What to Wear
‍Mardi Gras colors are Purple, Yellow/Gold, and Green. We do have some Academy shirts on hand on a first come/first serve basis. ‍We'll have Mardi Gras masks, but if you have any already, please feel welcome to wear them!  Mardi Gras is a fun and colorful festival, so you can have a lot of fun with this!  Themed hats, headbands are all welcome!
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When is it?
Saturday, 3/1/25. Parade line up starts at 10am.  We are asking all participants to meet us at 10:15am to get settled.  The parade itself is supposed to start at 11am and lasts about an hour.

Where Do We Meet/Park?
Parade participants are asked to converge on Jim Hamilton Blvd near City Roots (Click Here for Map). We plan to meet near the Owens Field Skate Park at 1351 Jim Hamilton Blvd, Columbia, SC 29205.  There is parking at the playground near there as well.‍There aren't assigned meeting spots for the groups.  We will have an Academy banner for and once we get settled in a spot along the Blvd we'll message all Mardi Gras participants with more specific coordinates.
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Will There Be a Float for the Students to Ride On?
We are not doing a float this year, but we will have a walking banner, streamers, etc.

‍How Long is the Parade/What is the Parade Route?
It's about 2-3 miles. (Click Here for Map) What's great about the Mardi Gras parade is that they also welcome wagons, bicycles, etc, so you are 100% welcome to bring those to traverse the parade route!
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Do We Need to Sing?
‍Nope!  We will have our Academy Mardi Gras music playing, and you're welcome to sing along, but you're also welcome to simply walk the parade. We have the backing tracks and lyrics on this site, and we'll have one rehearsal on Friday 2/28/25 from 6:45pm - 7:30pm at the Columbia Arts Academy.

‍Anything Else We Should Bring?
‍We'll have some beads to toss to the crowd, but it wouldn't hurt to bring extra beads/candy.  I know many of our young & enthusiastic students emptied out of beads halfway through! We recommend bringing a water bottle.
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What Should We Do After the Parade?
‍Drink some water! But, if you'd like to continue the Mardi Gras fun, Mardi Gras Columbia Festival is held at City Roots, where the parade begins and ends.  Information on the Mardi Gras festival and tickets can be found here: www.mardigrascolumbia.com

The Mardi Gras Columbia parade is Saturday, 3/1/25. If you would like to participate, please fill out the sign up here: