It’s Mardi Gras time, and St Louis boasts the second largest Mardi Gras Celebration in the country!
The festivities begin today with Twelfth Night, the traditional start of Mardi Gras (on January 6th, twelve nights after Christmas) and ending with the Fat Tuesday Parade on February 16th. During that time, there are tons of things to do, including a lot of family-friendly activities during the day. Of course, there are still plenty of adult activities, too, like the Fat Tuesday Parade and the huge, heated Beer Tent! But there is much more to Mardi Gras, and here are just some of the fun and unique activities going on:
The Grand Parade is one of the largest parades in the Midwest and hundreds of thousands of people line up to watch the parade wind from Busch Stadium to Anheuser-Busch. Some of the floats are pretty fantastic to see, and trinkets, candy, and beads are tossed out by the float riders.
There is also a family winter carnival that will get you out of the cold – arts and crafts, kid’s karaoke, and activities hosted by the St Louis Science Center – inside a huge heated tent. There is also a Football Skills Challenge where kids can try and win prizes, a huge kid’s art wall, and a children’s parade. And the best part is – it’s free!
For foodies, there is the Taste of Soulard, a chance to sample signature dishes from the restaurants and pubs around Soulard. You can walk around, or for those who want to turn this event into a pub crawl, there is a free trolley service available!
For animal lovers, there is one of the largest pet parades in the world! You and your pet can join the thousands of other pets to walk the streets of Soulard. And, this event benefits a worthy cause, because the entire $10 registration fee goes towards the Open Door Animal Sanctuary. There is also a Wiener Dog Derby – you can enter your Dachshund or just go and watch this unique sporting event!
There are events for everyone so make sure you check out the calendar of events for a complete listing of activities as well as dates and times for everything. If you are visiting St Louis, there are plenty of nearby hotels just minutes away from all the activities, but hurry and make your reservations now, because they fill up fast.
