If you live in or near Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau and Superior Bathhouse Brewery would like to invite you to a Mardi Gras party. The Shreveport-Bossier Mardi Gras Roadshow will be held at Superior Bathhouse Brewery, 7-10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12. The free, all-ages event will feature live, interactive music performances from Shreveport Second Line Jazz Band as well as complimentary samples of king cake, Mardi Gras beads, giveaways and more. There will also be Cajun food and drink specials available for purchase from Superior Bathhouse Brewery, along with the brewery’s lineup of craft beer on tap. Superior Bathhouse Brewery is located at 329 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs. RSVP to the Facebook event here.
The purpose of the event is to spread the word about Shreveport-Bossier’s upcoming Mardi Gras season. The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau will be on-hand to distribute copies of The Gris Gris Guide to Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier (download or view this brochure), a new publication outlining details of parades, parties and Mardi Gras traditions in Shreveport-Bossier. Shreveport-Bossier’s major parade weekends for 2018 are Feb. 2-4 and Feb. 9-11.
“I’ve always thought of Shreveport-Bossier as a gateway to Louisiana’s Carnival culture,” said Robert Trudeau, author of How to Mardi Gras and member of the Shreveport Second Line Jazz Band. “For our neighbors in Arkansas, we’re one of the most accessible and authentic Carnival experiences that they can have.”
Mr. Trudeau is currently seeking Arkansas-based musicians who’d like to join in an informal second line performance at Superior Bathhouse Brewery. Players of all instruments are invited to take part in the tradition of second lining, which originated among the brass bands of New Orleans. For more information, contact Mr. Trudeau at trudeau11@gmail.com.
Learn more about Mardi Gras in Shreveport-Bossier at ShreveportMardiGras.org.
Enter to win a ride in the Krewe of Highland Parade XXIII on Sunday, Feb. 11.
