ST. LOUIS – If you’re planning to venture out for St. Louis Mardi Gras festivities this weekend, make sure you plan ahead.
Saturday’s parade is the main highlight, though Soulard and other areas of the city will be busy all weekend with various activities.
Parade Route
The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Busch Stadium. Floats and performers will head southbound on Broadway from the stadium, and the parade will end at Broadway and Lynch Street.
Many routes down Broadway from Downtown to the LaSalle Park and Soulard neighborhoods will be closed from 3 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Organizers have released the following map of the parade route. Traffic will not be allowed in the red zones. The yellow zone means there are designed parking areas, but only for Soulard residents with a permit.
Map of St. Louis Mardi Gras parade route. (Map via STLMardiGras.org)
Travel Considerations
Anyone hoping to watch the parade is encouraged to arrive in St. Louis City no later than 10 a.m. or consider a rideshare service.
Metro shuttles from Missouri and Illinois expect to be busy Saturday morning. There are also two spots where you can take rideshares, like Uber and Lyft, for drop off. Drivers can drop you off at South 13th Street and or at Russell Boulevard.
As St. Louis prepares for a busy day, there will also be some closures to highway travelers.
I-55 northbound at exit ramp to Broadway and 7th Street.
Exits to Park Avenue will be closed between 6 a.m. and 4 a.m.
The Arsenal, southbound exit will also be closed
Many I-64 exits will be closed between 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Mardi Gras festivities.
It’s expected that tens of thousands will attend this year’s Mardi Gras parade, so plan accordingly.
Other events
Mardi Gras celebrations began as early as January with various activities, leading to activities like Taste of Soulard and the Purina Pet Parade last weekend. This weekend, it will be even busier.
On Friday, the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball is planned from 7 a.m. to midnight at the Midway at Union Station.
On Saturday, the parade begins at 11 a.m. As previously mentioned, visitors should consider rideshares and aim to arrive to the city by 10 a.m.
Later on Saturday, there is Rue Du Cirque at Lift for Life Elementary School, the Bud Light Party Tent at Soulard Market Park and the Blues Alumni Experience at Edele Mertz Hardware. Some of these events will require purchases or might be sold out.
For more information on Mardi Gras events this weekend, click here.