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Soulard Mardi Gras’ edition of the Krewe of Barkus Beggin’ Pet Parade went off without a hitch on Sunday, January 31, under delightful overcast skies. Though the threat of rain hung in the air at the time of the 1 p.m. parade start, nothing of weather consequence developed, allowing spectators a chance to indulge the Soulard’s most-whimsical and participatory parade event.
Though dogs were officially tagged and spectators were cordoned off at key intersections by barriers, it’s a longstanding reality that pretty much anyone can become a member of the two- and four-legged throng moving from the 12th Street launch to the parade’s closing grounds by simply ambling into the street and then ambling down the next and so on and so forth. And so it went on Sunday as thousands of St. Louisans participated in the event as either marchers or viewers; or, yes, both.
As per tradition, the dogs (and owners) cited for particular quality in presentation followed the parade’s small lead float, a group itself followed by the titular sponsor’s own float (compliments of Beggin’ Strips). Following them, meanwhile, came a vast and varied assemblage of a dogs and owners. Both canines and humans came in mixed-and-matched sets. Large and small. Small and large. Owners carrying dogs. Dogs carried by carts of all cars or baskets or boxes. Giving an appearance, too, was the occasional pig, miniature horse, even a chicken, or three.
With Soulard snarled by traffic—its major east-west artery, Russell, was choked off by fun—paradegoers spilled into the center of the village well after the official start of the events. For those enjoying the fun, then peeling off before raindrops, gridlock, or intoxication could overtake them, a long walk back to the vehicle meant passing dozens of late-arrivals, all of them hustling to the parade center with speed, trailing behind them an echo of barking and human-to-dog instruction.
Our first interaction at the event of any note, was just such a moment: a woman, leaving her house on southern 12th, came down her front steps with a fully-costumed green-and-purple, oversized poodle on a leash; her outfit, fittingly, matched her dog’s. As Fido let loose with a few comments, the owner mentioned to her pet that “You’re off your property now, there’s no barking.” Pretty heady instructions for a dog. And even humans are hard to manage during Mardi Gras. Better to just fit in, flow along and assume a least a little bit of collateral damage along the way.
The season’s now well into the swing. If you weren’t able to make this key piece of the Mardi Gras calendar, we were on-hand to write these words and take these pics.
Next week, we’ll be back with more installments of Mardi Gras 2016, including Saturday’s Grand Parade; and Cherokee’s upstart parade on Sunday.
