Galveston's 115th Mardi Gras celebration began Friday night, bringing parades, concerts and street closures to the island. City officials expect more than 400,000 visitors over three weekends and are urging drivers to plan for traffic delays and detours.
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Balconies are adorned with green and purple decorations, while RVs line Seawall Boulevard as Galveston gears up for its 115th annual Mardi Gras celebration starting Friday night.
Mardi Gras! Galveston will take place from February 6 to 8, February 13 to 15, and on February 17, attracting an estimated 400,000 visitors to the island. City officials characterize it as the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration nationwide and the largest within Texas.
During the 20 parades planned for this year, organizers anticipate throwing over 3 million beads. The festival includes ticketed parades, concerts, balcony parties, and vendor booths in the downtown entertainment district, along with free parades along Seawall Boulevard by the Gulf.
Yaga's Presents organizes the event.
City officials are advising residents and visitors to brace for traffic delays and street closures over the three weekends. According to a city news release, drivers heading to the downtown district are advised to utilize Harborside Drive to bypass closures.
Starting at 2 p.m. The downtown area will restrict pedestrians' access to various streets on Friday. The impacted region encompasses Harborside Drive to Mechanic Street, 20th to 25th streets, and Market Street to New Strand Street. A portion of 25th Street, extending from Market Street to Harborside Drive, will also be closed. Officials announced that the streets will be reopened by 11:45 p.m. on Sunday at the latest.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, streets providing access to Seawall Boulevard between 23rd and 61st streets will be closed off with barricades until as late as 10 p.m. Further information on closures and parking is available from the City of Galveston.
Events for Weekend One kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday at The Tremont House, featuring a performance by the Beatles tribute band The Fab 5. The initial parade of the 115th celebration commences at 7:30 p.m. in the downtown area, with an additional parade scheduled for 10 p.m. on Saturday. The festivities will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while Sunday events are planned from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Police, Fire, and emergency medical services will establish an incident command post at the transit terminal at 25th and Strand streets on both weekends to oversee public safety operations.
Officials advised attendees to allow extra travel time and stay informed about city updates as the island prepares for one of its biggest annual events.
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