When it comes to Mardi Gras celebrations New Orleans may be the most famous but the Big Easy isn’t the only game in town.The first Mardi Gras in the Unitied States took place in Mobile, Alabama and today you’ll find Mardi Gras festivities across the south. I recently had the opportunity to see how Shreveport celebrates Mardi Gras and let me tell you, this town in northwest Louisiana knows how to party. Laissez Le Bon Temp Rouler!
The Casual Travelist contains affiliate links, when you make a purchase or book a hotel through these links the Casual Travelist receives a small commission that helps support this site at no additional cost to you.
About Mardi Gras in Shreveport
Mardi Gras has it’s roots in Catholic Europe and is a celebration of indulgence and frivolity before the austerity of the Lent season. The traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green symbolize justice, power and faith and you can see these colors everywhere from beads to king cakes. The first Mardi Gras in Shreveport took place in 1874 and today Shreveport boasts some of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the country.
Mardi Gras Misconception #1 – Mardi Gras Only Happens on Fat Tuesday
One of the best kept secrets about Mardi Gras is that the party doesn’t just occur on Fat Tuesday. The celebration starts on Twelfth Night (January 6th) and there are weeks worth of festivities leading up to Mardi Gras. If you visit Shreveport in January or February there is a good chance there is a party going on.
Mardi Gras Misconception #2 – Mardi Gras is not family friendly
A lot of people mistakenly think Mardi Gras is a debaucherous boozefest but in reality most Mardi Gras parades are family friendly. In Shreveport 15 krewes, or neighborhood organizations, put on a wide variety of events. Parades, including a pet parade from the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux, feature whimsical floats, music, and welcome everyone from 2 to 102 to come out and have a good time.
King Cake
No food is more associated with Mardi Gras than king cake. What is king cake you ask? This sweet ring shaped pastry is usually filled ( cream cheese and praline are local favorites ) and dusted with sugar in the colors of Mardi Gras. The cake signifies the wise men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus and is served from Epiphany through Mardi Gras. A plastic baby is baked inside and tradition dictates that the person who is served the slice with the baby hosts the next party ( or brings the next king cake. Everyone in Shreveport has their favorite king cake and I got to sample slices from two of the best places in town. Tubb’s Hardware is a one-stop-shop for everything Mardi Gras and has become famous for their extreme king cakes stuffed with cream cheese. Across town Lilah’s Bakery turns out over 20,000 king cakes throughout Mardi Gras season in over 22 flavors and even hosts “Make Your own King Cake” parties. King cake isn’t limited to just cake either. Across Shreveport you’ll find everything from king cake gelato and scones to a beer brewed with king cake and an over the top king cake daiquiri.
Mardi Gras Balls
In addition to parades, grand masked balls are another time honored Mardi Gras tradition. While some balls are black-tie formal affairs I scored an invite to the Krewe of Highland Mardi Gras ball which is a little less formal and a whole lot of fun. Before the ball those in the know head to the Enchanted Garden for one of their beautiful handcrafted Mardi Gras masks by Dennis Beckman. Dressed in everything from formal wear to whimsical “Greatest Showman” inspired costumes the Krewe of Highland comes ready to party. The highlight of the ball is the tableaux, or a processional featuring krewe royalty who are decked out in fantastical costumes handing out beads and throws.
Mardi Gras Parades
It’s not Mardi Gras in Shreveport without a parade. My first Mardi Gras parade was as a spectator at the Krewe of Gemini parade, the longest running parade in Shreveport and one of the largest with crowds reaching near 285,000. We joined the crowds in downtown Shreveport where my shouts of “Throw me something, mister!” were rewarded with armloads of beads and medallions.
The next day I took the excitement of Mardi Gras to another level riding on a float in the Krewe of Highland parade. One of the most creative Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana the Krewe of Highland parade is an all day party. Miles of floats wind their way through the historic Highland neighborhood where over 10,000 Mardi Gras revelers line the street hoping to get their haul of throws. In addition thousands of mardi gras beads in ever size and color parade goers are looking to get their hands on some of the more unusual throws. Beads with special medallions are a crowd favorite but the most prized throws are usually edible. The Krewe of Bar-b-kewe throws fully cooked hot dogs complete with all the fixings and the crowds go wild for Moon Pies and packages of ramen. After the parade the party continues at Marilynn’s Place for crawfish, jambalaya and beignets with live music late into the night.
Heather McDuff says
The cat pictured is Queen Spike of Barkus & Meoux. Her owner followed in behind his sister’s trailriding group carrying her in the Gemini parade.