Official statement from the Carencro Mardi Gras Association:

“Please correct your websites and social media to reflect the correct information for the Carencro Mardi Gras Parade
The Carencro Mardi Gras Parade will be
Jan 27th at 11:00 am
Roads will close at 10:00 am unless there is an emergency.”

Saturday, January 27^th is this Saturday. Yes, the Carencro Mardi Gras Association was directed by the powers to be more stringent this year on the rules that were put in place some time back.

The Carencro Mardi Gras Association moved their parade up one week to accommodate Scott, Youngsville, and Lafayette schedules. This is a case of municipal leaders showing concern of everything being stacked on top of each other.

Many years ago, the Carencro Mardi Gras Parade was held on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, and the parade featured horses, and anybody could ride in anything. Some tragic accidents occurred, the rules were changed, and now floats are being requested.

As someone who attends the parade and watches the floats go by, I have attended most parades in the last 35 years. I have seen the parade grow, I have seen changes made to traffic control, and I have witnessed people upset this year because the Carencro Mardi Gras Association wanted to adopt a plan that Krewe of Rio has had for the last several years. Uniform music was picked by the parade riders and played on the floats.

As a person asked about this early on, I will say that I liked the concept as a parade goer. On the other hand, let me admit that there are only one or two floats each year that I even care for the music on. The rest of the time, a couple of other “old dinosaurs,” and I joke about the “wannabe whatever.”

It boils down to “community standards”:

My definition of community standards is going to the end of my road, watching the parade, maybe walking down to one place where they are cooking burgers for the officers, then walking down and making my annual visit to the gentleman who spoke before he thought one time and lost my respect. Then pop in on “Party Central”. Most of the time, I start watching there, head back to the end of my road, walk back home, and wait for Carencro to settle down and cook the rest of the afternoon. Along the way, I have a few beers, shake hands, fist bump, and participate in the day’s festivities.

Someone else’s “community standards” are different. If you want to drink until you pass out and need the comfort towel, then so be it. It’s your “Carencro Mardi Gras Parade Day.” I hope the weather clears enough, and there are not 75-plus floats in the parade, which was way too long, but I do hope all of the money spent on law enforcement to be in attendance is simply the ultimate community policing. I hope all that our officers have to do is shake hands and answer questions. I hope everyone stays safe, picks up their section of the road after the parade passes, and disposes of the remains at their house.

By the way, if you are the float that plays Haggard and Jones, Conway and Loretta, mixed with some Toups and Jamie and Foret, you are my kind of people.

Now have fun!