Mardi Gras 2015 In St. Louis

Ryan

3261 days ago.

The 2015 Mardi Gras season in St. Louis features a Family Winter Carnival, whiskey, music, wine, beer, Hurricanes, Soulard, three parades and a masquerade ball in St. Louis’s historic City Hall. The “Carnival Season” last 43 days this year, from 12th Night on January 6 to Fat Tuesday on February 17.

The season begins with 12th Night in Soulard on January 6. The ceremonial event features the official announcement of the start of the 2015 Mardi Gras season from the steps of 1017 Russell, where the Mardi Gras celebration in St. Louis began back 1979. It ends with the Fat Tuesday Parade in downtown St. Louis.

The flagship event of the season is the Bud Light Grand Parade. This year, Grand Parade Day falls on Saturday, February 14th. The theme for this year’s parade is “All Things St. Valentine”, a nod to the parade happening on Valentine’s Day. The parade steps off from Busch Stadium at 11 a.m. and ends at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The party on Grand Parade Day is in the Soulard neighborhood. One ticketed option is the Bud Light Party Tent in Soulard Market Park.

The night before the Grand Parade, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay throws the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball at City Hall. The Mardi Gras Masquerade is a black tie affair with plenty of food, drinks, live music and dancing. Tickets start at $150 per person. Tables are also available.

The weekend before the Grand Parade features some more great fun in Soulard. The Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard runs on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8. For $25, you receive a booklet with six food vouchers and one Southern Comfort drink voucher. Use those to create your own pub crawl around St. Louis’s most historic neighborhood while sampling the delicious food Soulard has to offer. Enter this month’s edition of The Friday Vine to try your luck at winning yourself two Southern Comfort Taste of Soulard booklets.

Sunday, February 8 also brings us the annual Beggin’ Pet Parade. The event, now in its 22nd year, set a Guinness World Record in 2012 for Most Dogs In Costumed Attire. Starting two years ago, the event also began featuring a concert after the parade. The first musical act was the Bacon Brothers featuring actor Kevin Bacon. Last year saw the Barenaked Ladies come to Soulard. The popular Wiener Dog Derby is also held in Soulard Market Park after the Pet Parade.

**UPDATE** Blues Traveler has been announced as the esteemed musical guest for the 22nd Annual Beggin’ Pet Parade. Also announced were prizes for the pet costume contest. Former St. Louis Cardinals manager and Baseball Hall of Famer Tony La Russa will serve as the Grand Marshal of the 22nd Annual Beggin Pet Parade.

One of my favorite events each year is the Wine, Beer and Whiskey Taste. For several years the event was held in the rotunda at St. Louis City Hall, but was moved back to Soulard last year. Tickets for the January 30 event are available in advance for $40 or can be bought at the door for $50. Your tickets includes unlimited samples of “over 50 beers, wines and whiskeys”. Food samples from Bogart’s, Pappy’s, Salt + Smoke and Sugarfire are also included. Chefs from around St. Louis will compete on January 31 at the Cajun Cook-Off. Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door and include an open bar of Bud Light, Southern Comfort Hurricans and soft drinks as well as a Tony Chachere’s Fully Dressed Po’ Boy and Jambalaya.

Mardi Gras 2015 in St. Louis will end with the Fat Tuesday Parade on February 17th along Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis.

Other events happening in the 2015 Mardi Gras season are the Snowman Softball Tournament in Forest Park and the Missouri Lottery Run For Your Beads 5K through the streets of Soulard.

Here’s the full calendar for the 2015 Mardi Gras season in St. Louis

St. Louis mascots Fredbird, of the St. Louis Cardinals and Rampage, of the St. Louis Rams, take a moment before the 2014 Bud Light Grand Parade to get their picture taken in front of a Budweiser Clydesdale

January 6: 12th Night

January 17 & 18: Snowman Softball Tournament

January 24: Family Winter Carnival

January 30: Wine, Beer And Whiskey Taste

January 31: Lumiere Place Cajun Cook-Off

February 7: Missouri Lottery Run For Your Beads 5K

February 7 & 8: Southern Comfort Taste Of Soulard

February 8: Beggin’ Pet Parade

February 8: Wiener Dog Derby

February 13: Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball

February 14: Bud Light Grand Parade

February 17: Light Up The Night Fat Tuesday Parade

For more information on Mardi Gras in St. Louis, head over to STLMardiGras.org or iLoveSoulard.com. Be sure to tag your Mardi Gras-related tweets with #stlmg

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Ryan

Ryan is a weird dude. He doesn't cook, yet owns a plethora of kitchen gadgets. He rationalized buying a SodaStream while unemployed. He counts Step Up 2: The Streets as one of his favorite movies along with Footloose, Rent, Grease and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. He loves Mizzou but only wants them in the SEC so he can tailgate in Nashville. He owns a ShakeWeight and AbLounger, but still loves him some John Donut and Billie's Fine Foods. You can get more of Ryan at iLoveSoulard.com or just check the stool on the far end of the bar at iTap in Soulard.