One of the main draws of living on the Northshore is a family-friendly lifestyle and our Mardi Gras celebrations here are no exception. This weekend kicks off a long-anticipated round of parades and party fun from Slidell to Madisonville and all points in between. We take pride in showcasing our homegrown talent of local high school bands, cheerleaders and dance teams with a few wild women like the Mande Milkshakers thrown in the mix for extra fun. We’ve also got parades with boats, mowers and pooches – thankfully not all in the same place at the same time.
As long as you’re enjoying yourself, there’s no wrong way to do a parade, but here are a few notes I’ve collected over the years to make our family’s fun run smoother:
• In wet winters – like the one we’re having now – wear boots or shoes you don’t care too much about. At some point you’ll likely have to jump a ditch or two on the way to the parade route.
• Bring sunscreen for day parades (even when it’s chilly) and glo-sticks for night events (to keep track of the peeps).
• Remember plastic bags to carry all your throw loot. God forbid any light-up Frisbees or moon pies get left behind.
• Check to make sure your cell phone is charged. When my kids were small, I took a second to write down my phone number on their arm in permanent marker.
• Agree on a meet-up plan and landmark for rendezvous if your group gets separated.
• For us older folks who appreciate a little sit-down time between floats, it’s totally worth toting a chair.
Here are a few handy resources for checking on routes, themes, floats, dates and times:
Whereyat.com
Louisiana Northshore Mardi Gras
4WWL, WDSU and Fox10 parade tracker apps
However you celebrate Mardi Gras, we’re happy to have you doing it up here with us. Hope to see you on the parade route. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
