Five Fun Ways to Celebrate Mardi Gras with Kids in Shreveport-Bossier

SHREVEPORT, La., Dec. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Parents in search of a family-friendly Mardi Gras experience should consider attending Carnival festivities in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana, just a 2.5-hour drive east of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Throughout Carnival season, which begins on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 and ends on Fat Tuesday, March 5, 2019, Shreveport-Bossier offers a variety of kid-friendly Mardi Gras experiences including parades especially for children, a pet parade, and alcohol-free "family zones" along the major parade routes. For complete details of the upcoming Carnival season in Shreveport-Bossier, visit http://www.ShreveportMardiGras.com.    

The three largest Mardi Gras parades held annually in Shreveport-Bossier all offer alcohol-free viewing areas along the parade route. For the Krewe of Centaur Parade XXVIII, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, and the Krewe of Gemini Parade XXX, 4 p.m., Saturday, March 2, an alcohol-free family zone has been designated in and around Veterans Park on Clyde Fant Parkway. Visitors wishing to view the parades in the family zone may begin arriving as early as 7 a.m. on parade day and should plan to arrive before 3:30 p.m., when roads will close along the route. The boundaries of the family zone are clearly marked with signage beginning at the intersection of Clyde Fant Parkway and Stoner Avenue in Shreveport and stretching north towards downtown Shreveport. The Krewe of Highland Parade XXIV, 2 p.m., Sunday, March 3, offers an alcohol-free viewing area along the east side of the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana. The physical location of the family viewing area stretches north from 1911 Centenary Boulevard – the main entrance to the Centenary College of Louisiana campus – to the intersection of Centenary Boulevard and E. Wilkinson Street. The Krewe of Highland Parade begins and ends in daylight, making it an especially popular parade for families.

On Sunday, Feb. 24, the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Pet Parade, a huge parade of costumed pets that has drawn crowds of more than 10,000 spectators, will be held at 2000 Reeves Marine Drive in Bossier City. Pet registration begins at noon, pet contests begin at 1 p.m., and the costumed pet parade typically marches at 3 p.m.

On Fat Tuesday, March 5, the Krewe de Les Femmes Mystique will present the annual Fat Tuesday Children's Parade at Pierre Bossier Mall in Bossier City. This parade is completely alcohol-free and designed especially for children, with a variety of non-traditional floats, marching units, clowns, and more. The Fat Tuesday Children's Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at Pierre Bossier Mall, 2950 E. Texas Street in Bossier City.    

For assistance planning a visit to Shreveport-Bossier during Mardi Gras season, contact the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau at 1-800-551-8262 or http://www.Shreveport-Bossier.org. For complete information on Mardi Gras celebrations in Shreveport-Bossier, visit http://www.ShreveportMardiGras.com and download the 2019 edition of The Gris Gris Guide to Mardi Gras, a pocket-sized guide to North Louisiana's largest Carnival season celebrations.

SOURCE The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau Inc