Join your friends and neighbors in downtown Wake Forest this Saturday, Feb. 10, for the Sixth Annual Wake Forest Mardi Gras Street Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And it 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.
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 at 301 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.
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 Baby,” and “Most Festive Family.”
Free face painting will be offered in the Town Hall lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and along South White Street in the vicinity of the Depot Parking Lot from 1 to 3 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.
Younger participants are also invited to dress up and take part in their very own Parade Prince & Princess Costume Contest.
The always-popular Bubblegum Blowing Contest will take place at 2 p.m. in Jones Plaza, located at the corner of South White Street and Jones Avenue.
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase at several downtown restaurants during Mardi Gras. A variety of food and dessert trucks will also be on site, including Bourbon Street Beignets; Bam, Pow, Chow; Baton Rouge Cuisine; Charlie’s Kabobs; and Lumpy’s Ice Cream.
Volunteers are needed on the day of the event for a variety of roles. To sign up or obtain more information, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/mardi-gras-volunteers.aspx.
The festival is presented by Gladwell Orthodontics and Primrose School of Heritage Wake Forest, Our sponsors include: Champion Windows, Sunrooms & Home Exteriors; The Dental Care Center; All American Gutter Protection, Mr. Roof of Raleigh, Stanley Martin Homes, Passanante’s Home Food Services, LeafFilter, Wake Forest Urgent Care, Luxury Bath & Kitchens, Wake Forest ARTS and Lowes Foods.
Android and iPhone users can have a handy pocket guide to this year’s Mardi Gras celebration in the palm of their hands by downloading the Town of Wake Forest app and using the app’s “Mardi Gras” function. Designed to provide smart phone users with useful information about all of the Mardi Gras festivities, the function offers instant access to the day’s schedule of events, volunteer opportunities and more.
IPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android users can download the Town’s free app by searching for “Town of Wake Forest” on iTunes, in the iPhone app store or in Google Play or by scanning the appropriate QR code provided at www.wakeforestnc.gov/app.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 Program Assistant Jennifer Herbert at 919-435-9427 or jherbert@wakeforestnc.gov.
