On March 1, the 46th Mardi Gras Bud Light Grand Parade marched through the streets of Soulard. The extravaganza included a float with a fire-breathing dragon, a group of people clad in Viking helmets and pelts, and a team of Clydesdale horses from Anheuser-Busch in golden bridles. Relive this day through these 11 pictures.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

About an hour before the parade started, the krewes gathered together to put last-minute touches on their floats and costumes. Krewes are the social organizations that build floats and craft costumes for the Mardi Gras parade. While the krewes were setting up, locals walked over to admire their art up close.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

According to Bonita Leiber, Creative Director of Mardi Gras, Inc., the Krewe Jonque has been one of her personal favorite krewes over the years. “Jonque” means “junk” in French. The group turns “junk” (recycled material) into the costumes they wear during the parade. The krewe followed the parade’s 2025 theme, “Cooking up a Celebration,” with various food and cooking-inspired costumes, including a head-to-toe ear of corn.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

A massive krewe cheered from a “Flavortown”-themed float honoring celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Every member’s costume copied Fieri’s look, with visors, wigs, and sometimes polyester tattoo sleeves. Some members even carried plastic condiment bottles labeled “secret stuff” — an homage to Fieri’s Top Secret Sauce.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

Emcee Travis Cummings, a reporter at KSDK news, announced each group and kept the crowd’s energy up. Cummings grew up going to the nation’s biggest Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but now lives in St. Louis. Robert Harvey, Cummings’ husband and a St. Louis native, explained why St. Louis is special.

“It’s a city that continues to demonstrate that art is so fundamental to our growth and progress,” Harvey said. “There can be 10 events going on all on the same day and each of them speaks to a different part of the culture’s fabric.”

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

The KC Marching Wildcats, a drill team from Kansas City, performed with rows of dancers and a drum section in front of the judges’ stand.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

Seven judges sized up the krewes from a raised judges’ platform. Angie Weigel, center, said that she was selected to be a judge because she considers herself “an ambassador for the city.” Weigel is the president of Destination St. Louis, an events and tour company. “My job is to tell companies and groups that St. Louis is a vibrant, exciting place,” Weigel said.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

Krewe members danced around a float decorated like a 1950s diner. Members wore poodle skirts and leather jackets, and they brought out prop food to show off to the judges.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

The Lawn Chair Brigade opened, snapped closed, and spun around their lawn chairs with choreographed precision inspired by military drill teams. This year, the Brigade won first place in the parade’s “street” category, a designation for krewes that walk, bike, or drive cars rather than build floats.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

The theme of this float was “A feast fit for a king!” The castle-themed float’s elaborate details included weathered gargoyles, hand-painted foliage, rearing dragon heads, and mechanical birds that “flew” around one of the turrets.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

Alongside a float emblazoned with “Shagadelic, Baby!” in 3D letters, krewe participants walked the route in their flashiest hippie attire.

Ella Giere | Photo Editor

Mardi Gras volunteer Claire Martin Anderson helped parade participants deliver their “bribes” to the judges. Bribes are a tradition in St. Louis’ Mardi Gras, and they usually consist of small gifts to the judges to try to win the judges’ favor. “Mardi Gras is such an artistic event all the way down from concept to completion,” Anderson said. “My favorite bribes always are the ones that are handmade. We had, one year, a case of bourbon bottles that was covered in glitter and glued to the top were 24 karat gold king cake babies, and then packs of gold Trojan condoms, and it was all related to the theme that year. … There’s a lot of thought and preparation that goes into whatever is put on the table.”