All You Need to Know About the Krewe of Centaur Parade This Saturday, February 22

The Krewe of Centaur kicks off the first major parade of the Mardi Gras season in North Louisiana this Saturday. 

Rain or shine the Krewe of Centaur will roll at 4:30 p.m. from downtown Shreveport on Clyde Fant Parkway at Lake Street.

It will head south on Clyde Fant where it will turn and head west on Shreveport-Barksdale Highway, and continue to East Kings Highway where it will again turn south and continue to Preston.

The parade ends just before Preston where the "Parade End" sign is located.  Floats will stop throwing at this point.

If you're one of the many wondering where the best spot might be along the parade route, it really depends on the experience you're looking for.  Are you bringing the kids?  Do you expect to be drinking?  Do you want more of "Day Time" or "Night Time" experience.  All these things factor into finding just the right spot.

At one point, Shreve City was absolutely wild, but now that area has barricades, so it's become slightly more tame. The last leg of the parade, along East Kings Highway, originally, was more family and residential oriented, but, in recent years, has leaned more to the "wild" side.

The most under utilized areas in recent years have been on Clyde Fant Parkway.  Don't stand at the intersections, but rather, between them, so finding a place to park and then doing a little walking could be fruitful.

All the floats are lighted, so they're easy to see in day light or night light. If you're wanting more of the "day" experience, you'll want to line up near the beginning of the parade.  If it's a "night" parade experience you want, line up near the end.  If you're looking for a mixture of "day" and "night", line up along Shreveport Barksdale Highway, and in front of Shreve City, and you should get both.

There are a few other things to consider.  Be aware, that the City of Shreveport closes the streets around 3:00 p.m.  Experienced parade goers mark their spot (by tailgating) starting early Saturday morning, so arriving early will help you grab some of the better positions.

Another way to assure yourself of a prime location to is to contact the City of Shreveport now.  They lease spots along E. Kings Highway. Don't wait too long though.  These spots are first come, first served and sell out quickly.  (Contact SPAR - Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation -- http://www.myspar.org/ )

And lastly, if you and the family are looking to avoid alcohol consumption, take advantage of the family-friendly, alcohol-free zone. This is along Clyde Fant Parkway, from the old railroad trestle, north to Stoner Ave. You may contact the City for more info. You can get to this area by driving down Stoner Ave, where it intersects with Clyde Fant Parkway.