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To learn more, St. Louis Public Radio spoke with Levi Cullifer, a digitization and cataloging specialist at the Missouri Historical Society. Cullifer is working on a banner exhibit about Soulard Mardi for its 50th anniversary in 2030. Here’s what we found out. 1. Soulard Mardi Gras began as a party 'to chase away the winter blues.' He’s been part of Soulard’s Mardi Gras celebration for 35 of its 41 years. About 400,000 people are expected to attend this year’s party. From the Cajun cookoff to the Bacchanalian Ball. Soulard and Mardi Gras. The area is known today as the home of one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the world. That part of the story reportedly dates to 1979. The story begins with five men who were bored during a cold St. Louis winter. Soulard Mardi Gras Origins The Grand Parade Creative Director of Soulard Mardi Gras, Bonita Leiber, has been with the organization since 1986. Leiber reflected on how much smaller the first parades were in the mid 1980’s, with an intimate group of locals walking down one street in the historic Soulard neighborhood. When the hotel reopened in 2021 after undergoing extensive renovations, it presented a modern art-focused design with nods to the property’s storied history. Approximately two miles from Soulard, Le Méridien St. Louis Downtown is the perfect home base from which to partake in Mardi Gras celebrations. Mardi Gras celebrations in Soulard, a historic French neighborhood, have evolved into one of the largest and most elaborate Mardi Gras festivities in the United States. The origins of this annual celebration trace back to the early 1980s, when a small group of revelers at the now-closed Hilary's bar decided to bring the spirit of New Orleans "A lot of people think that Mardi Gras here is the result of our French heritage or something. That has nothing to do with anything related to how Mardi Gras got started," explains Mack Bradley While students may spend three or four hours in Soulard, the planning that goes into Mardi Gras reflects 5,000 hours of volunteer work throughout the year. Despite the widespread belief that the origin of St. Louis’ Mardi Gras is related to the city’s French history, the Soulard parade is less than 50 years old. The tradition started in Evelyne Konedeng shops for beads, for her first St. Louis Mardi Gras, at the Soulard Market Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, in St. Louis. The St. Louis Mardi Gras celebration is in it’s 25th year. What started as a house party on Russell Boulevard in the Soulard neighborhood in 1980 has blossomed into the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States – and graduates of the University of Missouri–St. Louis deserve much of the credit. Get ready for one of the best Mardi Gras parties in the heart of all the action on Saturday, March 1st at Molly's in Soulard. Don't stand out in the cold or wait in long lines for dirty porta-potties, get your ALL-INCLUSIVE ticket to the Mardi Gras Experience at Molly's. This event sells out every The Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball is on Friday, February 28, 2025, from 7:00 PM to midnight at the iconic Anheuser-Busch Tour Center (1200 Lynch Street). Hailed by ALIVE Magazine and the Riverfront Times as the “social event of the season,” this elegant gala blends the vibrant spirit of Mardi Gras with sophistication and charm. The highlight of Soulard’s Mardi Gras season, this parade is second only to New Orleans in size and spirit. Starting near Busch Stadium, the energy picks up at Chouteau, where lively crowds pack the streets to cheer on the krewes. The route weaves through Downtown South and Soulard, ending at the le Rally your krew today and let the good times roll at the Mardi Gras Soulard celebration! Bud Light Party Tent. Saturday, March 1, 2025: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Bud Light Party Centre & Activation Tent (Soulard Market Park & Plaza - 8th & Lafayette) Get ready for the ultimate Mardi Gras party in the Bud Light Party Tent! Mardi Gras Season Starts Here! Jan. 6. BOS Family Winter Carnival and Shoebox Float Gallery. JAN 18. February Fords Gin Scavenger Hunt. FEB. 8. Cajun Cook-Off. FEB. 15. Run For Your Beads 5K. FEB. 22. Verizon Taste of Soulard. FEB. 22-23. Purina Pet Parade. FEB. 23. Tito’s Vodka Wiener Dog Derby. FEB. 23. Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball. FEB. 28 The Mardi Gras Inc. Board will meet virtually today to cast their crucial vote on launching eight weeks of exciting festivities that make up the 2025 Soulard Mardi Gras season, culminating in the 46th Bud Light Grand Parade on Saturday, March 1. Spoiler alert: we’re anticipating another landslide victory. "It's a beautiful weekend, a good weekend for families to enjoy the Mardi Gras season," said Soulard Mardi Gras spokeswoman Bess McCoy. "For all of our events, the numbers have been up. People are ready to get out and have a good time." McCoy said around 1,500 pets — or, somewhere just shy of 6,000 paws — were registered for the parade this This year’s Mardi Gras parade marked the 45th in St. Louis history. It’s the headliner of a five-week-long celebration in Soulard leading up to “Fat Tuesday,” the Mardi Gras observance that is recognized on March 4 this year. Soulard’s Mardi Gras festivities generate around $20 million each year for the local economy. Nearly one Add on your Kegs & Eggs ticket at purchase and enjoy bottomless drafts and mimosas and a brunch plate from the buffet from 9am-11am before the Soulard celebration then catch the FREE Kind Goods Fan Trolley! Shuttle runs 9am-12:30pm and 3pm-6pm The Mardi Gras After Pardi is free to the public, ticket is not required for entry. The St. Louis Mardi Gras Celebration was established in 1989, officially making Soulard the place to be each spring. The first thing to think about when planning your weekend in Soulard is what to wear. Purple, green and yellow are the colors that have become synonymous with Mardi Gras universally.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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