Mobile Mardi Gras

Cousins Yvette and Letitia sat down with Story Corps to discuss their shared love of Mardi Gras and their family’s deep history with the event.

The City of Mobile is expanding parking choices for parade-goers during the 2025 Mardi Gras season. The new parking options will be located in the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal and are only available on parade days.

The 2025 Mardi Gras season is on the horizon. The annual celebration originated in 1703 in Mobile. This year, the city's Animal Services Department will enforce new policies and requirements to ensure the safety of horses, riders and spectators during parades.

In preparation for the 2025 Mardi Gras season, Mobile is introducing new policies and requirements to ensure the safety of horses, riders and spectators during parades. The city's Animal Services Department has developed new policies for next year’s parades in coordination with local veterinarians and other community partners.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson is announcing the City of Mobile’s plans to tear down the 60-year-old Mobile Civic Center and construct a new, world-class entertainment destination suited for concerts, family shows and sporting events, including professional hockey.

In this edition of StoryCorps, Tim Watson asks his mother Myra about her experiences with Mardi Gras during her younger years. He gains valuable insight on the importance of the parade and learns some of the tricks her dad used to play on her and her siblings during the celebration.

Mardi Gras season in wrapping up in the Mobile area. The City of Mobile has a long history with the carnival season as they started celebrating the holiday when the city was founded in 1702. Fat Tuesday will be on February thirteenth which traditionally means that no celebrations will take place after midnight.

Mardi Gras is in full swing along the Gulf coast. One favorite carnival tradition is called a King Cake. It’s a large pastry shaped like a crown with cinnamon, chocolate, or cream cheese filling inside. It’s usually covered in gold, green, and purple sprinkles. There’s also a Fat Tuesday tradition that whoever finds the small, plastic baby hidden in a slice of king cake is granted good luck. They also have to bring a King Cake to the next gathering. Here’s the story of one Dauphin Island baker and how her Mardi Gras cakes are a family tradition…

Mardi Gras season back to Alabama, and a Mobile nonprofit is gearing up for the trash that comes with the celebrations. The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) has a main goal to “improve and protect Alabama's coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation.”

Alabama Public Radio reported last year on the Magnolia Breeze Youth Ensemble. The all-inclusive therapeutic band plays in Mardi Gras parades in the Mobile area. Here’s a follow-up...