Fort Walton Beach to host 2022 Mardi Gras Parade, Downtown Throwdown

FORT WALTON BEACH — Mardi Gras is coming back to downtown.

Fort Walton Beach hosted its first Mardi Gras Parade and Downtown Throwdown in 2020, but took a year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after the year-long hiatus, they’re bringing back the free event with live music from Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe, as well as DJ Zoran.

Doug Rainer, the city's public relations manager, said the first event was “very successful” with live music, a large crowd and a parade route that slightly differs from the Christmas parade.

“We wanted to do it again this year and have been working with our recreation department to get this put together, and some of the downtown businesses who wanted to see it come back,” Rainer said. “We're moving forward with the 13th. It is Super Bowl Sunday — and we know that — but our event is in the early afternoon, so we're hoping that people can come out to the parade and the event and enjoy themselves. And then maybe if they'd like to stay downtown, go hang out at their favorite local establishment or they could get back home for the game.”

Previous parade: PHOTOS: Mardi Gras Parade 2020

Another local Mardi Gras event: HarborWalk Village celebrates Mardi Gras

More: DeFuniak Springs celebrates Mardi Gras

The second annual Mardi Gras Parade and Downtown Throwdown is from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 13 at the corner of Ferry Road and First Street. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. on First Street, and music will be played until 5 p.m. on Ferry Road between First Street and Miracle Strip Parkway.

The parade route will start at First Street, travel up Eglin Parkway, turn right on Perry Avenue, take a slight right on Ferry Road and end at First Street.

There is no entry fee for floats. To apply to enter, download the application at fwb.org/mardigras.

Check out the 2020 event video at youtube.com/watch?v=btfx0QugXpE.

While it is a city event, Fort Walton Beach always try to partner with local organizations and businesses, Rainer said.

“It was well received by the businesses downtown in that area,” he said. “We’re starting to work with them again to try to do more things like this, and we're hoping to have some good bit of participation from them as on this day.”

People who attended the event in 2020 will know what to expect because it will resemble the first time, Rainer said.

“We think the band that we chose then did a great job, and we're going to have them back,” he said. “It's really a Mardi Gras flair music. We had around 40 (floats) last time, and we're hoping to get that amount again. So we're gonna try to recreate that event and hopefully have good weather and see what happens.”

Plenty of parking is available downtown to enjoy the festivities, Rainer noted.

He thinks people in this area especially enjoy it because of its proximity to where Mardi Gras originated: Mobile, Alabama.

“We have a lot of clubs and groups in the area, not just in Fort Walton, that are Mardi Gras clubs or celebrate Mardi Gras pretty heavily like the Krewe of Bowlegs. This is big time for them," Rainer said. "So it's just the proximity to Mobile, and just the fact that it's a lot of fun and a good time. It's not a single day; it's a time period, so people get to celebrate for a little while.

"I think they're looking for something to do, especially at this time of year, and this is it,” he added.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Mardi Gras 2022: Fort Walton Beach to host parade, downtown party