When Can Paradegoers Set Up Along the Route for the Youngsville Mardi Gras Parade?

As we gear up for Mardi Gras many are making plans to attend numerous parades around Acadiana.

Knowing before you're going is always key when it comes to attending parades and one of the hottest questions from paradegoers around Acadiana is: How soon can I claim my spot?

If you missed out on the changes and rules for Scott and Carencro, you can hop over to this link and get everything you need.

Information for a lot of the Lafayette parades was posted with the barricade schedule that came out earlier this week.

With Youngsville being one of the biggest parades in the area—growing more in attendees each year—Mayor Ken Ritter took to Facebook to answer one of the most frequently asked questions about the Youngsville Mardi Gras parade coming up on Saturday, February 18, 2023.

According to Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter, the earliest paradegoers are able to "claim their spots" along the Mardi Gras parade route will be 5 a.m. on the day of the parade (Feb. 18).

The Youngsville mayor also reminded anyone looking to claim their spot that any "staking" of city medians, sidewalks, and road right-of-ways "is strictly prohibited." These areas—generally between telephone poles and the city streets—need to remain clear for regular city maintenance as well as parade setup when it comes to things like barricades, port-o-lets, etc.

Ritter recently kicked off his most recent term as Youngsville Mayor—a position he has held since 2015. Before being elected mayor, Ritter served on the Youngsville City Council since 2010, so he is no stranger to the rapid growth of Youngsville over the last decade.

The parade has grown parallel to the population in Youngsville, and just like his vision for the city, Ritter has always been proactive when it comes to safety measures for both residents and visitors of the city. Last year he went viral for summing up parade details by saying "act like you've been somewhere."

While the message was humorous, Ritter believes that it's really that simple when it comes to staying safe while having a great time with family, friends, and visitors at Youngsville Mardi Gras.

While additional parade day details will be forthcoming, Ritter put out the following message on his official Facebook page to allow paradegoers to plan accordingly while prioritizing safety for everyone who will be celebrating Mardi Gras in Youngsville.

Any personal items left on public property on the parade route before 5 a.m. on Saturday, February 18 will be "subject to immediate removal."

We'll update this post as more details are released as we look forward to the Youngsville parade.