ST. MARTIN PARISH — Mardi Gras season is in full swing throughout parts of Acadiana, but one town notably sitting out this year’s festivities is St. Martinville. The town, once home to the popular Newcomers Parade, is not participating in the celebration this year,
Faith Jefferson, a local business owner who recently opened a new location in st. Martinville, who came from Baton Rouge, expressed her surprise and disappointment. After setting up her own Mardi Gras display, Jefferson was shocked to learn there would be no parade or festivities this year. “The St. Martinville area is really rich in culture and Louisiana culture, so to hear that we’re not having a Mardi Gras in the area is really shocking,” she said. She also reflected on how her family would usually visit St. Martinville for the Mardi Gras celebrations, especially parades in nearby New Roads and Lafayette. “Usually, in Baton Rouge, we would come this way to go to the New Roads parades or Lafayette parades, so it’s surprising that they’re not having anything in St. Martinville this year.”
The absence of the Mardi Gras parade this year is due to a combination of factors, particularly safety concerns that led to the cancellation of St. Martinville’s largest Mardi Gras parade, which had been organized by the Newcomers Club for over 50 years. Clara Jean-Baptiste, president of the Newcomers Club, explained that the parade had to be canceled in 2015 due to crowd size and safety issues. “In 2015, the parade was real large, and the city really thought it was too many people in town at the time,” Jean-Baptiste said.
Grayling Thibodeaux, a St. Martinville resident, believes the parade could return with proper security measures in place. “I think with the right security detail and coordination with the city and police, they could make it work,” he said.
Following the parade's cancellation, the Newcomers Club organized Mardi Gras festivals, but they struggled to attract the same level of community support. Jean-Baptiste acknowledged that while the festivals were fun, they did not carry the same weight as the parade itself. “People didn’t want a festival; they wanted a parade,” she said. This year, instead of spending money on a festival, the Newcomers Club decided to save it for a potential parade in 2026. “We’re saving that money so we can put it toward a parade in 2026,” Jean-Baptiste added.
While she cannot guarantee the return of the parade, Jean-Baptiste noted that the Newcomers Club has been in talks with the mayor and local law enforcement to make it happen. As Thibodeaux put it, “If they can say it’s official that we’ll have a Mardi Gras parade, it’ll definitely add some positivity to the community.”
As the community continues to rally behind the possibility of a Mardi Gras parade in the future, some residents say they plan to travel outside of St. Martinville for Mardi Gras celebrations.
