Here come the parades! What to know as the local Mardi Gras season kicks into high gear.

Keith Magill, The Courier
·4 min read

Houma-Thibodaux's Mardi Gras parade season begins Friday evening when the Krewe of Hercules hits the streets of Houma.

Here are some tips and information, including a complete schedule, to help ensure you have a safe and enjoyable time at the parades.

Who's rolling?

Here's a schedule of this weekend's parades:

Friday: Hercules, 6 p.m., Houma.

Saturday: Tee Caillou, noon, Chauvin; Des Couyons, 1 p.m., Golden Meadow; Aquarius, 6 p.m., Houma.

Sunday: Hyacinthians, 12:30 p.m., followed by Titans, Houma; Shaka, 12:30 p.m., followed by Ambrosia, Thibodaux.

The Krewe of Hercules parades through Houma on Feb. 18, 2022. The krewe will kick off this year's Mardi Gras parade season Friday evening in Houma.
The Krewe of Hercules parades through Houma on Feb. 18, 2022. The krewe will kick off this year's Mardi Gras parade season Friday evening in Houma.

Where will parades roll?

West Houma route: Starts at Southland Mall, heads down Park Avenue and turns right onto Hollywood Road, left onto Main Street and right onto Barrow Street, ending at the Town Hall banquet hall at Bond Street.

Thibodaux route: Begins at Audubon Avenue and Afton Street on the Nicholls State University campus. Turns left onto Menard Street, right onto Canal Boulevard and left onto West Second Street. Moves onto La.1 to Jackson Street before merging into Canal Boulevard. Makes a U-turn at the first intersection, heading back down Canal. Turns right onto Gerald T. Peltier Drive, left onto Bayou Lane, right onto Menard Street and turning right on Audubon Avenue to finish at Nicholls.

Special guests

Former New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley will help kick off the Houma-Thibodaux area's coming Mardi Gras parade season, serving as grand marshal of Friday's Hercules parade. Members of South Terrebonne High School's baseball team, which won a state championship in May, will ride in the parade as honorary grand marshals.

Fresh off winning the Miss Louisiana USA crown, Houma native Sylvia Masters will return home Sunday to ride in the Krewe of Hyacinthians parade. Masters, a morning anchor for KLFY-TV News 10 in Lafayette, won the title Saturday after competing against 32 others at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie.

What's the weather forecast?

Partly cloudy to sunny all weekend with little chance of rain. Temperatures will dip into the low to mid-40s for night parades. The high will reach about 60 degrees for daytime parades.

The Krewe of Ambrosia rolls through Thibodaux on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. The parade will roll again this Sunday, following the Krewe of Shaka.
The Krewe of Ambrosia rolls through Thibodaux on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. The parade will roll again this Sunday, following the Krewe of Shaka.

Stay safe

Among tips from local police:

  • Stay alert and be ready to duck or cover your head or shield your  kids. Overenthusiastic float riders sometimes throw trinkets harder than intended.

  • Leave large purses and bags and expensive jewelry at home.

  • Carry ID, credit cards and cash in front pockets.

  • Watch your children. Before the parade, discuss the importance of staying close to you. In case children do get lost, make sure each knows parents’ full names, address and phone number; tell them to look for police; and make careful notes of what they’re wearing so you can offer a detailed description to police.

  • Don't run into the street or past barricades after floats or throws.

  • Lock your vehicle doors when parking.

  • Use a designated driver if you will be drinking.

Plan your fun:Here's a 2023 Mardi Gras parade schedule for Houma, Thibodaux and surrounding areas

King cakes are here:8 spots in Terrebonne and Lafourche to get a taste of Mardi Gras

Pick the right spot

Best spots in Houma: To catch a parade twice or get home early, stake out a spot along Park Avenue near Southland Mall, the starting point for west-Houma parades.

Family-friendly areas: Near Southland Mall and the intersections of Columbus andMain streets.

Best spots in Thibodaux: To catch a parade twice or get to a second parade: Audubon Avenue along the Nicholls State University campus.

Family-friendly: Neighborhoods along Menard Street, Audubon Avenue and Jackson Street.

Take the right stuff

Things to pack: Snacks and drinks, maybe a sandwich. Unless you want to stand for two or three hours, bring a folding chair. Dress for the weather; wear sunscreen and sunglasses to the day parades. Bring a bag to collect throws.

Leave at home: Pets, glass bottles, firecrackers, silly string and other similar gags are illegal at parades.

Want beads?

To fill up your grocery bags with throws:

  • Bring a small, preferably cute kid to the parade. Krewe members love to throw awesome toys, sparkly beads and loads of candy to children. If you do not bring a child, stand as far away as possible from anyone with children. You will catch nothing.

  • Make creative signs or targets, buckets and hoops so riders notice you — and take aim. When all else fails, shout the trusted phrase “Throw me something mister.”

  • Wear something ridiculous. A purple wig, ugly sunglasses, costumes — anything that gets you noticed.

For subscribers:You know those sky-high egg prices? They're affecting Mardi Gras king cakes too.

Taste of Mardi Gras:Thousands flock to King Cake Festival in Thibodaux to crown the best of the bayou

What to do with unwanted beads and trinkets after the parade

Donate to local organizations such as The Haven, Terrebonne and Lafourche ARC and Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores. TARC has a wagon behind most Houma parades to collect beads for recycling.

— Courier and Daily Comet Executive Editor Keith Magill can be reached at 857-2201 or keith.magill@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @CourierEditor.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: What to know as 2023 Mardi Gras parade season begins in Houma area