Plans are well underway for downtown Wake Forest’s annual Mardi Gras Street Festival on Saturday, Feb. 6. This family-friendly celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free.
Promising fun-filled activities for both children and adults, the Mardi Gras Street Festival will include face painters, strolling entertainers, live music, an inflatable playground, special contests and much more. Several participating downtown merchants will also offer exceptional discounts and activities throughout the day.
One of the day’s highlights promises to be the Mardi Gras Walking Parade. The lineup will begin at 12:45 p.m. in town hall’s Centennial Plaza on Brooks Street, and the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. The parade route will extend from town hall, up East Owen Avenue, and north along South White Street before ending at the Depot Parking Lot at 110 South White Street.
The walking parade is open to both children and adults. No pre-registration is required; however, all children must be accompanied by an adult or guardian. Youngsters are invited to walk, roller skate, ride their bicycles or be pulled along in a wagon. Participation is free, but bicyclists must wear their helmets.
Parade participants are encouraged to flex their creative muscles by decorating their bicycles and wagons, dressing up in their best Mardi Gras garb and wearing a mask. Awards will be presented for “Best Decorated Wagon, Cart, Bicycle or Stroller,” “Best Costume,” and “Most Festive Family.”
Free face painting will be offered in the town hall lobby from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and in the Depot Parking Lot from 2-4 p.m. Teenagers and adults are invited to participate in the King & Queen Costume Contest prior to the start of the walking parade. The costume judging will take place at noon in the vicinity of the Centennial Plaza flagpoles. The winners will serve as the parade’s grand marshals and lead the procession. A Parade Prince & Princess Costume Contest will also be offered for younger participants. The winners will ride in a horse and carriage at the front of the procession.
A complete schedule of events and activities, along with a complete listing of special offers by downtown merchants, will be available in the coming days at www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-mardi-gras.aspx.
The Mardi Gras Street Festival is the perfect occasion to stroll South White Street, shop for that one-of-a-kind gift, dine in one of our distinctive restaurants and socialize with friends and neighbors. For more information on this one-of-a-kind celebration, contact Downtown Development Director Lisa Hayes at 919-435-9415 or lhayes@wakeforestnc.gov.
