Soulard Mardi Gras Festival

Doors open at 5:15 pm. Petitioning begins at 5:30 pm. Procession to follow.

Each year, the 12th night after Christmas marks the beginning of the Mardi Gras season. The night kicks off with our Board of Directors converging in a cozy corner of Soulard to decide whether to order the commencement of Mardi Gras, while local leaders, politicians and krewes petition with their best performances and bribes of liquid refreshment.

The board votes after a heated and often raucous debate, and then make the official proclamation that we will have yet another Mardi Gras season in Soulard. Luckily for us, throughout the decades that we’ve hosted Mardi Gras, the board has voted unanimously in favor of Mardi Gras.

After that, our collection of party pros and dignitaries marches throughout the Soulard neighborhood and raising the Mardi Gras flag to fly proudly over the Soulard neighborhood throughout the Mardi Gras season.