Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

Family-friendly selection of parties and parades welcomes visitors

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, LA – With the 12th Night Celebration held on Saturday, Jan. 7, Shreveport-Bossier officially marked the beginning of Mardi Gras season in the region known as “Louisiana’s Other Side.” Now through Fat Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, Feb. 21, visitors and locals alike can enjoy a diverse array of parties, parades, and special events. The major parade dates for 2012 are Feb. 11 (Krewe of Centaur) and Feb. 18 (Krewe of Gemini). Both major parades roll at 4 p.m., following a route that includes Clyde Fant Parkway along the Shreveport riverfront, Shreveport-Barksdale Highway, and East King’s Highway. According to a study prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, an estimated total of 400,000 parade viewers will attend these two parades, making Shreveport-Bossier’s Carnival season one of the largest in Louisiana.

In addition to the major evening parades, Shreveport-Bossier offers a number of unique Mardi Gras events ranging from neighborhood celebrations to smaller, themed parades. The Krewe of Barkus and Meoux, a pet parade featuring hundreds of pets and their owners dressed in Mardi Gras finery, will march through downtown Shreveport’s Riverview Park at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. Known as “the animal krewe,” the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux often includes cats and dogs, as well as rabbits, ponies, chickens, and more.

The Krewe of Highland Parade, which rolls through Shreveport’s historic Highland neighborhood at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, is known for being family-friendly (it occurs during daylight hours) and for its unique throws, which include items as unexpected as grilled hot dogs and SPAM sandwiches. The Krewe of Highland parade begins and ends at Byrd High School, 3201 Line Avenue in Shreveport, traveling a circular route through the Highland neighborhood.

The Krewe of Aesclepius Children’s Parade, a parade geared towards families and children, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Pierre Bossier Mall, 2950 E. Texas Street in Bossier City. Shreveport-Bossier’s Mardi Gras festivities will officially come to a close at midnight on Fat Tuesday with the Krewe of Aesclepius Texas Street Bridge Closing Ceremony, as visitors and krewe royalty meet at the center of the Texas Street Bridge to bless the bridge and bring Mardi Gras 2012 to a close.

For a complete listing of all Mardi Gras events scheduled to take place in Shreveport-Bossier, including information on parade routes, visit www.shreveportbossierfunguide.com and click “Mardi Gras in the Ark-La-Tex.” To keep up with photos, video, and live reports from Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier, follow the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau on Twitter at @sbctb. More information on things to see and do in Shreveport-Bossier can be found on-line at www.shreveport-bossier.org or by calling (888) 45-VISIT.       

NOTE TO MEDIA: High-quality, print-resolution images of Mardi Gras festivities in Shreveport-Bossier may be requested by contacting Chris Jay at cjay@sbctb.org or (318) 429-0658. Multimedia elements such as Youtube videos are also available.

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The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau is sponsoring a fun, festive and food-filled media tour during one of our most popular events – Mardi Gras. Shreveport-Bossier’s Mardi Gras celebration is the second-largest in Louisiana, led only by New Orleans.

We are currently organizing a group of qualified, fun-loving travel journalists to be a part of this four-day Mardi Gras Media FAM Tour. Participating travel writers will arrive on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, and depart on Monday, Feb. 20, 2012. The tour will celebrate all of the revelry and excitement of an authentic Louisiana Mardi Gras while also highlighting some of the best restaurants, arts and culture, night life and, of course, the big personalities that make Shreveport-Bossier: Louisiana’s Other Side an unforgettable place to visit.

We’ll be attending two very different Mardi Gras parades: the fantastic Krewe of Gemini, one of the largest parades on Shreveport-Bossier’s Carnival schedule; and the funky and unusual Krewe of Highland parade, a neighborhood parade that rolls through Shreveport’s historic Highland neighborhood tossing throws as strange as grilled hot dogs and SPAM sandwiches.

We will cover the cost of transportation to and from Shreveport-Bossier and meals and accommodations during the media tour for all accepted journalists.

Interested? Just give us a call or sign up here. Complete the “Request a Tour” form – we’ll be in touch shortly thereafter!

The stage is being prepped for Mardi Gras – one of the largest productions of enthralling fun and entertainment in Shreveport-Bossier.

Starting with the 12th Night Celebration - Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Shreveport Convention Center - until the midnight Texas Street Bridge Closing Ceremony Fat Tuesday, March 8, one of the most highly anticipated parties will rev up into high gear. The celebration typically draws some 400,000 people from around the region to experience the pageantry and ostentatious show of Mardi Gras.

The majestic floats are being painted and trimmed with bright eye catching colors and razzle, dazzle lights for the evening parades of Krewe of Centaur (www.kreweofcentaur.org), Saturday, Feb. 26 and Krewe of Gemini (www.kreweofgemini.com), Saturday, March 5. Both parades roll at 4 p.m. starting on the corner of Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport and end at the Duck Pond on East Kings Highway. 

