SOULARD, Mo.— The 21st annual Mayor’s Ball on Friday night and Saturday’s 44th annual Bud Light Grand Parade mark the apex of Soulard Mardi Gras in St. Louis. Grand Parade weekend typically brings thousands of people to the City of St. Louis, fills hotel rooms, and supports restaurants and other establishments throughout the region. 

Nearly 25% of Grand Parade Day visitors come from outside the St. Louis region, making a significant contribution to the $20 million that Soulard Mardi Gras generates each year for the regional economy. The many not-for-profit organizations that benefit from Grand Parade Day and the Community Improvement Grants funded by Mayor’s Ball proceeds in 2023 will add to the more than $1.3 million in charitable contributions made by Soulard Mardi Gras in the past 20 years.

More information is available at stlmardigras.org and on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram @STLMardiGras.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Soulard Mardi Gras, the Office of the Mayor of St. Louis, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis Fire Department, and the Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a press conference on Thursday, February 16, regarding this weekend’s Mardi Gras events. 

WHO:

Bess McCoy, Mardi Gras Foundation Board
Mack Bradley, President, Mardi Gras Foundation
Representative, Office of the Mayor of St. Louis
Representative, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Representative, St. Louis Fire Department
Jen Wade, Missouri Department of Transportation

WHEN:

Thursday, February 16, 2023

10:30 a.m.

WHERE:

Soulard Market Park, 8th Street and Lafayette Avenue

Weather alternative: Bud Light Party Centre, 8th Street and Lafayette Avenue

TOPICS INCLUDE:

Details on remaining events, featured celebrities, public safety, pro tips, parking, and transportation logistics.

APEX WEEKEND EVENT DETAILS

Friday, FEB. 17 / MAYOR’S MARDI GRAS BALL

The Mayor’s Ball, which ALIVE Magazine and the Riverfront Times have called the “social event of the season,” is a must-attend gala that combines the elegance of the setting with the striking visuals of Mardi Gras. It features fine cuisine, cocktails, dancing, and entertainment ranging from traditional to spectacular, including live music from one of St. Louis’s most popular cover bands, Dirty Muggs.

The 21st Mayor’s Ball will once again grace the Midway at St. Louis Union Station. With its soaring glass roof, brick arches, and spacious atrium, the Midway provides a spectacular venue—especially when given the Mayor’s Ball design and production treatment.

This charitable event is hosted by the Mardi Gras Foundation, and proceeds benefit Community Improvement Grants. The Ball has enabled more than $600,000 in grants to Soulard and Downtown. Tickets are available at stlmardigras.org.

Time: 7:00 p.m. to Midnight

The Midway at St. Louis Union Station

Admission: $150 and Up

New this year, Friday, FEB. 17 / THE OFFICIAL MAYOR’S BALL AFTER PARTY

After you party at the Mayor’s Ball, continue the fun at the first-ever Mayor’s Ball Mardi Gras After Party! Proceeds from After Party ticket sales benefit STL College Kids, a non-profit helping St. Louis students pay for college. Tickets are available online.

Time: 10:00 p.m.– 2:00 a.m.

City Hall Rotunda

Admission: $75 and Up

Saturday, FEB. 18 / BUD LIGHT GRAND PARADE “That’s Entertainment!”

What started as a two-block march up Russell Blvd. in 1980 is now the event of the season, and one of the biggest Mardi Gras parades in the nation. The Bud Light Grand Parade is a dazzling show with more than 80 entries in 2023, including scores of floats, marching and riding Krewes, throwing more than 15 million beads along a route from Busch Stadium to the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

Parade Starts: 11:00 a.m.

Soulard Neighborhood

Theme: That’s Entertainment!

Free Event

Saturday, FEB. 18 / RUE DU CIRQUE

The fun doesn’t have to stop at the Bud Light Grand Parade. Join us at the post-parade Rue du Cirque street party and play games, smash world records, and win prizes! All afternoon long, we’ll be partying with our street party emcee and live music.

Saturday, February 18, 1:00 p.m. (or after the Grand Parade, whichever is later) – 5:00 p.m.

South 7th Street (the Grand Parade route) between Geyer Avenue and Allen Avenue

Free Event

GRAND PARADE PRO TIPS

1. Arrive early. You may even want to book a nearby hotel room for Friday and Saturday to eliminate parking hassles and ensure you have plenty of time. Several hotels offer shuttles to and from or provide access to plenty of cabs.

