SOULARD, Mo. – Thousands of people will gather in Soulard on Saturday for the Mardi Gras parade and celebration. The Mardi Gras Foundation and Soulard businesses are prepared for the large crowds.
“We have more than 80 units in the parade this year. Our crews are really creative with what they do with their floats so it’s going to be quite a show. They’re going to throw 17 million beads from the parade routes. So, if you don’t catch any, it’s not our fault,“ Mack Bradley, president of the St. Louis Mardi Gras Foundation, said.
The 45th Budweiser Grand Parade kicks off at 11 a.m., which will start at Busch Stadium and end at the Brewery. There will be more than 35 food and beverage stations throughout Soulard.
The Mardi Gras preparation is a long process.
“We really start planning for that in May. So, we will take a few weeks off at the end of this and get back to it,” Bradley said.
The foundation also partners with several businesses for the season. The 1860s Saloon, Game Room and Hardshell Café have participated for 35 years, and they are excited to entertain citizens this weekend, but they faced a challenge in preparation.
“It takes a lot more people to get it done, so you got to ask friends, relatives and neighbors and neighbors’ kids,” Tom Gullickson, co-owner of 1860s Saloon, Game Room and Hardshell Café, said. “You know, ‘Would you like to work? Would you like to make a little money on this Saturday and help out?’ So, staffing is one of the biggest problems.”
Carson’s Sports Bar and Restaurant has two heated tents ready for customers to enjoy a live DJ, food and drinks.
“This starts months in advance, and it goes all the way up until now. And over the past two weeks is when it all comes together,” Michael Dempsey, co-owner of Carson’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, said.
Most people enjoy Mardi Gras because of the celebration and drinks but some have other reasons.
“You get to meet quite a few characters,” Dempsey said.
As parking is restricted to residents of Soulard only, organizers remind attendees not to plan on driving to the event and to use a ride-share instead.
