Shreveport-Bossier Offers Kid-Friendly Mardi Gras Celebrations
Shreveport, LA (PRWEB) January 10, 2014 -- Carnival season is underway in Shreveport-Bossier, where visitors and locals alike enjoy a busy calendar of parades, float-loading parties, grand balls and more. Many Mardi Gras celebrations in Shreveport-Bossier are family-friendly affairs, including afternoon parades taking place during daylight hours, major parade routes with alcohol-free “family zones,” kid-themed parades, and more.
Alcohol-Free “Family Zones”
The two largest Mardi Gras parades set to take place in Shreveport-Bossier, the Krewe of Centaur XXIII, 4:30 p.m., Sat., Feb. 22, and the Krewe of Gemini XXV, 4:30 p.m., Sat., March 1, both feature a designated alcohol-free “family zone.” Both parades begin at the intersection of Clyde Fant Parkway and Lake Street in downtown Shreveport and proceed south to Shreveport-Barksdale Highway and East Kings Highway. The alcohol-free family zone is located near the beginning of the parade route, in the area surrounding the intersection of Clyde Fant Parkway and Stoner Avenue.
Daylight Parades
Daylight parades also provide ideal parade-watching experiences for families. The Krewe of Harambee Martin Luther King Jr. Day Mardi Gras Parade, 1 p.m., Mon., Jan. 20, is an enormous parade that rolls through downtown Shreveport via Milam Street and Texas Street. The Krewe of Harambee parade features an always-entertaining array of marching bands, dance troupes, stilt walkers and other performers.
The Krewe of Highland XIX, one of the largest neighborhood parades in Louisiana, will roll through Shreveport’s historic Highland neighborhood at 2 p.m. on Sun., March 2. The Krewe of Highland is a funky, eclectic celebration known for unique “throws” including grilled hot dogs, Moon Pies, hand-made art items and more. The Krewe of Highland begins and ends at the intersection of Gilbert Drive and Gregg Street, traveling a circuitous route via Creswell Avenue, Olive Street and Centenary Boulevard.
The Krewe of Aesclepius and “The Animal Krewe”
An alcohol-free parade designed exclusively for children, the Krewe of Aesclepius Children’s Parade is held each year on Fat Tuesday at Pierre Bossier Mall in Bossier City. Krewe of Aesclepius XXIV will roll at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, departing from the south end of the Pierre Bossier Mall parking lot at 2950 East Texas Street in Bossier City.
The Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Pet Parade, 1:30 p.m., Sun., Feb. 23, will feature hundreds of dogs, cats, ponies, rabbits - and every other imaginable kind of animal - decked out in elaborate Mardi Gras costumes. Known locally as “the Animal Krewe,” the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux parade takes place at RiverView Park, 601 Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport. For more information, or to register your pet, visit http://www.animalkrewe.org.
For more information on Mardi Gras celebrations in Shreveport-Bossier, visit http://www.shreveport-bossier.org/mardigras. To see a complete list of Carnival season events in Shreveport-Bossier, visit http://www.sbfunguide.com.
Chris Jay, Shreveport-Bossier: Louisiana's Other Side, http://www.shreveport-bossier.org, +1 (318) 429-0658, [email protected]
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