BOSSIER CITY, La. -- Mardi Gras enthusiasts will have less time than usual to celebrate in 2027, as next year's Carnival season will be one of the shortest in more than a decade.
The 2027 Mardi Gras season will last just 34 days, making it the shortest since 2016. The length of the season depends on when Easter falls each year.
In 2027, Easter Sunday is March 28, one of the earliest possible dates on the Christian calendar. Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, falls on Feb. 10, placing Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, on Feb. 9. As always, the Carnival season begins with Epiphany on Jan. 6, following Twelfth Night celebrations on the evening of Jan. 5.
"It's going to be pretty fast-paced within that time frame, starting on Twelfth Night and ending Fat Tuesday," said Krewe of Gemini Captain Patrick Gallagher.
While the public may only notice a shorter parade season, krewes have been preparing for months.
At the Krewe of Gemini den in Bossier City, work is already underway to get floats ready. A new mural design outlines one of the paint schemes planned for Gemini's signature float, an 80-foot float believed to be the longest in Louisiana. Organizers are also repainting the rest of the krewe's floats, while members of the royal court are traveling to south Louisiana for costume fittings.
Gallagher said the condensed calendar creates challenges not only for Gemini, but for Mardi Gras organizations across the state.
"We get our costumes out of Kenner, Louisiana, and we're not the only krewe they handle," Gallagher said. "They handle a lot of krewes throughout the state, so I know they're swamped."
The compressed season also means a busy schedule of coronations, balls and parades, with many events taking place on the same weekends.
For king cake lovers, however, there may be one silver lining: fewer days to indulge before Lent begins will mean fewer calories to burn later.
Several Mardi Gras events are already on the calendar for the 2027 season:
- Aug. 1: Krewe of Harambee Coronation at Sam's Town.
- Oct. 18: Krewe of Highland Coronation at Central Station, 1025 Marshall St. Shreveport
- Jan. 16: Krewe of Sobek parade.
- Jan. 18: Krewe of Harambee parade
- Jan. 20: Krewe of Centaur parade
- Jan. 31: Krewe of Barkus and Meoux parade
- Feb. 6: Krewe of Gemini parade
- Feb. 7: Krewe of Highland parade