City of Lake Charles, Louisiana

City of Lake Charles Announces Activities for Mardi Gras 2011

On Tuesday, March 8, the City of Lake Charles will observe the Mardi Gras Holiday. Several events, including the Krewe of Krewes Parade, will be held in the City. The following is an overview of activities planned for the day:

• Motorcycles, Classics and Hot Rods Parade - 1 p.m.
• Downtown - Krewe de Charlie Sioux hosts the annual Sister City Celebration Mardi Gras 2011 Block Party - southeast corner parking lot of the intersection of Ryan and Broad St., noon. - 7 p.m.
• Sister City Celebration Event will include: Live music featuring Grammy Winner Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, and Zydecane & the Katelyn Johnson Band; children's activities; and food and beverages
• Krewe of Krewes Parade - 5:30 p.m.

The Krewe of Krewes Parade will begin at the Lake Charles Civic Center, travel east on Broad to Ryan, and south on Ryan to Sale Road.

City Public Works crews will place traffic barricades along the parade route Tuesday morning beginning at 7 a.m. Traffic along Ryan St. will be restricted to one lane each way until around 4:30 p.m. when the road will be closed.

Motorists should expect long lines of slow moving traffic and heavy pedestrian traffic along Ryan St.

Businesses will remain open and access to their locations will be available throughout the day and up to 30 minutes before a parade.

Local law enforcement agencies will be on hand to control traffic and crowd issues and to assist parade goers.

City Announces Activities for Mardi Gras 2011 - 2

On February 16, the Lake Charles City Council passed a resolution declaring Lock Park a "Family Friendly Zone" during the 2011 Mardi Gras parade activities. The resolution prohibits the possession, consumption or sale of alcoholic beverages within Lock Park and also prohibits parking within the grounds of the park during this year's Mardi Gras parades.

Street vendors must have the proper occupational permits to serve the public, which must be obtained from the Occupational Licenses Office. Vendors are restricted from the Civic Center to Clarence St. Law enforcement agencies will check for appropriate permits. Vendors must relocate off the parade route once the parade begins.

Cardboard trash receptacles with plastic liners that were distributed at the City's March 1 public meeting to property owners along the parade route should be placed within the public right of way along the Ryan street route during the Mardi Gras parades. City solid waste will remove the receptacles the following day.

Port-a-Cans will also be placed along the parade route on the corner of Broad and Ryan St. during the Downtown Event.

Immediately following the Krewe of Krewes Parade, Ryan St., between Broad and Sale Rd., will be temporarily closed to all traffic so that City Public Works crews can remove barricades, pick up litter and sweep the streets. Law enforcement officers will divert traffic from this section of Ryan St., which is expected to remain closed for approximately two hours after the parade.