Schedule fo Events:

January 6, 12th Night

Doors open at 5:00 pm. Petitioning begins at 5:30 pm. Procession to follow.

Location: South Broadway Athletic Club

Each year, the 12th night after Christmas marks the beginning of the Mardi Gras season. The night kicks off with our Board of Directors converging in a cozy corner of Soulard to decide whether to order the commencement of Mardi Gras, while local leaders, politicians and krewes petition with their best performances and bribes of liquid refreshment.

The board votes after a heated and often raucous debate, and then make the official proclamation that we will have yet another Mardi Gras season in Soulard. Luckily for us, throughout the decades that we’ve hosted Mardi Gras, the board has voted unanimously in favor of Mardi Gras.

After that, our collection of party pros and dignitaries marches throughout the Soulard neighborhood and raising the Mardi Gras flag to fly proudly over the Soulard neighborhood throughout the Mardi Gras season.

January 14, Family Winter Carnival And The Bos Shoebox Float Gallery

NOON - 3:00 PM

Lift For Life Elementary School Gym - 1920 S 7th St
(Entrance will be on Broadway, one block East)

FREE AND FAMILY FRIENDLY

Break the cabin fever and bring the kids out to the Family Winter Carnival at Lift For LIfe Academy Elementary School. They'll get to enjoy a variety of arts & crafts projects as well as performers including:

-Making your own mask, cape, and crown
-Making your own noise maker
-Magicians
-Stilt walkers, jugglers, balloon artists, and more
-Make a Shoebox Float to enter in the BOS Shoebox Float Online Gallery
-Free popcorn and Coca Cola products
-Giveaways from Bank of Springfield (BOS)

And don't forget about the Childrens Parade at 3:00 p.m. led by the BOS Mascot when kids can wear their capes, crowns, and masks; use their noise makers and throw beads!

*This is an alcohol-free event

January 21, Scavenger Hunt

12 PM - the Hunt Starts

5:00 - 7:00 PM - Post-Hunt Party inside Anheuser-Busch Brewery

Soulard Neighborhood

$125 per team

Your team can have a max of 6 people.

Price includes 2 free drinks from Anheuser-Busch per person and appetizers after the Hunt

Purchase Now

Get ready to explore Soulard (on foot!) on a fun-filled Saturday afternoon. It's like a bar crawl with mind-bending riddles and physical challenges!

Journey with your team through Soulard and its famous hangs and historic buildings while answering site-specific questions. You'll be challenged physically with fun activities throughout the neighborhood. Along the way, you'll try to rack up as many points as you can (and yes you get extra points for enjoying ice-cold drinks at Soulard bars) to claim The Ballpark Village Grand Prize!

The Ballpark Village Grand Prize includes:

-Six (6) tickets to the Mardi Gras After Pardi at Ballpark Village on February 18
-VIP Table for 6 at a Ballpark Village Nightlife Venue of your choice, PBR, Shark Bar, or the Crown Room from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
-$300 tab for your table (good only on February 18)

February 4, Cajun Cook-Off

Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Bud Light Party Centre in Soulard Market Park

Purchase Now

Talented amateur chefs from across the area face off, preparing their best dishes for a panel of hungry and highly discerning judges.

Admission to the event includes:

-Authentic Cajun Lunch
-Open bar of Bud Light and Southern Comfort Hurricanes
-Live Music
-Cooking demonstrations – with samples!

Cajun Cook-Off tickets are $65

February 11, 5K Run For Your Beads

Starting Time: 9:00 am

Soulard – Starts at 8th and Lafayette

Registration fee: $30 thru Jan 31, $35 after Feb 2, $40 on race day

Register Now

There is only one race that is as fun-filled, colorful and slightly wacky as Mardi Gras: The Run for Your Beads 5K. That means you'll enjoy all the fun and historic scenery of Soulard with mid-race pitstops stocked with beer and hurricanes for legally aged runners. Make sure to dress in your best Mardi Gras garb, because in addition to prizes for the winners of each division, we’ll be honoring the runner with the best costume.

After the race, you can join us for Taste of Soulard. Because, after running so hard, you’ll have earned the chance to chow down on some tasty Cajun cuisine. Sign up now, or register at the Bud Light Party Centre (at 9th and Lafayette) at 7:30am on the day of the event.

February 11 - 12, Taste Of Soulard

Time: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Soulard Neighborhood

Passes: $35

Purchase Now

This self-guided tasting and pub crawl allows you to choose your own adventure through the many Cajun flavors that you will find throughout Soulard. Each purchase includes one drink voucher and six food vouchers that can be redeemed at any of the participating establishments. On Saturday, Trolleys will be shuttling merrymakers to restaurants throughout the neighborhood.

