Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras season begins February 14, 2020 and continues through Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras Day, February 25, 2020.

Mardi Gras is known as "the biggest party on Earth" and Jefferson Parish is inviting you! Spanning over two sides of the Mississippi River, the East Bank and the West Bank, Jefferson Parish offers Mardi Gras fun wherever you may be located. Come and experience the sights, sounds, food, music, parades and of course, the BEADS in this family-friendly celebration of Mardi Gras.

Don't miss the annual Family Gras festival taking place the first weekend of Mardi Gras in Metairie. Family Gras is a FREE three-day festival of concerts featuring local and national acts, local cuisine, an art market, kids zone, various sponsor booths and the pageantry of the Mardi Gras parades!

New Krewes, New Throw & More Fun

There are exciting new reasons to line the parade route and enjoy Mardi Gras in Jefferson Parish!

For the second year in a row, a new krewe is bringing new energy and pageantry to the streets of Metairie. The Magical Krewe of MadHatters promises whimsy, innovation, and celebrity in its inaugural parade. With an Alice in Wonderland theme, MadHatter Bobby Hebert will reign alongside Amanda Shaw as Alice in this impressive 26-float addition to Carnival.

In the spirit of everything old is new again, the Krewe of Atlas returns to the route for the first time in 5 years and the Krewe of Centurions makes a historic move to parade in the prime time Saturday night spot on Family Gras weekend. All three parades, Centurions (Saturday, February 15^th), MadHatters (Saturday, February 15^th), and Atlas (Sunday, February 16^th), will pack into the growing Family Gras weekend parade line-up with the Krewe of Excalibur (Friday, February 14^th) and the Krewe of Kings (Sunday, February 16^th).

The Krewe of Isis will now roll in Kenner! Moving to Kenner is bringing Isis back to its roots. It rolled in Kenner for its first seven years, then moved to Metairie for the last 40 years. This will be the first Mardi Gras parade in Kenner since 1992!

Due to an overwhelmingly positive response, all krewes (except for Mardi Gras Day) have chosen to parade this year on the new westbound route, beginning in the Bonnabel neighborhood at Feronia Street and culminating at Clearview Center. Parade-goers on Bonnabel Blvd. will be entertained at Carnival Kick-Off with face-painting, balloon art, clowning, and more. And all Family Gras weekend parades will roll directly into the Family Gras festival grounds at Clearview Center with musical performances before and after.

Finally, Mardi Gras Moola is a new throw that gives parade-goers an added incentive to make that catch! This unique wooden doubloon carries discounts and special offers at participating local businesses. All promotions will be valid through April 1^st, allowing the good times to roll into the post-Carnival season. Any business interested in participating may do so for free by visiting: www.MardiGrasMoola.com.