Mayoral Musings: Mardi Gras Parade This Saturday

Santa arrives at the 2019 Mardis Gras Parade.

This weekend on Main Street, we will be celebrating the 70th Annual Mardi Gras Parade!

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who helped ensure the parade would go on as scheduled. As many of you are aware, the parade organizers who managed the parade for decades stepped down at the end of 2019 to allow other groups and organizations to step in and keep the tradition going. Discover Lansdale and a team of community volunteers came forward to pick up the torch for the 2021 parade. Since early spring, that team has been meeting to discuss how they would like the parade to come together and how the parade can grow into the future. The time, commitment, and effort that each volunteer has dedicated to this cause is amazing — weekend meetings, long meandering discussions, and confronting situational challenges all along the way. Without their persistent efforts and commitment, we would not be having a parade this year and we are all deeply grateful for their hard work and passion.

For 2021, the theme is “Decades of Celebration,” and parade goers can look forward to a walk down memory lane as floats, bands, and organizations celebrate how the holidays looked at each turn of the decade. As is tradition with the parade, $1 buttons will be sold on parade day to help fund the parade and to commemorate the event itself. This year, the organizing committee has focused on growing the participation of floats that align with the theme to bring the parade to life for all those watching. In accordance with that, there will be three awards for the floats which include:

  • Best Presentation of Parade Theme
  • Best Presentation of Non-Commercial Entry
  • Mayor’s Choice

Additionally, there will be a “People’s Choice Award” that parade goers will be able to vote on via a QR code that will be posted along the parade route.

The weather this weekend is looking favorable for the parade: 47 degrees, partly cloudy, and a low percent chance of precipitation. So, bring out your lawn chairs, scout your spot out early, grab some Backyard Beans Coffee and plan on enjoying a fantastic 2021 Mardi Gras Parade! I look forward to seeing you all as we celebrate another fantastic year in Lansdale, and I am excited to see us continue to move our community forward together.

See also:

Join The Parade: Lansdale's Mardi Gras Returns Nov. 20

Photos: Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade 2019

Mayoral Musings: 2021 Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade

Mayoral Musings: The Future of Lansdale's Mardi Gras Parade