On Tuesday, March 1, 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 Mardi Gras Day:                           

  • Second Line Stroll Walking Parade – 1 p.m.
  • Jeeps on Parade – 2 p.m.
  • Motor Gras – 3 p.m.
  • Krewe of Krewes Parade – 5 p.m.

Other weekend parades are scheduled under the direction of several organizing groups. Parade details, along with a full list of events, are available at www.mardigrasswla.com.  

The Merchants’, Children’s and Krewe of Krewes Parades will all depart Bord du Lac Drive and head north on Lakeshore Drive before turning east onto Pine Street and then continuing south down Ryan Street to Sale Road. Bord du Lac Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic during the parades and their line-up.

The Second Line Stroll and Jeeps on Parade will begin at Pine and Ryan Streets and travel south down Ryan Street to Sallier Street. The Motor Gras Parade will begin at Pine and Ryan Streets and travel south down Ryan Street to Sale Road. Bord du Lac Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic during the parades.

Ordinance 16489 prohibits street parking during a special event or a parade route in accordance with a designated special event traffic plan. Signs will be posted identifying these “no parking” areas. An unoccupied vehicle in violation may be removed or impounded and the owner and/or operator subject to a citation and fines.

In conjunction with the Mardi Gras 2022 parade route, street parking will not be allowed on Ryan Street, between Pryce and Clarence Streets, from 8 a.m. Friday, February 25, through Tuesday, March 1, at the conclusion of the Krewe of Krewes Parade. The on-street parking areas will be barricaded.   

Approximately one hour before the Second Line Stroll Walking Parade at 1 p.m., Ryan Street, between Pine and Sallier, will be closed and will remain closed to vehicular traffic until after the Krewe of Krewes parade is concluded. 

City Public Works crews and local law enforcement will place traffic barricades along the parade route Tuesday morning beginning at approximately 5:00 a.m.        

Traffic along Ryan Street south of Sallier Street will be restricted to one lane each way in certain areas up to about one hour before the parades, until around 2:30 p.m. when the road will be closed until after the Krewe of Krewes Parade. 

Many businesses along the route will remain open and access to their locations will be available throughout the day and up to approximately 30 minutes before each parade.                              

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

Local law enforcement agencies will be on hand to control traffic and crowd issues and to assist parade-goers. Local law enforcement agencies will have a number of command centers set up along the route. Should the public need assistance, law enforcement officials will be stationed at intersections along the route as well. 

Street vendors must have the proper occupational permits to serve the public, which must be obtained from the Occupational Licenses Office. Vendors will not be allowed along the parade route from the Civic Center to Clarence. Law enforcement agencies will check for appropriate permits. Vendors stationed north of 18th Street to Clarence Street must relocate off the parade route once the parade begins. Vendors stationed south of 18th Street to Sale Road must relocate off the parade route 30 minutes after the parade begins. 

Cardboard trash receptacles with plastic liners distributed to property owners along the parade route at the City’s February 8, 2022, public meeting 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 on Wednesday, March 1, beginning at 7 a.m. 

Port-a-Cans will be placed at the Civic Center and Lock Park. Lock Park has been designated as a Family-friendly, alcohol-free zone. 

Immediately following the Krewe of Krewes Parade, Ryan Street, between Pine Street and Sale Road., 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 Street, which is expected to remain closed for approximately two hours after the Merchants’, Children’s and Krewe of Krewes parades.