Louisiana Parents Should Be Proud of Child at Lafayette Mardi Gras Parade

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - Mardi Gras 2026 is in the books, and we all saw the good, the bad, and the ugly this year.

Like so many of you, I too saw just how ugly some can be for Mardi Gras. I don't have the data to prove this, but this year, I saw more fights from parades surface on social media platforms than I have in years.

Often, families attend parades for fun, and sadly, some go to events like Mardi Gras parades to look for trouble or to start it. Well, we'll put that negativity to rest, and hope to see less of that type of behavior in 2027, and we'll focus on a great thing I witnessed at the parades in Lafayette.

For the last several years, my family and friends have posted up along the parade route in Lafayette, on Johnston Street near Jefferson St. We have found it easy to park in the downtown area and even easier to exit once the parades are over.

Well, while we were sitting across from Borden's on Johnston St., I noticed a young girl walking around picking stuff up from the ground. Being that we were at a Mardi Gras parade, I automatically assumed she was retrieving leftover beads that had been left behind, but I was wrong.

For years, I have been stunned by the amount of trash or litter left behind by people who attend parades in Lafayette, and quite frankly, it's sad. I don't know how anyone can sit there and throw paper or boxes on the ground and then go on their way like nothing is wrong.

Sure, public works does come behind parades to clean up the roads, but shouldn't we all do our part to help keep Lafayette clean, even at Mardi Gras parades? I think some of you already do, but others do not.

Now, back to the little girl, who had to have been 6-7 years old at the parades. As I sat there watching her, I noticed she was enjoying the sights and sounds like most of us, but she was also doing what some adults should have been doing — cleaning up.

No, this little girl in Lafayette was not picking up Mardi Gras beads when I observed her, but rather, she was picking up trash, like beer boxes, and disposing of them in trash cans that were positioned along the route.

I watched as she picked up litter, ran to the trash can to dispose of the contents, then ran back to her parents and continued her work. As much as I wanted to walk over to the girl's parents to applaud them, I didn't, and now I regret it because they have taught their child well. Whoever these parents are, I want you to know that I applaud you, and I hope that others in the area recognize what your child did.

Lafayette is a very special place because of people like that little girl, who took it upon herself to do what some adults should have done. There's no doubt in my mind that one day, that same little girl will be leading an organization, government entity, or business in a high position because of her energy, enthusiasm, and leadership skills.

What that 6 or 7-year-old girl does not know now is that she is a leader and will one day be a very successful person because of how she was raised.

Keep up the great work. We see you.

Check out what Lafayette Mardi Gras looked like in 2026, and we can't wait to see what 2027 brings.