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February 11, 2020
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February 11, 2020
Full disclosure? We’re Houma Mardi Gras people in my family.
Yes, I have major anxiety and I hate crowds, but I love going to the parades. Strange, I know. But true. I like the music; I like the smell of food cooking; I like the themes of the floats in the parades. I appreciate the free show that is unique to our culture. My son, who usually isn’t a fan of loud noises, likes the chaos and all the beads and toys being tossed to him. He is especially fond of the snacks.
We look forward to being able to attend Houma Mardi Gras each year. It’s amazing to be a part of such a deeply rooted tradition in our community.
Here are five reasons I believe you should bring your family to Houma Mardi Gras at least once in a lifetime!
Your kids don’t sit in boxes on ladders
Houma’s Mardi Gras is vastly different than New Orleans. We don’t place our children on ladders, but instead on flatbed trailers or beds of pick-up trucks. It’s easy to get up out of the crowd at our parades. There is also little chance of the truck tipping over like many a ladder of my childhood did.
The Snacks
Yes, there is plenty of king cake. But as I mentioned earlier, it’s the snacks you catch that are most delicious. Moon Pies, Chee Wee, Ramen noodles, pickles in a bag, yard sticks of gum and pixie stix… things I would never actually buy for my child, but are perfectly acceptable to eat on a parade day.
No waiting!
Sure, the vast majority of us treat a parade like a football game tailgate, with BBQ pits and full spreads of food laid out to help pass the time. But if you time it just right, you really can park and walk up as the first float passes and still find a great spot to watch a parade. The beginning of the route at the mall is a great spot to just park and walk. The final stretch along Barrow Street is great too. It’s hit or miss with what throws riders have left though!
It’s not all beads
More and more krewes, especially the women’s, throw way more than just beads. Hula hoops, rubber chickens, light-up trinkets, and stuffed animals bigger than your kid are sure to be thrown.
Missed a parade?
Don’t worry – there’s another one! There are 10 krewes that call Houma home. Houma has parades that begin the two weekends before Mardi Gras day. Two night parades and one day parade the first and second weekends, then a night parade on Lundi Gras and an afternoon parade on Mardi Gras.
I encourage you to give Houma Mardi Gras a chance when it comes to Carnival celebrations. We are a short, day-trip from New Orleans with plenty of amazing things for the whole family. Check out Houma Travel for more tips on traveling here in the Houma area.
