Mardi Gras comes to Hattiesburg

When students think of Mardi Gras parades, places like Mobile and New Orleans come to mind, but this year people in the Hattiesburg community stepped up to start a parade tradition of their own in the Hub City.

The Hattiesburg Caerus Mardi Gras parade will start Thursday at 6 p.m. on the service road at Hillcrest and continue along Hardy Street, ending on 38th Avenue.

"Everybody goes somewhere with their family or friends to watch a parade for Mardi Gras," said Melissa Davis, Caerus Parade Coordinator. "We wanted to have one in Hattiesburg to keep the fun and entertainment here while bringing revenue to our city instead of people going and spending it elsewhere."

There will be 45 participants in the parade, including marching bands and dancer. Local restaurants, boutiques, construction companies, car dealerships, charity centers and a few Southern Miss student organizations will have floats in the parade, which Davis hopes will become an annual event for the city.

"We expect the parade next year to be two, if not three times as large as this year," Davis said. "The idea came up awhile ago and we just put it into action."

The parade route is just more than a mile and a half long, and streets involved will be closed at 5 p.m. and reopen an hour after the parade. Parking will be available along the route and on campus. Restrooms will also be available along the route.

"There are a lot of key landmarks to Hattiesburg in that area that are very entertaining, and it is surrounded by restaurants and shopping," Davis said. "The route will also pass the beautiful Southern Miss campus."

Participants will throw beads, cups t-shirts and other things to the crowd, and Davis said, "No one will go home empty-handed."

"We encourage students to come and invite their family and friends," Davis said. "People can take a tour of campus, and if that brings one student to Southern Miss, then the parade will be a success."