HAPPY MARDI GRAS! Fat Tuesday has arrived in Houma, Thibodaux and surrounding areas

Keith Magill, The Courier
·5 min read

After two weeks of parades, Mardi Gras 2023 comes to a conclusion today as half a dozen krewes hit the streets in Terrebonne and Lafourche.

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: Gheens, 11 a.m., Gheens; Neptune, noon, Golden Meadow; Houmas, 1 p.m., followed by Kajuns, Houma; Ghana, 1 p.m., Thibodaux; Choupic, 1 p.m., Choupic; Bonne Terre, 4:30 p.m., Montegut.

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 for Ghana: Starts on Iris Street at MLK Park. Turns left on Rock Street and right onto St. Charles Street. It heads left on Menard Street, right on Canal Boulevard, left onto second street and merges into La. 1. It rolls left onto Jackson Street then U-turns at Canal Boulevard. The parade turns right onto Gerald T. Peltier Drive, ending at MLK Park.

Party with the Krewe of Houmas

For a second year, the Krewe of Houmas will roll its 19 floats down Barrow Street for a public Extravaganaza this evening in the Barry Bonvillain Civic Center.

The parade will end with a toast to this year's King Houmas, Tony Herques. The party includes a performance by the Atlanta-based band Party on the Moon, playing rock, R&B and country hits.

Tickets, $75 apiece for adults only at tiny.cc/Houmas2023 or eventbrite.com, also include an open buffet and bar.

What's the weather forecast?

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79 degrees. Southwest wind 10-15 mph. No rain in the forecast.

Track the parades

Click:Houma Parade Tracker

Click:Thibodaux Parade Tracker

Mardi Gras history

Sometimes called the “the greatest free show on Earth,” Terrebonne and Lafourche combined boast the nation's biggest Carnival celebration outside Greater New Orleans. Some 30 local parades usually roll starting two weekends leading to Fat Tuesday.

The local tradition has roots well into the 1800s, when masked balls were common. Parades are mentioned in Houma and Thibodaux newspapers before the 1920s. In 1946, a group of Houma men planned the first parade of the Krewe of Houmas, which rolled on Fat Tuesday 1947. In the years since, a succession of krewes joined the celebration.

In 1955, the Krewe of Chronos of Thibodaux launched its first modern parade with a nod to that city's very first parade, reportedly in 1914, though that date has not been firmly established.

More:Here's how Mardi Gras got started in Houma and Thibodaux

More:Where did Mardi Gras start in the U.S.? New Orleans and Mobile both take credit

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.

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: HAPPY MARDI GRAS! Houma, Thibodaux and surrounding areas celebrate