A float in the Galveston Mardi Gras parade
Events

Mardi Gras Galveston 2027

Parades fill the Strand and the Seawall on two weekends, from January 29 to Fat Tuesday on February 9, 2027. Most days you need a ticket for the downtown district, but the Seawall parades, Family Gras Sunday and Fat Tuesday cost nothing.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change what we recommend. How we make money

Parade schedule
Checked October 29, 2026Jan 29 – Feb 9, 202720+ parades

Mardi Gras parade, Galveston, 2013 · Photo: A Yee / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · Credits

The basics

Mardi Gras 2027 in short

Galveston holds Mardi Gras in the two weeks before Lent. Most of it takes place in a gated district downtown, and one ticket gets you into that day's parades and concerts.

Before you book: the ticket prices here are what Etix showed on October 29, 2026, with tax and ticket fees. Look at your date and the final total before paying. Buy through the official tickets page, and buy early: the organizers say prices go up nearer the date.

Dates
January 29 to February 9, 2027: two weekends (Friday to Sunday) and Fat Tuesday
Where
Mostly in the downtown Entertainment District, from 20th to 25th Street between Harborside Drive and Mechanic Street. Some parades also use Seawall Boulevard between 25th and 57th Street
Ticket needed
For the Entertainment District on January 29, 30 and 31 and February 5 and 6
Free
Sunday, February 7 (Family Gras), Fat Tuesday, and every parade and event on the Seawall
Children
Free for 12 and under with a parent or guardian
Balcony parties
A separate ticket that also gets you through the gate, for 21 and over. For example, Concert Viewing on January 29 is $82, Queen's Court on January 30 $106 and King's Court on January 29 $59. Concert Viewing and Queen's Court have no elevator, and the King's Court has a few steps out to the balcony
Concerts
Your gate ticket covers them. The 2027 headliners are still to be announced

Prices are under Which ticket?; the free days and parades under four ways to see it for free.

Parade schedule

Day by day

All the parades on the organizers' 2027 schedule, with the Street Circus, the line dance and the 5K. The times are when a parade starts, so it reaches your spot later. Look at the official schedule before you travel and again on the day.

Fri, Jan 29

Opening night

You need a ticket for the Entertainment District

  1. 5:30 pmGeorge P. Mitchell and Newe Krewe award ceremonyIn front of The Tremont House
  2. 6 pm–midnightMardi Gras! Street Circus22nd Street stage
  3. 7:30 pmGeorge P. Mitchell Award Honoree ParadeLoop of Mechanic and Strand, 25th to 20th Street
  4. 8:30 pmFunky Uptown Umbrella BrigadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  5. 10 pmDa Krewe du Roux ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Sat, Jan 30

First big Saturday

Downtown needs a ticket; watching on the Seawall is free

  1. 11 amJolly Jester Jaunt 5KEntertainment District, the Strand
  2. NoonMystic Krewe of Aquarius ParadeFrom 57th Street along the Seawall to 25th Street, then the StrandFree on the Seawall
  3. 1 pmZaniest Golf Cart ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  4. 3 pmArt Car and Jeep ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  5. 3–9 pmMardi Gras! Street Circus22nd Street stage
  6. 4:15 pmLargest Texas Line DanceCorona Extra Stage
  7. 6 pmKrewe of Gambrinus ParadeFrom 57th Street along the Seawall to 25th Street, then downtownFree on the Seawall

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Sun, Jan 31

Fiesta Gras

You need a ticket for the Entertainment District

  1. 1 pmFiesta Gras! ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  2. 4 pmLos Locos Vaqueros, Jeeps and Golf Carts ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Fri, Feb 5

First Responders Day

Ticketed. First responders, active military and veterans get in free with ID, plus one guest

  1. 6 pm–midnightMardi Gras! Street Circus22nd Street stage
  2. 6:30 pmDanny Weber Memorial Fire Truck ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  3. 7:30 pmKrewe Babalu "All Krewe" ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  4. 9 pmMardi Gras! Galveston ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Sat, Feb 6

The big night

You need a ticket for the Entertainment District

  1. 11 amKrewe d'Esprit Rosaire ParadeA 1.2-mile loop outside the Entertainment District: from 27th Street and Avenue O to the Seawall, west to 31st Street and back along Avenue NFree
  2. 1 pmZ Krewe Z ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  3. 2:30 pmMardi Gras! Galveston ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  4. 3–9 pmMardi Gras! Street Circus22nd Street stage
  5. 4 pmBen E Keith ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  6. 5 pmJumpin' Jays Bumpin' Bus ParadeEntertainment District, the Strand
  7. 6 pmKnights of Momus Grand Night ParadeFrom 22nd Street and the Seawall it heads west, then turns up 25th Street to the Strand

