On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the City of Lake Charles will conduct a public meeting for property owners along Mardi Gras parade routes whose business operations will be affected by 2026 Mardi Gras Weekend Parades. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 326 Pujo St.
 
At the public meeting, City officials will advise the public on port-a-can placements, dumpster placements, the law enforcement command center locations, Do’s and Don’ts, and parking restrictions downtown.
City and law enforcement officials will also discuss the timeline for barricade placement along Ryan Street.
The City will distribute cardboard trash boxes with plastic liners at the meeting to property owners along the parade routes. The City of Lake Charles, Waste Management and Republic Services are providing the boxes.
Property owners are asked to collect trash left on their property and place the cardboard boxes in the public right of way along the parade route. City Solid Waste crews will pick up the boxes beginning at 7 a.m., Wednesday morning, February 18, the day after the parades.
The parade schedule is as follows:
Utilizing the Ryan Street Parade Route, the Mardi Gras of SWLA Merchants’ Parade is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, February 13 and the Children’s Parade is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 15. The Mardi Gras of SWLA Krewe of Krewes Parade will begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17. All of these parades will begin at the north end of Bord du Lac Drive, cross over Lakeshore Drive onto Pine Street, turn right onto Ryan Street and continue south on Ryan Street to Sale Road where the parades will end.
Other Mardi Gras weekend parades include the following:
  
The Cumulus Broadcasting Krewe of Barkus Parade will take place on Saturday, February 14 at 1 p.m. It will start at the intersection of Broad and Ryan Streets, and travel down Broad Street to Hodges Street where it will end at Cumulus Broadcasting, 425 Broad St.
Following the Krewe of Barkus Parade, the Krewe of Omega Parade will roll on Saturday, February 14, at 2 p.m. It will depart the Lake Charles Event Center and travel down Broad Street to Enterprise Boulevard where it will turn onto Mill Street and head back to the Lake Charles Event Center.
On Mardi Gras day, Tuesday, February 17, Mardi Gras of SWLA’s Second Line Stroll Walking Parade (1 p.m.) will travel from Pine and Ryan Streets, south down Ryan Street to Dr. DeBakey Drive. Jeeps on Parade (2:30 p.m.) will travel down Ryan Street from Pine Street to Sale Road. The Motor Gras Parade will begin at 3 p.m. on Mardi Gras Day and will begin at Pine and Ryan Streets and head south to Sale Road.
Various community organizations are planning the parades listed above. For a complete list of Mardi Gras parades and events, visit www.swlamardigras.com.
For more information on the City’s public meeting, contact Katie Harrington, City of Lake Charles Public Information Officer, at (337) 491-9176 or katie.harrington@cityoflc.us.