Featured photo: The 2013 Krewe of Highland Parade photographed by Jim Noetzel.
If you’re a regular 20×49.com reader, you may know that this blog is a project of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau (SBCTB). Occasionally, SBCTB and local tourism partners team up to offer promotional giveaways, and one heck of a giveaway was recently announced for Mardi Gras season (click here to enter, if that’s all of the convincing that you need). The prize package includes:
-Two spaces to ride on a float in the Krewe of Highland Parade, which begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016
-A two-night stay for two at the Wyndham Garden Shreveport, February 6-8, 2016
-Two buffets from Margaritaville Resort Casino Bossier City
-A $200 bead and throw package for the parade

Enter to win here. Entrants must be 21 years of age or older. The prize drawing will be held on Monday, Jan. 25, when one randomly-selected winner will be awarded the prize. Read the full contest rules here. Riding in a Mardi Gras parade like the Krewe of Highland Parade is an exhilarating, surreal experience – tens of thousands of parade-goers line the parade route, shouting and waving in hopes of catching beads, cups and other “throws.” The experience is wild, colorful and entirely unforgettable. If you’ve ever wanted to ride in a Mardi Gras parade, here’s your chance!
A few years back, SBCTB produced a short documentary film about the Krewe of Highland and their famously funky parade, which is as unpredictable, musical and lovably weird as its namesake neighborhood. If you have a few minutes, watch that short documentary on Youtube:
For more information on Mardi Gras celebrations in Shreveport-Bossier, including a complete list of upcoming parades, download the 2016 Gris Gris Guide to Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier. The Gris Gris Guide is a free, photo-filled brochure that compiles lots of useful info on parades, parties, local food and more into one handy document.