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Sun, Feb 7

Family Gras

Everything is free

  1. NoonShriners Children's Texas and Sunshine Kids ParadeEntertainment District, the StrandFree
  2. 1:30 pmKrewe of Barkus and Meoux Parade (pets)Only registered pets march. Check-in and on-site registration open at noon at 21st and Harborside (Pier 21)Free
  3. 3 pmFirefighters Children's ParadeEntertainment District, the StrandFree

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Tue, Feb 9

Fat Tuesday

You don't need a ticket

  1. 6:30 pmMystic Krewe of Aquarius Fat Tuesday ParadeFrom 28th and Market, along Postoffice and the StrandFree

Start times: a parade reaches your spot later.

Mardi Gras parade routes in GalvestonMap of downtown Galveston and the Seawall with the 2027 parade routes: the loop around Mechanic Street and the Strand between 20th and 25th Street, the Seawall route from 57th Street to 25th Street, and the Krewe d'Esprit Rosaire loop between 27th Street, 31st Street, Avenue N and the Seawall.AMRFBPSeawall BoulevardBroadwayHarborside Drive57th St25th StGulf of MexicoGalveston ChannelPleasure PierEntertainment DistrictMechanic StThe StrandHarborside DrMarket StPostoffice St20th25th28thPier 21BroadwayAvenue NAvenue O27th31stSeawall Blvd
  • Downtown loop: Mechanic Street and the Strand between 20th and 25th Street, inside the gated Entertainment District
  • AAquarius (noon) and Gambrinus (6 pm) start at 57th Street and roll east along the Seawall to 25th Street, then up 25th to the Strand. Free to watch on the Seawall
  • RKrewe d'Esprit Rosaire (11 am): from 27th Street and Avenue O down to the Seawall, west to 31st Street, back along Avenue N. Free, outside the district
  • MKnights of Momus (6 pm): starts on the Seawall (at 22nd Street), heads west to 25th Street and up to the Strand
  • BKrewe Babalu (Feb 5) and Z Krewe Z (Feb 6) start at 25th Street and Santa Fe Place and loop twice round Strand and Mechanic
  • PBarkus and Meoux pet parade: check-in from noon at 21st Street and Harborside (Pier 21)
  • FFat Tuesday (6:30 pm) starts at 28th and Market and runs through Postoffice Street and the Strand. The dotted lines mark those streets
  • District entrances: Mechanic Street at 20th, 23rd and 25th, and 21st Street at Harborside
Routes as the organizers describe them on their parade schedule. Parades the organizers show only as a map image, or describe as circling the Entertainment District, appear as the downtown loop. Street map © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
On the day

Entrances, parking and the banned list

Entrances

You can enter on Mechanic Street at 20th, 23rd and 25th Street, and at 21st Street and Harborside Drive.

Parking and arrival

The lots around the district take cash only, the organizers say, and there's metered street parking. Bring cash. Rideshares drop off and pick up at 23rd and Market.

Streets close in stages several hours before the parades. Seawall Boulevard usually shuts from about 61st Street to 19th or 25th Street. On the big Saturdays, arrive before noon and expect to walk the last part. When the barricades go up, you usually can't drive out until the parade is over, so park somewhere you won't have to leave early. Visit Galveston: parade routes and closures.

Mardi Gras masks decorating a building in Galveston
Mardi Gras masks on a building in Galveston.Mardi Gras, Galveston, 2015 · Photo: Tara Schmidt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

What you can't bring in

  • Coolers, cans, glass and outside alcohol
  • Food and drinks; you may bring 2 factory-sealed water bottles of up to 1 liter each
  • Backpacks
  • Strollers after dark
  • Pets, except service dogs
  • Bikes, scooters, skateboards and rollerblades
  • Chairs or other furniture
  • Silly String and fireworks
  • Professional cameras with detachable lenses, and tripods

The official FAQ has the full list. You can buy alcohol inside. On Family Gras Sunday, pets registered for the Barkus and Meoux parade check in at 21st and Harborside. To bring a dog as a spectator, ask the Galveston Island Humane Society, which runs the parade.