Purple, gold, green, and multicolor beads are being gathered, stacked and distributed throughout the large floats that carry the masked and outrageously clad krewe members.

“We will toss millions of beads,” said Robby Woods, Krewe of Gemini King. “We will have four or five tractor trailer loads of beads for the thousands of people who line the parade routes.”

Robby has been a krewe member for five years and he’s accustomed to the frenzied crowds shouting “Throw me something, Mister” in the hopes of taking home hundreds of beads, some doubloons, cups and “lagniappe” or a little something extra.

When asked why people go nuts over Mardi Gras beads, in particular the coveted limited edition king and queen specialty beads, Robby said, “It makes them feel like they are a part of the celebration.”

Besides the Krewe of Centaur parade and Krewe of Gemini parade, Shreveport-Bossier has other great parades like the Krewe of Sobek, Krewe of Highland and Krewe of Barkus and Meoux. Click here (http://www.shreveportbossierfunguide.com/search.php?terms=mardi+gras&mode=search) for a complete list of parades and dates.

“Mardi Gras allows us to connect with our Louisiana heritage and traditions,” Robby said. “It is one of the greatest free shows on earth. Mardi Gras is a gift from the krewe to the community.”

So book (www.shreveport-bossier.org/hotels) your hotel stay today. If you are a group of 10 or more and are interested in attending a private Mardi Gras party at the start of the parade then contact Erica Howard, group sales manager, at the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau at 800-551-8682 ext. 104 or ehoward@sbctb.org. The party includes food, band, specialty bead, and t-shirt all under a covered tent.

As Carnival season nears, it seems the air in Shreveport-Bossier is saturated with the aroma of Mardi Gras. Parades, king cakes and festive décor are everywhere you look, and before you know it, beads of vibrant colors are being hurled in every direction. Many Louisiana residents take for granted the rich tradition that is Mardi Gras, and most may not even be aware of the heritage that is the foundation of the celebration.

Robert Trudeau, a local expert on this subject, has written a guide called How to Mardi Gras, a comprehensive 36-page guide to Carnival in Louisiana with 36 illustrations.

“It covers everything from food and costumes to Cajuns and Creoles, and it even touches on global Mardi Gras,” said Trudeau. It also brilliantly demonstrates the Second Line Tradition, a group that walks throughout the parade behind a brass band.  The guide is great for visitors, those new to the area, people who haven’t experienced Louisiana, students, and party planners.

Trudeau who is involved with everything Second Line related in Shreveport-Bossier is the co-founder of the Blanc et Noir Marching Society that marches in the Krewe of Highland Parade. Highland’s Parade is March 6 through the historic Shreveport neighborhood.

He said, "We have a commitment to the rituals of traditional New Orleans Carnival. There is no float. We march and do the Second Line to the music of a Crescent City-style brass marching band."

He also has a commercial group, Robert Trudeau’s Second Line that will figuratively and literally bring the music to your table. They are one of only a few in Shreveport-Bossier to bring authentic New Orleans Jazz Music to the streets of the city. The goal is to get the people dancing!

Copies of How to Mardi Gras can be found at The Enchanted Garden and Tower Books in Shreveport and Tubb’s Hardware and Rentals in Bossier City.

To learn more about the history of The Second Line Traditions click here http://frenchquarter.com/history/SecondLine.php

For more information about the Blanc et Noir Marching Society go to http://blancetnoirmarchingsociety.blogspot.com

Some Shreveport-Bossier Mardi Gras traditions aren’t found along the parade route – they’re found in a Styrofoam cup with a straw taped to the lid.  Inevitably a topic of much discussion among out-of-town guests, the to-go daiquiri is a Shreveport-Bossier institution. 

Employing a drive-through lane like that of a fast-food restaurant, many Louisiana liquor stores sell daiquiris and package liquor from a drive-through window.  Of course, it’s illegal to drink and drive, so don’t be surprised when the store employee seals your drink lid with tape.

Tony’s Liquors located at 6241 Line Avenue in Shreveport is the first name in seasonal daiquiris, having created the extremely popular Eggnog Daiquiri.  This Mardi Gras season, they’ll be debuting a new creation called the “Swamp Bomb,” a concoction devised by staff member Perry Woods, formerly a bartender at a Bourbon Street institution - The Famous Door. 

It’s clear that their goal is to create a Mardi Gras frozen drink to rival New Orleans favorites like the “Hand Grenade.” 

“We’re gonna bring a little bit of that New Orleans flavor up to Shreveport,” Woods said.

Cajun Daiquiri offers four locations throughout Shreveport, including a store just off the major parade route at 3306 Youree Drive offering two specialty drinks during parade season - the “Throw Me Something, Mister” and the “Mardi Gras.”  Both drinks will be available beginning in mid-February, but if you’ve got a taste for a regional daiquiri legend, try the Cajun Curse, a potent lemonade-style drink revered by locals. 

Interested in learning more about Shreveport-Bossier’s signature frozen drinks?  Visit the Drink Swamp Water blog (http://drinkswampwater.blogspot.com).