LAFAYETTE PARISH — It was another fiery night of Mardi Gras debates in Lafayette as the City Council voted Tuesday to create a committee dedicated to Mardi Gras activities and other large events — but not without a twist.
What began as a meeting to review public feedback from a recent survey on the proposed 2026 Mardi Gras parade route change quickly shifted direction inside the packed council chambers, where tradition and change once again collided.
Nineteen people signed up for public comment, and after more than an hour of discussion, the council voted to move forward with forming a Mardi Gras activities committee. The agreement establishing the committee will remain in place for 90 days and will expire unless the council votes to renew it.
District 3 Councilwoman Nanette Cook Hebert drew applause when she proposed indefinitely deferring any changes to the parade route.
“I want to offer the motion to defer this indefinitely,” she said. “While I recognize the conversations leading up to the proposal began with the earnest goal of preserving and honoring our Mardi Gras traditions, I believe it has led to a proposed solution that gives us unnecessary government oversight.”
Hebert said she wants the community to continue planning Mardi Gras as it currently does and revisit the issue next year.
For now, changes to the 2026 Mardi Gras parade route are on hold.
