more chickens are released into the air. The parade then ends back at the KC Hall. The ingredients are then put into a pot with the chickens, and gumbo is served to the riders while the children play from 2:00-4:00 p.m. The chicken run concludes with a zydeco dance with music by Rusty Metoyer & the Zydeco Krush at 5:00 p.m.
February 17 – Mardi Gras in the Zone
11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Lawn of 1015 Pithon Building along Ryan Street, between Gill and
Kirby St.
Attendees can enjoy free hot dogs, popcorn, Coca-Cola products and Kona Ice, while kids burn off energy in the bounce house, activity tent and with inflatable games. There’s laser tag and interactive entertainment to keep the excitement going all afternoon.
February 17 – Second Line Stroll
1:00 p.m.
Downtown Lake Charles
Begins at the corner of Mill Street and Ryan Street and heads down Ryan Street until reaching 7th Street near Lock Park. Watch as area groups, families and individuals strut their stuff down Ryan Street, dancing to the infectious rhythms of traditional Mardi Gras music.
February 17 – Jeeps on Parade
2:00 p.m.
Ryan St.
Begins at the Lake Charles Event Center, travels along West Pine Street, continues down Ryan Street and finishes at Sale Road. This parade brings together jeep lovers for a fun and festive ride down the heart of Ryan Street!
February 17 – Motor Gras Parade
3:00 p.m.
Downtown/Midtown Lake Charles
The parade kicks off at the Lake Charles Event Center, rolls down West Pine Street to Ryan Street and concludes at Sale Road. This event showcases a lineup of hot rods, classic cars and motorcycles.
February 17 – Krewe of Krewes Parade
5:00 p.m.
Downtown/Midtown
Lake Charles
This parade begins at the Lake Charles Event Center, travels along West Pine Street, continues down Ryan Street and wraps up at Sale Road. As the grand finale of the Mardi Gras celebrations, this parade features over 60 krewes on elaborate floats, tossing thousands of beads, cups, doubloons and other goodies to cheering crowds.
