Krewe of Lafitte ready to kick off the weekend with Friday night parade
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — A jampacked weekend of Mardi Gras celebrations in Pensacola.
It all starts Friday night with the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade in downtown Pensacola.
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“It’s a year-long preparation for the one week we get to do our thing,” Krewe of Lafitte President Reid Radford said.
Road closures will begin downtown Friday around 4:30 p.m. on Spring Street and around 5 p.m. on Palafox and Garden Streets as well as Gregory and Chase Streets.
The parade will begin at 7:30 p.m., and paradegoers will flock to the streets ready to catch the best throws.
“We make it rain no doubt,” Radford said. “What we’ve learned over the last couple of years is people don’t really want beads anymore. They want swords and footballs and plush animals.”
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However, Friday night’s parade is just the start. Saturday, Pensacola’s Grand Mardi Gras Parade will roll through at 2 p.m. The Krewe of Wrecks Parade will take place on Sunday at Pensacola Beach at 2 p.m.
It’s a weekend expected to bring many to local bars and restaurants.
“We love the energy that Mardi Gras brings to downtown Pensacola,” 200 South Tap House marketing manager Molly Benz said. “We love to experience it with everybody and we can’t wait to see what this year brings.”
For Krewe of Lafitte, they’re ready to see their year-long efforts pay off.
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Radford said walking in the parades is something that just doesn’t get old.
“Because when I hand that little sword to that 12-year-old, he smiles like nobody’s business,” Radford said. “When I hand that stuffed animal to that little girl in a wheelchair, she smiles like nobody’s business.”
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