UPDATE Monday, March 7…The Mystics of Pleasure parade from Saturday night was cancelled due to weather, but has been rescheduled to follow the Orange Beach parade that begins at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8.

We’ve been winding our way through the early days of the Mardi Gras season in nearby cities, and now it’s time for our island’s family-friendly parades to wind their way through our own streets and waterways.

The first parade is Friday evening, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the all-female Mystical Order of Mirams society, this Orange Beach parade will begin at Wintzell’s Oyster House on Perdido Beach Boulevard, and travel eastward to the Alabama Point Bridge.

Their Southern manners show by letting the women lead the way. And now the gentlemen who make up the Mystics of Pleasure will host their parade on Saturday, March 5, beginning at 5:30 and following the same route as above. (Did you know that this society was the first to organize an evening parade along our coast?)

Tuesday, March 8, is the actual Mardi Gras Day, and therefore the busiest parade day:

Start with the Gulf Shores parade at 10:00 a.m. Line up anywhere along Hwy. 59, as the parade route stretches from the base of the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge to the main public beach.

After grabbing lunch and emptying your bag of throws from the morning parade, head over to the Orange Beach parade that begins at 2:00 p.m. Slightly shorter than the evening parades, it will begin at Wintzell’s Oyster House and end at Highway 161.

Your last chance to catch beads and Moon Pies and to savor the merriment of the season comes in the form of a daylong party featuring the only water parade on the island. Doors open at 10:00, and the activities begin at 11:00 a.m. at LuLu’s. You’ll rev up to the music of Grayson Capps & the Lost Cause Minstrels as they present a Mardi Gras Revue that also features Rebecca Barry and the L.A. Horns at 1:00 p.m. At 2-hour boat parade will begin at 3:00 p.m. at The Wharf and float its way westward on the Intracoastal Waterway, ending at LuLu’s for more partying through the evening.

Rest up now so you can take advantage of the many Mardi Gras activities along our Gulf Coast over the next few days. To fill in the gaps between parades, check out the constantly updated schedule of live music at our local restaurants, bars and lounges.

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