Communication Builds Our Community
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Music Festival, Parade, Private Parties Spread Fun Across the City
Beads and other "throws" fly during the annual Mardi Gras Parade in Lake Wales.
A pageant of color and music will burst onto the streets of Lake Wales this weekend in the form of the annual city-wide Mardi Gras celebration. Highlighted by a two-day music festival and a traditional parade, the festival is expected to draw thousands to the downtown streets and the Lakeshore festival grounds.
The Lake Wales Mardi Gras, now in its fifth decade of existence, includes numerous private parties, along with ticketed public events including those sponsored by more than a dozen private Mardi Gras parading krewes.
The free music festival will kick-start the weekend at 6 p.m. Friday in Lake Wailes Park. That hour will also see the start of the annual Glow Run along the shores of the lake.
The Krewe of Pegasus is one of many parading organizations participating in the parade.
After a late-night conclusion Friday, the music will resume at 10 a.m. Saturday before the big parade starts at 3 p.m. downtown. The parade route will line up on North First Strteet before winding through the downtown streets, including the newly-completed Park Avenue, Scenic Highway, Stuart Avenue, and Central Avenue.
Thousands of celebrants will reach for their share of an estimated 100,000 "throws" which are tossed from the floats by the parading organizations. Especially-treasured are commemorative coins and souvenir pieces.
Fat Tuesday will see a free wrap-up party hosted by the Krewe of Pegasus at Y'all Come Back Saloon, 3230 SR 60 East in Lake Wales.
Fun and frivolity dominate downtown during the annual Mardi Gras.
The Mardi Gras celebration always precedes the start of Lent, when many enter a period of sacrifice, giving up simple pleasures, making the Carnival season a final chance to splurge on fun beforehand. Carnival is marked with a wide variety of observances in countries around the world.
A variety of colorful floats roll through the streets during the annual Lake Wales Mardi Gras.
The Lake Wales celebration is led by several prominent krewes, including ZaZu, The Loyal Order of Wild Shiners, The Krewe of Pegasus, The Krewe of Aphrodite, Krewe Renaissance, and others.
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