Mardi Gras in Houma & Thibodaux: A Local's Guide

Mardi Gras season in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish runs on its own rhythm — smaller crowds than the French Quarter, more families with kids lining the route, and a season that stretches from Twelfth Night (January 6) all the way to Fat Tuesday itself. Here's a local's look at the season, plus a few practical things worth knowing.

The Season, Not Just the Day

Mardi Gras isn't one parade — it's a season of parades put on by local krewes (carnival organizations), each with their own theme, route, and following. Houma and Thibodaux both host multiple parades in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, and local krewes have been building floats and running routes through our parishes for generations. Checking your parish's official Mardi Gras parade schedule each year (routes and dates shift slightly year to year) is the easiest way to plan your weekend around it.

Family-Friendly Basics

• Get there early for a good spot — ladders and lawn chairs along the route are a local tradition for a reason.
• Bring a bag for throws. Beads, cups, doubloons, and stuffed animals fly fast — a bag beats trying to catch everything two-handed.
• Watch the curb, not just the floats, with young kids. The excitement of catching throws can put little ones closer to moving floats than parents realize.
• Under Louisiana law (R.S. 9:2796), anyone attending a parade legally assumes some risk of being struck by traditionally thrown items like beads or cups — it's a real statute, and part of why parade season can stay as loud and chaotic as it is. Reasonable caution still goes a long way.

What Actually Increases Around Parade Season

Every Mardi Gras season, local law enforcement typically increases patrols and DUI checkpoints around parade routes and the days leading into Fat Tuesday — for good reason, since alcohol and large crowds are part of the tradition. The most common arrests tied to parade season are the predictable ones: public intoxication, disturbing the peace, and DUI. None of that is unique to our area, but it's worth planning around if your group plans on drinking during the parades — a designated driver or rideshare plan costs a lot less than a bond and a court date.

If Someone Does Get Arrested During Parade Season

The booking and bond process doesn't change just because it's Mardi Gras — the parish jail, the bond schedule, and the court system all keep running through parade season exactly like any other week. What does change is volume: parish jails can see a real uptick in bookings on big parade weekends, which can occasionally mean a longer wait for processing. If you find yourself needing to get someone out during Mardi Gras, the fastest path is the same one as any other day: call, give us the name and charges, and we get moving.

More reading: 5 Louisiana laws that might surprise you · DWI bail bonds in Louisiana