The annual Dauphin Island Mardi Gras is back and in full swing following a Covid hiatus. While the 30th annual Krewe de la Dauphine parade along Bienville Boulevard took place in January, there are three more Dauphin Island events in February. The Dauphin Island festivities are just getting started on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, even before the Conde Cavaliers parade takes place in downtown Mobile and other parades at Gulf Shores and Daphne.
Please join us this year for the not to be missed annual Dauphin Island Mardi Gras. Visitors and locals alike crowd the streets of New Orleans wearing feather-coated masks, neon-beaded necklaces, and larger than life costumes to celebrate the last day of Mardi Gras. They also flock to Dauphin Island, only 148 miles from New Orleans, for the biggest party of the year! The Dauphin Island Ala Mardi Gras Festival is a month-long celebration. And, you’ll find Dauphin Island Beach Rentals is in the heart of the action on Alabama’s gulf coast.
History of Dauphin Island Mardi Gras Festival
Brothers Iberville and Bienville landed on Dauphin Island in January 1699 and brought the French tradition of Mardi Gras with them. That’s why Dauphin Island has its first parade four weeks before Mardi Gras Day.
Mardi Gras events date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. They are said to have started in Italy then migrated to the French House of the Bourbons. In early March, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Biensville, French Explorer, arrived south of New Orleans and decided to call the region “Pointe du Mardi Gras” after his men announced the holiday is tomorrow. Biensville named another area “Fort Louis de la Louisiane” which is known today as Mobile. In 1703, they celebrated Mardi Gras for the first time in America.
Mardi Gras Events on Dauphin Island
You can stay current on the celebrations when you join the Facebook page for Dauphin Island Mardi Gras. The Dauphin Island Mardi Gras Parade is truly a family affair. Children love running up and down the streets following their favorite floats. Some parade floats toss candy to the people lining the road, while other floats have large speakers onboard playing popular tunes.
Krewe de la Dauphine Parade
The event took place on Saturday, January 29, 2022 with a circus theme. The route is from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab along Bienville Boulevard. It ends at the Dauphin Island Elementary School.
Dauphin Island People’s Parade
When: Saturday February 5 at 1:00 PM
Where: Starts at Sea-Lab, travels west down Bienville Blvd, and ends at Island Rainbow restaurant.
This is the longest parade on the Gulf Coast, and features, boats, floats, trucks and horses. A relatively new town-sponsored parade, it started in 2016 and replaced Island Mystics, also known as the “2nd Dauphin Island parade,” which was held on Saturday following the Krewe de la Dauphine.
Mystic Krewe of Salty Paws Pet Parade
When: Saturday, February 12 at 10:00 AM
Where: The parade assembly is at the water tower and the parade route covers 6/10 of a mile as it turns north on LeMoyne, south on Key, then west on Bienville before returning to the water tower.
The annual Mystic Krewe of Salty Paws dog parade on Dauphin Island will take place on February 12. It is town-sponsored and a fundraiser for the Animal Rescue Foundation. The 2022 parade theme is “The Wonderful World of Disney” with prizes awarded for Best Group, Most Creative, and Best Cart. It begins and ends at the water tower and covers a distance is 6/10th of a mile.
Massacre Island Secret Society
When: Sunday February 13 at 6:30 PM.
Where: Dauphin Island, Alabama
Back in 1699 when the French arrived here, they found piles of bones on our beach and gave what we now call Dauphin Island its bloody name of Massacre Island. Find out if spirits still roam on this island that some say is the most haunted on the Gulf Coast.
This “Flame-lit street tableaux” features hand-made throws. Join this new Mardi Gras tradition. Featuring the Massacre Island Secret Society’s symbol, which is a a shell mound that is topped with a majestic oak.
Each of the Dauphin Island Mardi Gras events is unique, with each one a celebration of history, tradition, and community. To learn more about things to do at the Dauphin Island Mardi Gras that are near our Dauphin Island Beach Rentals, give us a call today at 800-771-1480.
Richard says
Never been to Mardi gras.i would like to take wife before I’m to old