Mardi Gras Information

The next Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009

3-31-08: It's been hard to find time to assemble Mardi Gras photos for 2008, but I will be attempting to add more over the next two weeks.

Note: I have left my public relations position and returned to full-time teaching, so I will no longer be trying to provide a complete schedule of Mardi Gras activities in rural Acadiana. At present, I anticipate continuing at LSUE one more year before retirement. The calendar shown below is for 2008. Starting in early February 2009, I will post updated information I receive, and I will also include links to other sites with calendars and schedule information.  –David Simpson, LSUE

 

Click below to go to Digital Photos for Each Year

2007   2006   2005   2004   2003   2002   2001   2000   1999

 

Links and Schedules for 2008

Additional Information for 2008

Basile:  The children's run will be on Sunday, Feb. 3. The adult run will depart at 7 a.m. Mardi Gras Day from the Town Park (near the water tower).  Terry Cormier, Al Roger, and Louisiana Pride will play for the street dance 1-5 p.m. on Main Street.  The Mardi Gras will arrive about 3 p.m.  Awards will be presented from the stage.  The community gumbo will be served at the Town Park starting at 5 p.m.  There will be no evening dance.

Church Point: As usual, the children's run will be on Saturday (Feb. 2) and the adult run and parade on Sunday (Feb. 3). Go to the Church Point mySpace page for complete information.

Crowley: Click here for the schedule for Carnival d'Acadie, which runs Feb. 3-5.

Duralde: The Duralde/L'Anse Maigre Search and Rescue Squad Annual Mardi Gras run begins at 7 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, at the home of Marcell Johnson, the first curve on the Duralde Highway off of Highway 13 north of Eunice.  Participants must be at least 17 years old. Wagons will be provided for those without horses. Food and refreshments are included in the $25 ticket price. FMI Marcel at 337-580-4344 or David at 546-0180 or Gerald at 457-2724.  Meetings will be held at the W.C. Read Fire Station (located on Highway 13 just north of the Duralde Highway turnoff) at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and 6 p.m. Feb. 1.  In addition, there will be a free Children's Mardi Gras Run starting from Marcell Johnson's home 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Jan. 20.  Bring your own drinks and food. Holly Ortego and her band will provide live music on the run.

Elton:  The Elton Mardi Gras will leave at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, from the Coushatta Tribe Recreational Facility heading toward Elton.  They are scheduled to arrive on Main Street at 3 p.m.  Afterwards, the "danse de Mardi Gras" will be held at the Elton Town Park.  Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys will be playing at One Eye Jacks starting at 2 p.m. The Mardi Gras run is open to males ages 18 to 20 with a consenting adult. and those 21 and over. They must be fully dressed in traditional attire with face cover. All riders must be present by 6:30 a.m. the morning of the run. All riders can and should sign up the night before at the Elton Town Park starting at 6:00 pm. Riders must bring identification/driver's license for sign up.

Eunice: The City of Eunice Mardi Gras Schedule has been posted. 

  • There are several changes in the courirs for 2008.

    • The adult courir will start at the Northwest Community Center at 8 a.m. Mardi Gras Day and follow a new route. It will go down Samuel Drive and around Dresser Loop to the Old Basile Road (Highway 757) turning onto Soileau Road to Highway 29, which will take the run back to Eunice and the parade downtown at 3 p.m. Riders will exit Park Boulevard on 12th Street to return to the Northwest Community Center, where gumbo will be served 4-6 p.m. Registration is $30. Limit of 40 trailers with 16 trailers provided by the Mardi Gras Association available on a first come, first served basis. Pre-registration for runners and trailers Jan. 26 and Feb. 2,  9 a.m.-1 p.m. at City Hall. Registration at the Northwest Community Center Mardi Gras Day 6-8 a.m.  Everyone must be at least 18 years old.

    • New this year will be a Saturday courir for teenagers 13-17. LeJeune Mardi Gras will assemble in front of the National Guard Armory on Maple Avenue starting at 8 a.m. Feb. 2. The run starts at 9 a.m., heading east toward Savoy. It returns by 3 p.m. for a parade down Second Street.  The preregistration fee is $10. Forms are available at City Hall. There will be an additional fee for those registering after Jan. 31. FMI: Mayor's Office at 457-7389 or Barry Soileau at 546-0613.

    • As in the past, the Children's Courir and the Boucherie will be held Sunday (Feb. 3).  This year, the children's run will begin at the Northwest Community Center. Registration forms are available at City Hall. The fee through Jan. 31 is $7 per child. Late registrants will pay $15.

  • The T-Salé Cajun Band  will perform at the Liberty Theater 6-7:30 p.m. Saturday night, Feb. 2. The show will also include a visit from the Basile Mardi Gras.

