February 11, 2024
Join the fun at this family-friendly spectacle showcasing our local personality and creativity. Asheville's Mardi Gras Parade celebration is rapidly growing as more and more sparkles, feathers, and beads show up each year to march in the annual parade with this year's King and Queen, dancers, roller skaters, drummers and krewes of colorful characters. The high-energy slow-moving caravan starts at 3:05 PM—rain or shine. The 2024 theme will be "The Secret Garden."
The parade will snake through the South Slope brewery district on the edge of downtown. They will line up on Federal Alley (fun to mingle there before the parade). The route is about a half mile, so there's plenty of room to watch. The parade steps off at its traditional time of 3:05 PM and heads east on Hilliard Ave before turning south on Coxe Ave. It continues east on Banks Ave, then turns briefly south on Church St., then west on Buxton Ave., and back to Federal Alley to finish up. See the map below! GPS address to use: 147 Coxe Avenue (Funkatorium).
This parade is an exuberant and irreverent downtown event in the dead of mid-winter. Zaniness, political satire, and amazing displays of populist art abound! This is fun for the entire family - no alcohol and nudity at this celebration. You are also welcome to join the line-up festivities on Federal Alley, 1-3 PM.
Asheville Mardi Gras is a social aid and pleasure club as well as an arts and culture group. Their purpose is to strengthen Western North Carolina’s community connections by promoting creativity, frivolity, and celebration based on the traditions of Mardi Gras. They show up at many Asheville events throughout the year to add plenty of fun and personality.
You never know what you will see coming down the street!
Collect plenty of beads for just smiling and waving!
These photos are from the 2017 parade through the heart of downtown. They moved the parade to the South Slope for an even better experience.
Parade Route Map
To watch, line up along Coxe, Banks and Buxton Avenues.
Watch Mardi Gras Parade Highlights from 2017
