Mobile Mardi Gras 2027: parade schedule, parking and rules

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the City of Mobile’s Mardi Gras pages and its 2027 parade schedule and route maps.

Fat Tuesday is Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027, and Mobile’s parade season starts Friday, Jan. 22. The City of Mobile has published the 2027 schedule: parades on 13 days, most of them at night on the downtown route the city calls Route A. The city bills Mobile as the “birthplace of America’s original Mardi Gras.” The full schedule and printable route maps are on the city’s parade schedule page.

Know before you go

• Season: Fri. Jan. 22 to Tue. Feb. 9, 2027
• Big days: Joe Cain Day, Sun. Feb. 7; Lundi Gras, Mon. Feb. 8; Fat Tuesday, Feb. 9
• Cost: the parades are free to watch from the street
• No pets, no glass, no Silly String on the routes
• Questions: Mobile 311 (not 911 or the police non-emergency line)

2027 parade schedule

From the city’s 2027 schedule. Parades run on Route A unless another route is named. The city says schedules can change.

Each route map on the city’s page can be downloaded and printed, with the year’s schedule printed on it.

Parking

• Downtown lots: the city counts nearly 7,000 parking spaces downtown, owned by Mobile County, the city and private operators. Its parking and transportation page has an interactive map and a printable PDF of the lots and their rates.
• Parade parking signs: do not park in spaces marked with gold and purple Mardi Gras signs. Unless a sign says otherwise, they are off-limits from two hours before a parade until two hours after, and cars are towed.
• Bayou and Scott streets: street parking was banned on both streets between Government and Congress streets for the 2026 season, with “No Parking” signs on both sides.
• The deck at 200 S. Claiborne St., on the Mobile Arena site, was open for Mardi Gras in 2026 at $15 to $30 for 24 hours, cheaper when reserved ahead through the ParkWhiz app. Entry can be delayed briefly while floats line up on Claiborne Street.
• RVs may park only in commercial lots that meet city code. Call Planning and Zoning at 251-208-5895 before setting up a lot.
• Golf carts, ATVs and side-by-sides are banned from city streets during Mardi Gras. Only state-registered low-speed vehicles with a current tag and insurance are allowed.
• Free meters: street meters are free on Mardi Gras day, according to the city’s downtown parking program.

If your car is towed

Mobile police run a temporary impound lot under the I-10 overpass on Water Street near Canal Street, according to the city’s general information page.

• It closes at 10 p.m. on parade days. Cars still there move to the police impound lot at 1251B Virginia St.
• In 2026, cars towed on Lundi Gras and Fat Tuesday stayed at the temporary lot overnight.
• It takes cash, debit cards, Visa, Mastercard and Discover.
• Before 10 p.m. on parade days: 251-208-2584. After 10 p.m. and on other days: 251-208-2585.

Parade rules

These come from the city’s rules and safety tips:

• No pets on the parade routes. City code (Chapter 39, Sec. 39.203) makes it unlawful.
• No glass containers. No Silly String or Snap & Pops; having them can lead to arrest.
• No skateboards or motorized scooters.
• Do not follow floats, throw anything at floats, bands or riders, or cross the barricades.
• No underage drinking; undercover officers work the routes.
• Put an ID card with a parent’s name and phone number in each child’s pocket. Lost children go to the Central Precinct, 55 N. Water St.
• For Mardi Gras questions, use Mobile 311, not 911 or the police non-emergency number.
• To find an officer during a parade, go to the nearest intersection.

Accessible viewing

For the 2026 season the nonprofit Special Needs Assistance For You (SNASY) ran a tailgate area in the southeast corner of Mardi Gras Park, near Colonial Fort Conde, with an ADA-accessible restroom trailer and a climate-controlled tent, plus free reserved parking at Fort Conde for people who registered ahead. It was also open to older paradegoers and anyone with mobility or medical needs, the city said. Check the city’s general information page for the 2027 details.

Coming by train

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service runs twice a day each way between New Orleans and Mobile, with stops on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and arrives downtown, according to the city’s Amtrak page.

History

Mardi Gras first appeared in Mobile in 1703, and Civil War veteran Joseph Stillwell Cain revived it with a parade in 1866; Joe Cain Day carries his name. More is on our history and landmarks guide and at the Mobile Carnival Museum.

Planning a day downtown? See our downtown Mobile and Dauphin Street guide and getting around Mobile.

Frequently asked questions

When is Mardi Gras 2027 in Mobile?

Fat Tuesday is Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027. The City of Mobile’s schedule has parades on 13 days, from the Conde Cavaliers at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, to the Order of Myths at 6 p.m. on Fat Tuesday.

When is Joe Cain Day 2027?

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027. King Elexis I rolls at 2 p.m. on Route E, followed by the Joe Cain Marchers, the Joe Cain Society, Krewe de Bienville, Krewe de Secondline and the Order of Kahos at 6 p.m.

Can I bring my dog to a Mobile Mardi Gras parade?

No. City code bans pets on the parade routes during Mardi Gras. Skateboards, motorized scooters, glass containers, Silly String and Snap & Pops are also banned.

Where can I park for Mardi Gras in Mobile?

The city counts nearly 7,000 downtown parking spaces in public and private lots. Do not park where gold and purple Mardi Gras signs are posted: those spots are towed from two hours before a parade until two hours after.

Where do towed cars go during Mobile Mardi Gras?

To a temporary police impound lot under the I-10 overpass on Water Street near Canal Street, open until 10 p.m. on parade days. Call 251-208-2584 before 10 p.m. and 251-208-2585 after.