Mardi Gras in Mobile: A Complete Guide for Families
Happy Mardi Gras y’all! We are so excited to get this holiday underway! It is our favorite time of year and we hope to make your experience a little easier and more enjoyable by giving you all of our local knowledge.
This post has been updated for the 2024 Carnival Season
Kid Friendly Parades
Neighborhood parades are kid and Covid friendly. They are spread out with no crowds, so you don’t have to fight for a spot to stand or over the throws. These are small and very convenient with small kids.
Day parades and Baldwin County parades are a little less rowdy and full of families.
Mobile night parades can be fun and child friendly, but are potentially more dangerous. You definitely do not want to linger once the parade is over. Not to mention the parade could take forever to get started or to complete and with littles that may be a problem. We suggest standing at the starting point of a parade if you are considering going to one at night. Park somewhere that won’t be blocked off while the parade will be going on, such as one of the side streets that is close to water street. (The starting point will be indicated on the parade route maps.)
Parade Information
We highly recommend you download the FREE Fox 10 Float Tracker app to your phone. This app is a valuable resource when trying to navigate Mardi Gras in Mobile/Baldwin Counties. Here you can find parade schedules, routes and up to date information including weather and traffic! For more information, see link below.
Mardi Gras 2024 parade schedule for Mobile Alabama and Baldwin County (fox10tv.com)
You can also stay up to date on the latest parade information, schedule changes and road closures by signing up for texts message alerts by texting MOBILEMARDIGRAS to 91896
Parade Schedules
For the 2024 Mobile & Baldwin County Parade Schedules click, here.
Parade Routes
Mobile
There are eight different parade routes in Mobile. However, most of the downtown parades will use Route A, unless otherwise noted. We suggest visiting downtown and getting acquainted with the one way streets if you are not familiar.
https://www.cityofmobile.org/mardi-gras/
Daphne
Fairhope
https://www.fairhopemardigras.com/
Gulf Shores
https://www.gulfshoresal.gov/1427/Mardi-Gras-Parade
Where to Park
The city of Mobile has created an interactive map to help indicate different options for parking. You can also find information on pricing. This is a helpful tool, but be sure to find the correct parade route before utilizing.
https://www.cityofmobile.org/mardi-gras-parade-parking/
For the Mobile parades, you can pay to park at 155 Church St Lot or the Fort Conde and Water St lots. These fill up quickly. For these lots, there are pay station, which you will need your tag number for. You may also opt to pay from the ParkMobile app by phone. You will still need your license plate number and your credit card info. Paid parking will also be available at Gulf Quest and the cruise terminal. These will be open 8am to 10pm, at which time they will lock the gates. While planning where to park, look up parade routes and find the easiest exit strategy for after the parade, keeping in mind that an extra block walking may save you 20 minutes in traffic. The Water Street median has been a decent place to park in the past, but the parking has become a bit strict, and it may not be allowed for the smaller parades anymore. If you have to cross a busy street with the kids, this may be more trouble anyway. Parking on a side street is just fine. You may have to make a few laps, but it’s easy enough. In our opinion parking along a side street is the better option because you can usually make a getaway should you need to do so. Be sure to follow the no parking signs, because they will tow your car. Remember the meters will be turned off on nights, weekends, and Fat Tuesday. Places to try and park around include Moe’s BBQ, Mardi Gras Park, the Civic Center, and near Royal Street. These are all great areas to stand with kids, so if you can get within walking distance of these places, you will be fine. We highly suggest visiting the downtown area before going to the parade, just to get acquainted with the area.
For the Daphne parades, Main St will be closed off by 5 pm. You could park at any one of the many store strip parking lots along Main St, from the Civic Center to Centennial Park. Most of the route is along Main St in between these two locations. Places like Wells Fargo, Daphne post office, Regions Bank, Daphne City Hall, and any side street will be available for parking.
For the Fairhope parades, it’s best to get there before they block the roads off (also 5 pm). It’s a small enough route you can basically park and walk with ease. If you are early, you can try the post office and any spot downtown, but be prepared for some down time. You could go by the park or grab a bite to eat before the parade starts. Just check the route and park accordingly. If you are late you will have to walk several blocks, but it is still very doable.
Try to park close to where you want to stand but ultimately street parking is easily found by following the masses and you most likely will have to walk at least a couple of blocks. It will be busy and they will tow your car, so be sure to look for the no parking zone signs.
Where to stand
Eastern Shore parades are less crowded and almost anywhere on the route should be a good experience. Standing close to where you park is helpful, but with a stroller you could even walk to catch the parade twice with ease at these parades. We suggest standing in the middle of the route for the most throws. They usually start slow and run out of things by the end.
Mobile parades are long and there can be a lot of down time in between.
- Mardi gras park is great. The kids can play while waiting on the next parade. It’s a nice open space to run around and perfect for posting up all day to catch multiple parades.
- The History Museum of Mobile is a very family friendly area.
- Royal street in front of the hotels is a nice spot. There are food and beverage options here that would provide a restroom if you are a paying customer. Try to avoid standing in front of the bars on Royal Street.
- Dauphin Street near Moe’s BBQ. There are always a lot of families in this area.
- Directly in front of the Civic Center auditorium is a cool spot. It’s near the beginning of most parades and there are steps to sit on while waiting for things to get started.
- With kids we do not recommend Government St. or areas directly in front of bars.
What to wear
Mobile weather is anything but predictable. The temperature and humidity is constantly changing and there could be an isolated shower at any point in time. This is why we recommend you layer your clothes so you can add/subtract to accommodate the ever changing conditions. Also, wear appropriate accessories, sunglasses and/or a hat for daytime parades, and bring ponchos for the downpours. We recommend ponchos or raincoats because umbrellas can be hard to handle if you have multiple kids. Also, wear sunscreen on your face no matter what. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, we can’t stress this one enough!
What to bring
If you will be spending the day outside for multiple parades, we highly suggest being prepared when you have multiple kids. If you are only attending a singular parade, bring a bag and enjoy! Check out some of these items on our list of Amazon Essentials for Mardi Gras, here.
- Bag(s)- For throws.
- Hand sanitizer
- Hats/sunglasses
- Sunblock- Put it on before you leave.
- Stroller/wagon
- Blanket(s)- For sitting or bundling up kids.
- Water and snacks
- Cooler- For drinks/snacks
- Cash- For food trucks and vendors
- Toys or entertainment items- For the waiting between parades. Bubbles are usually a hit.
- Travel potty/potty seat covers- Your kids could use a travel potty in the car instead of a public restrooms. If you must go to a Porta potty the seat covers are fantastic.
- Toilet Paper
- Baby Wipes- Even if your kids are potty trained these come in handy.
- Garbage bags or plastic grocery bags- For trash and dirty diapers.
- Crossbody phone holder/purse
- Backpack- As opposed to shoulder bags, diaper bags included.
- Keep a change of clothes in the car.
Other things to consider
-Get there early before the streets close if possible, but otherwise just be prepared to walk a few blocks.
-Do not jump or move barricades-you could be fined for this if caught and it is very dangerous.
-Standing in front by the barricade is nice, but remember that beads, cups, and other various throws hurt if they hit you in the face/head. Consider this as you put your child on your shoulders as well.
-If your child is sensitive to loud noises, bring headphones. The bands, music, motors, and vehicles are all loud and may have unexpected timing.
-If you are a paying customer in any establishment, you can use the restroom. So, you could plan on eating somewhere just expect a long wait and be patient.
-Have your kids wear some kind of identification card in case you are separated, this will aid the police in reuniting.
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