Mobile’s Mardi Gras season kept growing last week, with police estimating that more than 200,000 people turned out along downtown parade routes between Thursday, Feb. 17, and Tuesday, Feb. 22 — an even bigger showing than the crowds that kicked off Carnival the weekend before.
The Mobile Police Department put the six-day total at 202,400 spectators, pushing the season-long attendance estimate to 342,300 with the biggest parades of the year still ahead. Organizers say the pace points toward a record-setting Carnival.
“We’ll have well over a million in attendance this year,” Mobile Carnival Association Executive Director Judi Gulledge said. “Crowds have been great thus far. We’ve had good weather. I think the community has been looking forward to getting back out after a year’s hiatus.”
No parades are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 23, giving the city a brief pause before six consecutive days of celebration that build to Fat Tuesday. Gulledge said downtown hotels are already fully booked for the stretch, and that restaurants and other Carnival-dependent businesses across Mobile are gearing up for their busiest days of the season.
She also praised the city’s expanded parking options along the parade routes, saying the additional capacity has already eased congestion and made it easier to manage the larger crowds. Gulledge encouraged parade-goers to watch for the orange no-parking signs posted along routes and to check the city’s Mardi Gras webpage for maps, schedules and parking guidance before heading downtown.
Police crowd estimates and incident reports for each night of the past week show how the celebration built steadily toward the weekend before tapering off Monday and Tuesday.
The week opened Thursday, Feb. 17, with roughly 9,200 people turning out for the Order of Polka Dots parade despite forecasts of severe weather. The storm system ultimately had little impact on downtown Mobile. Officers fielded 10 complaints, issued 20 parking citations and towed 22 vehicles that night.
Attendance jumped to about 44,500 for the Order of Inca parade on Friday, Feb. 18. Police responded to 14 complaints and one report of a lost child, issued 55 parking citations and towed 11 vehicles.
Saturday brought the largest crowds of the week. An estimated 62,500 people lined the routes for the afternoon parades of the Mobile Mystics, Mobile Mystical Revelers and Mobile Mystical Friends, with police logging 13 complaints, 14 parking citations and 30 tows. That evening, another 36,400 turned out for the Maids of Mirth, Order of Butterfly Maidens and Krewe of Marry Mates parades. Officers responded to 18 complaints, charged two adults with misdemeanors, issued 49 parking citations and towed 14 vehicles during the Saturday night rolls.
On Sunday night, the Neptune’s Daughters and Order of Isis parades drew about 14,000 spectators. Police reported 11 complaints, two misdemeanor arrests, 24 parking citations and 29 vehicles towed.
Crowds thinned somewhat to start the workweek. Monday night’s Order of Venus and Order of Many Faces parade drew an estimated 9,100 people. Officers responded to seven complaints, including one report of a lost child, and arrested two adults on misdemeanor charges. Nine parking citations were issued and nine vehicles were towed.
By Tuesday, Feb. 22, the Order of LaShe’s parade brought the crowd count back up to about 26,700. Police fielded nine complaints, issued 11 parking citations and towed nine vehicles.
With the mid-week break now behind Mobile, attention turns to the final stretch of Carnival, when the season’s largest parading organizations traditionally roll and downtown crowds swell to their peak ahead of Fat Tuesday.