Highlights

• 53% of downtown respondents oppose the Jefferson Street route for 2026
• 77% say downtown businesses should have a say in decisions about major events
• Downtown Lafayette Unlimited surveyed 155 businesses, residents, and property owners
• City Council votes on December 3 on an ordinance giving the council authority over route changes
• New route cuts out viewing spaces families have used for 30 years

Downtown Lafayette Opposes Jefferson Street Mardi Gras Route, Survey Shows

New survey reveals the majority of downtown businesses and residents don’t support Mayor-President Monique Boulet’s controversial parade route change for 2026.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — A proposed change for the Mardi Gras season in Lafayette is facing more pushback than expected, as seen in a new survey.

A survey of downtown Lafayette stakeholders shows most don’t want Mardi Gras parades rolling down Jefferson Street next year, adding more tension to the fight between Mayor-President Monique Boulet and City Council leaders.

Get our free mobile app

What Downtown Lafayette Businesses and Residents Think

Downtown Lafayette Unlimited surveyed members and stakeholders over a recent weekend, getting 155 responses. Of those, 81 came from DLU members, according to a Downtown Development Authority press release.

The results show clear opposition to Boulet’s October announcement that all Mardi Gras parades would roll through downtown via Jefferson Street starting in 2026, from near Evangeline Thruway to the Cajundome area.

When asked if they supported moving the parade route to Jefferson Street, 53% of all respondents said no. About 37% supported the change, with 10% unsure. Among the general public, opposition was even stronger at 65%.

“Not surprisingly, Downtown residents and business owners, even those who agree with the decision to move the route this year, believe that Downtown should have a formal voice in the process,” Downtown Development Authority CEO Kevin Blanchard said in the release. “That’s because they understand the historically critical role that Downtown has played in making large-scale community events successful.”

Why the Route Change Has Sparked Debate

The proposed route is a return to Lafayette’s pre-1990s parade path. City officials moved parades away from Jefferson Street decades ago after spending millions on the Streetscape project, which added cypress trees, brick sidewalks, fancy light poles, and pavers. Officials at the time worried that big carnival crowds would damage the improvements.

The new route would be shorter than the current path, but would cut out public spaces like Parc Putnam by the federal courthouse and Parc Sans Souci by the main fire station on Vermilion Street—areas where many Lafayette families have watched parades for the past 30 years.

The city just put in $250,000 worth of new landscaping along Jefferson Street, which brings up the same concerns that led to the original route change.

Boulet announced the change after what she described as a year of talks with her administration and the Lafayette Police Department about public safety. She’s said parade attendance has been dropping and needs a boost. Several floats of different sizes tested the downtown route, including the sharp turn from Cypress Street onto Jefferson Street.

Council Pushback and the Committee Fight

City Council Chair Kenneth Boudreaux, who represents District 5, where the parade route begins, has led the opposition to both the route change and how Boulet made the decision. He said he wasn’t consulted before the announcement despite representing the affected area, and he’s gotten over 200 calls from constituents with concerns.

“I’m still concerned that we’re putting parade before people,” Boudreaux said after a community meeting Boulet held last week to discuss the route.

Boudreaux has introduced an ordinance that would change a 1999 law that created a Mardi Gras Activities Advisory Committee. His revised version would create a nine-person committee and give the Lafayette City Council authority to approve any changes to parade routes and activities.

The council introduced the ordinance at its November meeting. A final vote is expected at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

What Downtown Businesses Want

The survey asked whether businesses and residents supported an ordinance giving the Lafayette City Council authority to approve route changes after talking with stakeholders. Most (54%) said they would support it. About 30% opposed it, with 16% unsure.

The survey also showed uncertainty about whether businesses would stay open during parades. About 38% of respondents said they would close, 27% said they would stay open, and 35% weren’t sure.

When asked whether downtown businesses should have a formal say in decisions about Mardi Gras and major downtown events, 77% of respondents said yes. Only 12% said no, with 11% unsure.

What’s Next for Lafayette Mardi Gras

The City Council meets Tuesday night to vote on Boudreaux’s ordinance. If it passes, the ordinance would go into effect for the 2026 Mardi Gras season and could affect Boulet’s announced route change.

Boulet has said she’s fine with creating a committee but wants it to include other neighborhoods across the city. She’s also said she’s not locked into any particular route.

“It’s a city-wide event, so if we’re gonna open up the discussion, I want to see it open to the city,” Boulet said after last week’s council meeting. “Whichever route we land on is fine. I’m not tied to one or the other.”

The proposed route change has split Lafayette. Mardi Gras krewe members generally support the Jefferson Street route, while downtown businesses and some residents have raised concerns about logistics, parking access, crowd safety, and protecting recent downtown improvements.

Lafayette hosts 10 parades over two weeks during Mardi Gras season, making it one of the city’s biggest community celebrations.