Soulard Mardi Gras «

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FREE: Nighttime Mardi Gras Parade On Tuesday In Downtown St. Louis

Soulard Mardi Gras‘ famous illuminated nighttime parade happens Tuesday and it’s FREE!

The Lumiere Place Light Up the Night Fat Tuesday Parade begins at 7 p.m. with marvelous floats coming down Washington Avenue.

St. Louis’ only nighttime parade, a colorful, fun-filled nighttime parade that winds through downtown St. Louis is entering its 11the year.

The Parade Steps off at 7 p.m. at the corner of Washington and Broadway and proceeds west to 14th Street.

The event wraps up weeks of events, most of them free, that are part of Soulard Mardi Gras.

FREE: Soulard Mardi Gras Family Winter Carnival

Soulard Mardi Gras continues this weekend with the Mardi Gras Wine, Beer & Whiskey Taste today and the Crystal Cajun Cook-Off on Saturday. Tickets are $35 for each.

Between now and Fat Tuesday Soulard Mardi Gras features more than a dozen events–and many of them are FREE!

Other upcoming Soulard Mardi Gras events include:

Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard on Feb. 2-3–Tickets are $25
Mardi Gras 5K on Feb. 2–Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 on the day of the run. A portion of the proceeds benefits Cardinal Glennon Children’s Center.
Beggin’ Pet Parade, Feb. 3–FREE
PetSmart Wiener Dog Derby, Feb. 3–FREE
Banfield Kid’s & K-9′s, Feb. 3–FREE
Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball, Feb. 8–Tickets are $100-$500
River City Casino Grand Parade Feb. 9–FREE
Bud Light Party Tent, Feb. 9–Tickets are $100 and include all-you-can-eat Cajun-Creole buffet, open bar and entertainment by Rockstar DJs
The MONSTER House Party,Feb 9–FREE
Downtown will come to life on Feb. 12 with a illuminated nighttime parade, Feb. 12–FREE

Check out all the Soulard Mardi Gras events.

FREE Events In St. Louis This Weekend 1/18-1/21/13

It’s January, and many cities have a “closed” sign hung on them.

But not here in the Lou. It’s another jam-packed weekend of free and cheap fun.

Here’s a sampling of what’s happening on this three-day weekend (Jan. 18-21, 2013)–and it’s all free:

FREE Penguin Activities At Saint Louis Zoo

FREE: Soulard Mardi Gras Family Winter Carnival

Ice Festival At St. Louis Loop Neighborhood This Weekend

Free: Black Rep To Present ‘Resurrection 150: Another Voice’

Free: Eagle Watch At Audubon Center At Riverlands

MLK Celebration At UMSL’s Touhill On Monday

FREE: Soulard Mardi Gras Family Winter Carnival

The holidays are hardly out of view and it’s time for Soulard Mardi Gras with more than 15 events between now and Fat Tuesday–and many of them are FREE!

Fifth Third Bank presents SSM Cardinal Glennon Family Winter Carnival Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. The fun takes place in Soulard Market Park at 8th and Lafayette beginning at 11 a.m. and ending with a Children’s Parade at 4 p.m. The event is FREE and open to the public.

In the big tent kids can:

Decorate a mask
Decorate a crown
Make beads
Decorate capes for a king or a queen
Get their face painted
Paint on the art wall create a piece of art
Play interactive games

Children and their parents can get safety tips at the SSM Cardinal Glennon Safety Corner.

The Rally Squirrel and Fred Bird will put in appearances and the Muny Kids, Bobaloo and others will perform.

At 4 p.m., the children the SSM Cardinal Glennon Grand Marshall will lead the children through the streets of Soulard to show off their new costumes in the Children’s Parade.Food and beverage will be available on site.

Other upcoming Soulard Mardi Gras events include:

Mardi Gras Wine, Beer & Whiskey Taste on Jan. 25–Tickets are $35
Crystal Cajun Cook-Off on Jan. 26–Tickets are $35
Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard on Feb. 2-3–Tickets are $25
Mardi Gras 5K on Feb. 2–Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 on the day of the run. A portion of the proceeds benefits Cardinal Glennon Children’s Center.
Beggin’ Pet Parade, Feb. 3–FREE
PetSmart Wiener Dog Derby, Feb. 3–FREE
Banfield Kid’s & K-9′s, Feb. 3–FREE
Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball, Feb. 8–Tickets are $100-$500
River City Casino Grand Parade Feb. 9–FREE
Bud Light Party Tent, Feb. 9–Tickets are $100 and include all-you-can-eat Cajun-Creole buffet, open bar and entertainment by Rockstar DJs
The MONSTER House Party,Feb 9–FREE
Downtown will come to life on Feb. 12 with a illuminated nighttime parade, Feb. 12–FREE

Check out all the Soulard Mardi Gras events.

FREE 12th Night Soulard Mardi Gras Celebration Sunday

That’s right–you haven’t even shaken all the pine needles out of your rug and it’s Mardi Gras time!

Jan. 6, twelve nights after Christmas, is the traditional beginning of Mardi Gras, and Soulard Mardi Gras has an event to get you in the spirit.

The event–a proclamation and the fun petitioning for a Mardi Gras celebration, will be at Johnny’s, the birthplace of Soulard Mardi Gras in St. Louis. The Board of Directors accept petitions from krewes, civic, business and neighborhood leaders, requesting them to declare the start of the new Mardi Gras season.

Petitioning can be a reading, a poem, a skit, a song, a puppet show, love letters, or any conveyance you wish to get your message to the board. The basic message is “WE WANT TO HAVE MARDI GRAS THIS YEAR!!!”

After petitioning and a couple beverages, gather on the front steps of Johnny’s at 5:30 pm to hear the reading of the proclamation. A musical procession will then wind through the neighborhood, ending in Rudy Commons at 8th and Lafayette in front of Soulard Market, where the Soulard Mardi Gras flag will be hoisted and fireworks will signal the official start of the Mardi Gras season in Soulard.

Contact Marc Mendolia in the Mardi Gras office to schedule your time to petition the Board.

The mild weather is about to change so be sure to dress in layers.

Free: Soulard Mardi Gras–U.S. Cellular Family Winter Carnival

Get in the Mardi Gras spirit with SSM Cardinal Glennon Family Winter Carnival, a free family-friendly event in the Soulard neighborhood that includes a children’s parade and a day full of activities held in a large tent.

The event begins at 11 a.m. in St. Louis’ Soulard Market Park at 8th and Lafayette.

Rally Squirrel and Fredbird will make special appearances at the carnival. Entertainment includes Muny Kids and Bobaloo.

Activities include:

Decorate Your-Own Masks
Decorate Your own Crowns
Make Your Own Beads
Decorate Your Own King’s and Queens Capes
Face painting
Art wall on which children can create their own piece of art
SSM Cardinal Glennon Safety Corner offering safety tips for children and parents
Interactive games

The children’s parade starts at 4 p.m.