Auburn’s fourth annual Mardi Gras Parade will be held this Saturday from 2–5 p.m. The entire event is hosted and sponsored by Krewe De Tigris under the theme “Mardi Gras & All That Jazz,” with the goal of bringing together family, friends and Auburn community members during the Mardi Gras season.
The parade will start at the intersection of Thach Avenue and College Street. Then it will travel along Thach Avenue, turn on Gay Street, then onto Tichenor Avenue, then back on College Street where the parade will finish back at the intersection of Thach Avenue and College Street.
Krewe De Tigris has put on Mardi Gras parades in Auburn for five years now. The drive behind their foundation was to bring the spirit of joyous celebration, love of place and sense of history. The Krewe hopes to take their experiences out of the major cities and give Auburn a piece of the party.
Michelle Held has been the vice president of Krewe De Tigris since the founding of the organization. She said she hopes families come out and enjoy the festivities this year.
“Not only do we want families to come out, but also bring out college students as well,“ Held said. “It’s a great thing to bring everyone downtown. Since all of Magnolia will be closed off, we want to hold almost like a block party for everyone to enjoy themselves.”
Held said special features will come during and after the parade is finished. A traditional New Orleans jazz band will play during the parade. The band will then set up and continue to play downtown until 6 p.m.
“We want to bring the excitement of Mardi Gras that you see in Mobile or New Orleans to the plains,” Held said.
City Manager Jim Buston said the parade will be family-friendly and kid-inviting. A jungle-themed float and a 20’s inspired jazz-themed float, along with countless beads and stuffed animals will be sure to keep kids engaged.
“In the past, the parade always has been kid-friendly. Depending on the weather, the parade brings out a number of people to watch the parade,” Buston said.
Large events like this one often generate high amounts of trash. The City of Auburn will provide trash and recycling receptacles throughout the downtown area for the event. After the event is over, public works and environmental services crews will follow behind to pick up any litter that still remains on the ground.
The Auburn Downtown Merchants Association will also be partaking in the Mardi Gras celebration Saturday with its Krewe Krawl. This is the third time the merchants are hosting this event, but they have held similar ones in the past.
Patrons of the parade or anyone looking to get some shopping and celebrating in this weekend can purchase a wrist band from the merchants for $10. With a wristband, patrons will receive discounts and specials from over 20 participating downtown businesses. Cover charges are also waved at participating businesses with cover charges.
The Krawl begins at 2:30 p.m. This is an entertainment district event, so alcoholic drinks are allowed to be carried outside of businesses. Wristbands are available for purchase up to and on the day of the event.
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