Lake charles mardi gras parades 2022

January 6 - February 21, 2023

Celebrate Mardi Gras - Lake Charles Style!

Mardi Gras season is almost upon us! It's time to start planning your trip to Lake Charles, Louisiana this Carnival season! Celebrations begin on Twelfth Night, January 6 and commence on Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Lake Charles Mardi Gras krewes are gearing up for a festive season filled with parades, gumbo cookoffs and plenty of King Cake. Lake Charles Mardi Gras is family-friendly, and it boasts over 60 krewes that participate in the Krewe of Krewes Parade which is the culmination of the season on Fat Tuesday. Many bakeries, restaurants and businesses also participate in the Mardi Gras season by offering traditional King Cakes, food and drink options with a Mardi Gras twist or seasonal specials and events to celebrate the Mardi Gras spirit in Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana. Be sure to visit the Mardi Gras events page for a full lineup of Mardi Gras magic in Lake Charles!

Mardi Gras Parades Schedule & Routes

Mardi Gras in one of the biggest celebrations all year in Louisiana and there is no exception in Southwest Louisiana. With more than a dozen parades and Mardi Gras celebrations, get ready to enjoy the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the state!

Parade Routes

The Merchants Parade, Children’s Parade and Krewe of Krewes Parade travel down Pine St. to Ryan St. then south on Ryan St. to Sale Road.

The Second Line Stroll and Jeeps on Parade travel down Ryan St., south to Sallier Street.

Krewe of Omega Parade starts at the front of the Civic Center along Kirby Street, travels east along Broad Street, takes a left on Enterprise Blvd. to Mill St., a left on Mill and back into the backside of the Civic Center via Bord du Lac.

For all of the pet lovers out there, the Krewe of Barkus Parade is always a fun event to experience as dogs of all shapes and sizes put on the Mardi Gras seasons best as they parade by the Civic Center.

Events

Feathers, fabulous frocks and the fais-do-do can only mean one thing - it's Mardi Gras time in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This destination does it like no other! 

Live Stream, Parade Schedule, Dates, Start Time, Lineup

Lake Charles mardi gras is another significant entry on the calendar of mardi gras events in Louisiana, with over 50 Krewes taking place in a total of 9 different parades, leading up to the main Krewe of Krewes Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday itself.

Lake Charles has the added benefit of a year round mardi gras presence in the form of the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu, where a huge collection of costumes as well as and interactive float display attracts large numbers of visitors. Attendance on mardi gras day itself is estimated at around 150,000.

Parade Schedule

Here we have the initial schedule for 2022, but please do keep in mind this could be subject to change so please do check locally before making any travel plans:

  Friday 25th February

Mardi Gras Merchants Parade, 7.00pm on Ryan Street

Saturday 26th February

Cajun Extravaganza Gumbo Cookoff & Zydeco Dance at the Civic Center 8am - 2pm
Krewe of Barkus Parade, 2.00pm from Civic Center to Gill Street
Krewe of Omega Parade 2pm from Downtown to Enterprise Blvd
Louisiana Saturday Night in DeRidder Parade 5pm from Corner of Pine Street and 171 South heading north to Steamboat Bills

Sunday 27th February

Lake Area Runners and Mardi Gras Madness 5k
The Children's Parade 3.30pm along Ryan Street

Tuesday 1st March

Second Line Stroll, 1.00pm Ryan Street
Jeeps on Parade, 2.00pm along Ryan Street
Motor Gras Parade, 3.00pm along Ryan Street
Krewe of Krewes Mardi Gras Parade, 5.00pm along Ryan Street

You can see the routes for all the parades here.

TV & Live Streaming

There is generally pretty good TV coverage of the mardi gras events in Lake Charles via the local channel KPLC7. This is also available to watch as a live online stream:

KPLC7 live stream

You can see our full range of live coverage of mardi gras and carnival events around the world, including the main parades in New Orleans, here: Watch Mardi Gras live

Hotels and Accommodation

There is plenty of accommodation to choose from in Lake Charles, but it does get busy during mardi gras so we advise booking in advance. You can check out availability and make reservations for local hotels here.

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