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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. Community groups met for a whole year after that to talk about how to make Mardi Gras safer. Those changes included doing away with the Tuesday parade. 3. No, St. Louis doesn’t actually have the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration. St. Louisans claim that theirs is the No. 2 celebration, after New Orleans. That’s not true, Cullifer said. Mardi Gras celebration in St. Louis began with four friends who wanted something to do after a snowstorm in 1980 ; The Grand Parade was only a Soulard neighborhood event that grew in the 1990s due to unseasonably warm weather; In 1999, nonprofits Mardi Gras, Inc., and the Mardi Gras Foundation were formed to run and organize the parade and The Bud Light Party Tent and the Blues Alumni Experience are two of the most enjoyable ways to experience the Bud Light Grand Parade during Mardi Gras in St. Louis. Both include an open bar with beer and spirits, a lunch buffet and beads in a climate-controlled tent in close proximity to the parade route. 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. St. Louis legend has it that Mardi Gras in Soulard started in 1979 with a group of drunk pals who walked down the streets of Soulard tossing beads to make their own fun before Lent began. How did Mardi Gras become popular in St. Louis? Although the tradition of Mardi Gras began in the U.S. in the early 1700s, it took almost 300 years for Missouri to join in on the festivities. That part of the story reportedly dates to 1979. The story begins with five men who were bored during a cold St. Louis winter. Hilary Clements, Bob Brinkmann, James Rabbitt, Bill Stubbs, and Bill Coleman were simply trying to find a way to liven things up. They came up with the idea to have their own Mardi Gras celebration. To help you have a fun-filled weekend, here is some info on the history of Mardi Gras in St. Louis and what you can do to celebrate this year. The first Mardi Gras celebration in St. Louis dates back to 1857. Since St. Louis was founded by French settlers in the late 18th century, the city has maintained its strong French-Catholic roots. Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. 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 2025 Mardi Gras Grand Parade will be held in Soulard on Saturday, March 1, 2025. This large neighborhood festival requires multiple street closures to ensure the safety of the residents and visitors. 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 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 For many WashU students, Mardi Gras is a rare reason to wake up early on a Saturday. Students travel to downtown St. Louis to party in a crowd — and maybe power through a 3 p.m. hangover. 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. Grab your krewe and get jazzy at Ballpark Village following the Soulard Bud Light Grand Parade & Celebration on Saturday, March 1st. Featuring LIVE music ALL DAY - rock out with Danger Party and DJs in every venue to get the pardi going. Key Traditions and Customs of St. Louis Mardi Gras. The heart of St. Louis’s Mardi Gras lies in its parades, a spectacle of color, music, and dazzling floats. These aren’t merely processions; they’re dynamic performances, each float a miniature work of art, often reflecting themes relevant to the city and its history. The 2025 St. Louis Mardi Gras present the largest Mardi Gras parade outside the City of New Orleans, the Bud Light Grand Parade. The parade begins at Busch Stadium at 11am and runs south on Broadway through Soulard to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Light Grand Parade mark the apex of Soulard Mardi Gras in St. Louis. Grand Parade weekend . typically brings thousands of people to the City of St. Louis, fills hotel rooms, and supports restaurants and other establishments throughout the region. Nearly 25% of Grand Parade Day visitors come from outside the St. Louis region, making a
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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