2. No cans, no coolers, no bottles, no backpacks. No exceptions. For public safety reasons, these items are not allowed in the Soulard festival zone. If you do somehow manage to have these items in the festival zone, you will be asked to dispose of them immediately.

3. Dress for the weather. St. Louis weather is notoriously fickle, so plan appropriately. The Grand Parade rolls on, rain or shine, and you’ll be on your feet a lot, so wear comfortable shoes.

4. Use the port-a-potties. There are thousands of portable restrooms located throughout the festival zone. The police will ticket you for, let’s say, using alternate outdoor methods. If you can’t find one, you’re not really looking.

5. Don’t drive. There is no non-resident parking in the Soulard neighborhood on Grand Parade Day, and parking in nearby neighborhoods is very scarce. Take a shuttle, a taxi, a ride-share service, and, if you must drive, have a designated driver and expect a long walk.

6. Respect our neighborhood. As one of the oldest residential and entertainment districts west of the Mississippi, Soulard is recognized as a national historic jewel. Be respectful of the neighborhood and its residents—treat our neighborhood as if it is yours.

7. Outdoor sales in Soulard end early at 7:00 p.m. Soulard’s bars and restaurants also close early on the inside, at 11:30 p.m.

MEDIA LOGISTICS

Grand Parade Staging (new for 2023), Media Parking, Credentials, Interview Availability, and Press Briefing

Parade entries will stage on South Broadway from Walnut Street to Chouteau Avenue, beginning at 8:00 a.m., Saturday, February 18, as shown on the attached Grand Parade Day map. Full parade lineup will be in place by 10:00 a.m.

Media parking is available near the parade staging area—South 4th Street between Chouteau Avenue and Lombard Street--from 7:00 a.m. to parade time, 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 18; entry onto South 4th Street from Chouteau Avenue. Show either outlet media credentials or Mardi Gras media credentials, an example attached, for entry.

All-access media credentials are available at the Mardi Gras office, 2200 Dolman St. in Soulard from Monday, February 13 to Thursday, February 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or at the Grand Parade staging area on Saturday, February 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Interviews with Mardi Gras organizers and parade krewes will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at parade staging Saturday, February 18. Mayor Tishaura Jones, as well as this year’s Grand Marshal and Regina II (the Queen of Mardi Gras), Carolyn Kindle, will be available for interviews immediately before the parade steps off at 11:00 a.m.

A joint press briefing with Mardi Gras and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Grand Parade Day, Saturday, February 18, at the SLMPD Command Post, Sprinkler Fitters Union Hall, 1544 S. 3rd St., 63104.

Grand Parade Route and Parade Winner Announcement

Parade steps off at 11:00 a.m. from South Broadway and Chouteau Avenue and proceeds south on Broadway to Park Avenue, where the street continues south as South 7th Street through Soulard. The parade ends at South 7th Street and Sidney Street. The route is indicated on the attached Grand Parade Day map.

Grand Parade winners will be announced shortly after the parade conclusion via all social media channels---Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram--@STLMardiGras and on the web at stlmardigras.org.

NEIGHBORHOOD LOGISTICS

Access and Parking in Soulard

Vehicular access to Soulard on Grand Parade Day is unavailable in the Red Zone and restricted in the Yellow Zone. These zones are shown on the Grand Parade Day map. There is no non-resident parking in the Soulard neighborhood on Grand Parade Day, and parking in nearby neighborhoods is very scarce.

Soulard Red Zone

All streets in the Red Zone will be closed to vehicular traffic and parking from 3:00 a.m. Saturday, February 18 to 2:00 a.m. Sunday, February 19. No unauthorized vehicles are allowed in or out of this zone during this time. Any unauthorized vehicle parked on the street in the Red Zone during this time will be ticketed and towed.

Soulard/LaSalle Park Yellow Zones

The Yellow Zones are for resident access and parking only from 3:00 a.m. Saturday, February 18 to 2:00 a.m. Sunday, February 19. All Soulard residences have received official Mardi Gras parking/access tags. In order to preserve this area for the use of neighborhood residents on Grand Parade Day, any vehicles parked on the street in the Yellow Zone without an official Mardi Gras access/parking pass will be ticketed and towed.

Taxi and Ride Share Stands

There are two designated taxi/Uber/Lyft locations for Grand Parade Day: South 13th Street and Russell Boulevard (west entry to Soulard, near Gravois and Russell), and 1511 S. 10th St. (LaSalle Park neighborhood, near South 10th Street and Marion Street, at the west end of the I-55 pedestrian bridge). These sites are shown on the Grand Parade Day map.