February 12, Purina Pet Parade

Registration: 10:00 am

Parade: 1:00 pm

Begins at 12th and Allen

Registration Fee: $10 donation

Free for spectators to watch the parade

At the world’s largest costumed pet parade, we combine all the fun of Mardi Gras with all the AWWWWs that the most adorable parade participants deserve. It is free to watch and easy to head straight to the Taste of Soulard or Wiener Dog Derby after the parade wraps up.

If you have a precious pet who belongs in the parade, register your furry friend beforehand online or on the day of the event at 12th and Allen so you both can strut your stuff in style. The best dressed pets will be selected as members of the Court of the Mystical Krewe of Barkus and will be invited to the Coronation Pageant at Soulard Market Park where the King and Queen of Barkus will be crowned.

All proceeds from the Purina Pet Parade will benefit Open Door Animal Sanctuary.

Parade Route

The Purina Pet Parade Route Map can be found on the Maps and Parking page.

February 12, Tito’s Vodka Wiener Dog Derby

Registration: Opens at 10:00 am

Opening Ceremonies: 1:45 pm

First Heat: 2:00 pm

Horseshoe Casino Stadium in Soulard Market Park

Entry Fee: $10 donation

Online Registration is now open.

Registration is available the day of the event.

Spectator admission to Horseshoe Casino Stadium is free.

Register Now

February 17, Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball

Time: 7:00 pm to Midnight

The Midway at St. Louis Union Station

Purchase Now

The Mayor’s Ball, which ALIVE Magazine and the Riverfront Times have called the “social event of the season,” is a must-attend gala that combines the elegance of the setting with the striking visuals of Mardi Gras. It features fine cuisine, cocktails, dancing and entertainment ranging from traditional to spectacular.

This charitable event is hosted by the Mardi Gras Foundation, and the proceeds go to create community grants that have shown demonstrable benefits to the Soulard and Downtown communities since 2003.

February 18, Bud Light Grand Parade

Parade Starts: 11:00 am

Soulard Neighborhood

Free Event

This event is the crown jewel of the Soulard Mardi Gras season and is the biggest parade outside of the Big Easy. It begins at Busch Stadium and proceeds through the streets of Downtown South and Soulard to the place where your beer was born: Anheuser-Busch Brewery.

February 18, Rue Du Cirque

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (post parade)

Lift for Life Elementary

THE BEST POST-PARADE STREET PARTY PRESENTED BY HORSESHOE CASINO

The fun doesn’t have to stop at the Bud Light Grand Parade. Join us at the post-parade Rue du Cirque street party and play games, smash world records, and win prizes! All afternoon long, we’ll be partying with our  street party emcee and live music.

Leave your legacy on the streets at the Rue du Cirque! We'll be proving St. Louis is KING by smashing the world record for the largest game of Flip Cup. All participants will walk away with a commemorative cup, their name on the Soulard Mardi Gras website, and the pride of making Flip Cup history (registration is free!).

Think you can out-queen a Queen? Strut your stuff during the historic High Heel Drag Race! Sprint against the hottest Krewe of Queens. Did we mention you’ll be sprinting in 4 inch heels?

Registration for the High Heel Drag Race starts at 1:00 pm.

February 18, Bud Light Party Tent

9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Bud Light Party Centre in Soulard Market Park

Tent Admission: $145

Purchase Now

You shouldn’t have to choose between being directly on the parade route, warming up from the cold, a dance floor with body-moving beats, a restroom without a line and being able to grab a drink whenever you need one. 

That’s why the all-inclusive Bud Light Party Tent is THE place to be for over 8 hours of beer, beats and booze in a climate-controlled tent. You get more Mardi Gras for your money here, including

Fully stocked open bar with Bud Light, plus premium spirits
Cajun lunch buffet
Heated tents one block from the Bud Light Grand Parade route
Unlimited re-entry
Private restrooms
FREE BEADS!

February 18, Blues Alumni Experience

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tent Admission: $145

Purchase Now

If you ever wanted to rub elbows with Blues legends at St. Louis’ biggest party, then we have exactly what you’re looking for. At the Blues Alumni Party Tent, your all-inclusive pass lets you hang out with some of the best to ever don the Blue Note in a climate-controlled tent.
 
An all-inclusive Blues Alumni Party Tent pass includes

Open bar with beer and cocktails
NSFW story time with Blues legends
Lunch buffet
Front row view of the Bud Light Grand Parade

Date: January 6-February 18, 2023

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