Mayor’s Ball kicks off last days of the Mardi Gras season in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – The biggest party weekend in St. Louis starts Friday night at the 22nd Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball at Union Station.

“There’s great music here tonight,” Mack Bradley, president of the Mardi Gras Foundation, said. “There’s going to be walking entertainment and all kinds of entertainment.

There’s just about everything at the Mayor’s Ball.

“There’s hoola-hoopers, flame throwers and people hanging from the ceiling,” Jimmy Griffin, emcee of the Mayor’s Ball, said. “It’s going to be a great time.”

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The Soulard Mardi Gras season finishes off this weekend after around a dozen events over five weeks.

“This is the big run to the finish,” Bradley said.

In the last 22 years, the Mayor’s Ball has raised over $600,000 for the foundation.

That money goes toward community improvement grants in Soulard. It all culminates Saturday morning in Soulard for the grand parade.

“The weather tomorrow for grand parade day is going to be terrific,” Bradley said. “Particularly for February, so we are expecting big crowds.”

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