  • The Friday night street band will be Tyler Latiolais and Crossroads. Fred Charlie and the Acadiana Cajuns will be on the street Saturday afternoon, followed by Belton Richard Saturday night. The Monday afternoon street band will be Brian Smith, Hubert Maitre and the Triangle Aces. Jr. Melancon will be on the street Monday night.  On Tuesday, the main stage will feature Don Fontenot, Paul Daigle, and Steve Riley.  Check the Eunice Mardi Gras Schedule for other street bands and jam sessions.

  • Nick's on 2nd will have a line-up similar to last year, with a jam session on Thursday; Travis Matte on Friday; Kyle Huval  followed by Steve Riley in the evening on Saturday; Felton LeJeune in the late afternoon, followed by Jamie Bergeron in the evening on Sunday; Don Fontenot Monday evening; and Donnie Broussard at mid-day and Geno Delafose after the Mardi Gras Courir/Parade on Mardi Gras Day.

  • The St. Thomas More Catholic Church Mardi Gras dance begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. Tickets are $20. Music by Jason Frey and Ken Smith. The church is on LSUE Drive. The dance will be in the parish hall.

  • The Council on Aging Mardi Gras Dance, open to everyone, will be 1-3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, at the Northwest Community Center in Eunice, $5 for anyone under 60, $1 for those 60 or older. Gumbo will be sold. Judging of most traditional, prettiest costumes, best male and female dancers, Mardi Gras King and Queen. Music will be provided by Guyland Leday and his Family and Friends Zydeco Band. Guyland is an extraordinary young accordion player who performed at Carnegie Hall and has been on national television shows.

Iota: Tee-Mamou-Iota Mardi Gras Folklife Festival will be held on Feb. 5.  For details, including the 2008 band schedule, go to  the festival web site: Tee Mamou-Iota Mardi Gras.

Jennings: 16th annual Mardi Gras Parade, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2; T Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers perform 5:30-8 p.m. at Founders Park. Earlier in the day, the third annual Squeezebox Cajun Accordion Championship will be held at noon at the Strand Theater.

LeJeune Cove Mardi Gras Courir and Dance: The run will take place Saturday, Feb. 2. The LeJeune Cove Mardi Gras Dance will be held 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at La Pay E Bas, an RV camp located at 409 Arpent Road, south of Eunice off of Highway 91.  Going south on Highway 91, the turn-off is on the right a couple of miles past the trailer park and about a half mile before the intersection of Highway 91 with Highway 368. There is a four-foot double-sided sign at the turn off with "La Pay E Bas" in large letters (at least the sign was there in 2007).  Admission is $5 per couple, $3 for individuals, children 12 or under admitted free. Gumbo is free with your admission. Iota American Legion will sell beverages, so no ice chests permitted. Music will be provided by Joe Hall and the Cane Cutters.

Mamou: The Mamou Mardi Gras begins Saturday, Feb. 2, with a street dance under the red light on Sixth St. featuring Holly Ortego 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and Ferrell Manuel 2:30-6:30 p.m. The Children's Mardi Gras run will be held Sunday, Feb. 3. Monday evening, the street dance will feature COD (Cajun on Delivery) 4:30-7:30 and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys 8-11. On the north end of Sixth Street, Low Rider will be the DJ 5-7 and then Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band will take the stage 7-11. On Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day, Jamie Berzas will be the DJ 10-11 a.m. and then Jamie Berzas and Cajun Tradition will perform 12-5 p.m. under the red light. On the north end, Low Rider will be the DJ 9-10 a.m., followed by Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. and Chris Ardoin and NuStep 1-5 p.m.  Fred's Lounge and other venues will also have bands throughout Mardi Gras. Information on the Mardi Gras run is not confirmed, but ordinarily the run leaves about 8 a.m. and returns between 3:30 and 5 p.m. This year's announcement by the Mardi Gras Association says the the run will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  If the Mardi Gras follow their pattern of alternating routes from year to year, they should be following the western route this year.

Soileau: According to an announcement on KRVS's "Zydeco Est Pas Salé" radio show, the Soileau run will begin, as usual, at 10 a.m. the day before Mardi Gras. There will be a dance in Oberlin starting at 5:30 following the run with music by JoJo Reed.

 

Updated 2-6-08

Drive safely and obey speed limits. Law enforcement will be out on roads like Highway 13 and elsewhere. (FYI: State police on motorcycles issued tickets to LSUE students and others traveling on Highway 13 Jan. 22.) If you are coming on Highway 190, be especially careful as you enter Livonia (the town limits extend about 2 miles east of the traffic lights with a 55 mph limit), Krotz Springs (it's now 45 mph over the bridge), and Port Barre. Also law enforcement will be on the streets checking for underage drinkers. Have fun but obey the law.

 


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