Accessibility

If you need an accessible entrance or have to bring food for medical reasons, contact the organizers before you buy. Etix ticket help is on 1-800-514-3849, and you can contact the organizers through the official site.

Where to stay

Book early: downtown or the Seawall

Pick your base by the night you care about most. For the ticketed night parades downtown, stay near the Strand and walk to the gates. For the free Aquarius and Gambrinus parades on January 30, stay on the Seawall between 25th and 57th Street: they roll right past. Book a few months ahead.

The Tremont House on Mechanic Street with its marquee sign
At the parade district

Photo: Expedia

1 / 7

Photos: ExpediaCheck prices on Expedia
Strand district, downtown

The Tremont House

Sleep right beside the Mardi Gras arch, where the opening ceremony takes place outside the door, and walk straight into the parades. Streets around the hotel close hours before the parades, so arrive early on parade days.

Where
2300 Ship Mechanic Street in the Strand district. The rail trolley stops at Strand and 23rd Street
Parking
Valet $36 a night + tax
Pets
Up to 40 lb, $100 fee, not refundable

Good for

  • Downtown nights with no driving

Skip if

  • You want quiet nights or the beach
Check prices on ExpediaFull hotel guide

Sources: Tremont House FAQ, Marriott overview, Tremont House, Port of Galveston page

Harbor House at Pier 21 with a cruise ship docked nearby
On the harbor, near the 21st St gate

Photo: Expedia

1 / 7

Photos: ExpediaCheck prices on Expedia
Harborside, Pier 21

Harbor House at Pier 21

On the harbor at Pier 21, a short walk from the 21st Street gate, with a free breakfast before parade day and the car in the lot for $15 + tax a night.

Where
28 Pier 21, on the harbor. Terminal 25 is under half a mile away on foot
Parking
$15 a night + tax in the hotel lot
Pets
Not allowed. Service animals are welcome

Good for

  • Walking to the downtown gates

Skip if

  • You're bringing a pet for the Barkus and Meoux parade: the hotel doesn't take pets
Check prices on ExpediaFull hotel guide

Sources: Harbor House amenities, Harbor House cruise page, Harbor House FAQ, Harbor House policies

Pool and palm trees at Hilton Galveston Island Resort
On the Seawall parade route

Photo: Expedia

1 / 7

Photos: ExpediaCheck prices on Expedia
Seawall, west of the Pleasure Pier

Hilton Galveston Island Resort

On Saturday, January 30, the Aquarius and Gambrinus parades roll east along the Seawall right past the hotel, and watching from the Seawall is free. Catch the beads, then head back to the big resort pool or across the road to the beach. Dogs up to 50 lb can come too.

Parking
$25 a day to park yourself, $40 for valet
Pets
Up to 50 lb, $125 fee. There's a fenced dog area
Address
5400 Seawall Blvd

Good for

  • The free Saturday parades on the Seawall
  • A beach weekend with Mardi Gras on the side

Skip if

  • You want to walk to the downtown parades
Check prices on ExpediaFull hotel guide

Source: Hilton hotel info

The Holiday Inn Resort (5002 Seawall) and The San Luis (5222) are on the same stretch of the parade route. Best hotels in Galveston compares them.

Tickets

Which ticket?

These are Etix prices with tax and fees, as shown on October 29, 2026. Buy through the official tickets page.

One day
General admission for one ticketed day costs $23 on January 29, February 5 and February 6 and $20 on January 31
One weekend
A 2-day pass for Friday and Saturday is $36 online, for January 29–30 or February 5–6. It doesn't cover the first Sunday (January 31)
All ticketed days
A 5-day pass for $72 covers January 29, 30, 31 and February 5 and 6
Refunds
You won't get a refund for weather, natural disasters, lines or family or medical emergencies, the organizers say
On a budget

Four ways to see Mardi Gras for free

Watch the Seawall parades
On Saturday, January 30, the Aquarius (noon) and Gambrinus (6 pm) parades roll east along the Seawall from 57th Street to 25th Street, and you can watch them from the Seawall for free. On Saturday, February 6, the Krewe d'Esprit Rosaire parade (11 am) loops between 27th Street, 31st Street and the Seawall, outside the gated district.
Come on Family Gras Sunday
Downtown is free to enter on February 7, and three parades run between noon and 3 pm.
Stay for Fat Tuesday
You don't need a ticket on February 9. The Aquarius parade sets off at 6:30 pm from 28th and Market.
Bring the kids
On ticketed days, children 12 and under get in free with a parent or guardian.