The Lafayette City Council is set to discuss the change in the Mardi Gras route tonight at their regular meeting.
The council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m.
Last week, the Boulet administration announced that the Mardi Gras route would pass down Jefferson Street again - which it hasn't done since the late 1990s.
A couple days later, the chief of the downtown Lafayette organization made a social media post urging more input on that plan, and Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet issued this statement in response:
“I stand by the careful public safety process that guided this decision, led by the Lafayette Police Department. Their focus has always been to ensure Mardi Gras is safe, family-friendly, and enjoyable for everyone. This celebration belongs to the people of Lafayette, and we welcome continued public input. I encourage residents to stay engaged and share their thoughts at Tuesday night’s council meeting.”
We also received the email that Police Chief Paul Trouard sent to council members about the process. You can read the whole letter by scrolling down to the end of this story, but in it the chief talked about how his officers and Mardi Gras krewe members went through the process of determining if a route change was feasible. He talked about concern for the floats and whether they could make the turn onto Jefferson Street, and lists all the Mardi Gras krewe members who were involved, but doesn't mention any contact with the downtown Lafayette organizations. And, it doesn't mention the issues that Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Development Authority, raised in his Thursday social media post.
In that post, Blanchard asked that plans be made to accommodate the concerns he's heard.
"I've been hearing from a lot of folks in the last couple days-business owners, residents, and our neighbors. There's excitement about the potential energy and foot traffic this could bring to our small businesses downtown. We have room to grow Mardi Gras downtown, so we are optimistic," Blanchard wrote. "But I am also hearing many valid concerns about logistics and access: how barricades will affect parking and business access when the parades aren't rolling; how to protect the new landscaping that's being installed as we speak in every cypress bed on Jefferson (come see our progress!); how cleanup will be handled, and; whether there's enough room downtown for spectators to safely gather. This last concern is especially important. The proposed new route would be about half the space of the old route. The floats may fit down Jefferson Street; we need to make sure that people can fit too."
The route was moved back in the late 1990s for a landscaping-related reason: after the city spent millions on the streetscape that reconstructed the road and now adorns Jefferson Street with cypress trees, plantings, fancy light poles and pavers, officials at the time were loathe to subject that investment to the boisterous carnival crowds, and the route was shifted.
With the reversion to the old route, parking also will be an issue, Blanchard said.
"We are excited about the possibilities, but we need to get the details right. Mardi Gras is a major tradition for Lafayette. If the route comes downtown, we want to make sure it's done in a way that supports both our local businesses and the broader community that celebrates here," he said. "With that goal in mind, we are encouraging the City to: Develop a public plan for parking, fewer barricades (which allows for more frequent pick up and deployment), post-parade cleanup, and protecting new public improvements. Involve downtown stakeholders directly in route and event planning. Ensure enough public space and programming for families and parade-goers from our neighboring neighborhoods."
Blanchard noted the City Council's public briefing at their Tuesday meeting, and encouraged anyone who is interested to either attend or watch the livestream.
"I plan on attending and speaking to the City Council if given the opportunity, and l'd like to make sure l've heard from anyone who would like express their thoughts or concerns, so that I can adequately relay those to the City Council and administration. If you live, work, or spend time downtown — or in the neighborhoods nearby - l'd like to hear from you," he wrote, adding his email address and asking for comments on the post.
"Downtown Lafayette is proud to be at the heart of so many of our region's best celebrations, and we're committed to making sure this conversation leads to a Mardi Gras that works for everyone. It's a tight time frame to make a lot of big decisions, but many hands make light work. Let's see what we can get accomplished together," he wrote.
We did a story earlier this week about the floats; the administration worked with Mardi Gras krewes to test whether or not the floats could make the turn. When we asked the administration about the process, they said they used the usual protocol, meeting with police and krewe officials on the plan. We've reached out to see if they want to add anything or respond directly to Blanchard's post.
Here's the post:
Here's the chief's email, which was sent to council members on Thursday:
Good morning, Council Members, I wanted to provide some insight into the planning and decision-making process that led to the decision to modify the Mardi Gras parade route for 2026.
For approximately a year, there have been ongoing discussions with LCG administration about why the parade no longer travels through the heart of downtown Lafayette. Historically, the parade route included Jefferson Street. While it’s unclear exactly when the route was changed (estimated to be sometime in the 1990s), the general understanding is that it occurred during construction along Jefferson Street several decades ago. Many Lafayette residents fondly remember when the parade passed down Jefferson Street, creating an energetic and vibrant atmosphere for both parade-goers and participants.
In recent years, this topic has resurfaced frequently, and the ability of floats to safely turn onto Jefferson Street, given the addition of concrete pillars and landscaping, has remained a concern.
The Lafayette Police Department has consistently been the lead agency responsible for permitting and public safety planning for Mardi Gras and all other major special events in Lafayette, including festivals, marathons, church processions, and parades. This ensures that every event operating on public rights-of-way meets established safety and traffic management standards.
Following the 2025 Mardi Gras season, I instructed my Special Events Team to evaluate whether it was feasible and practical to reintroduce floats onto Jefferson Street and to identify any alternate routes that might help accomplish this goal.
After several discussions about the potential route change for Mardi Gras 2026, I wanted to share a detailed timeline of our recent efforts and the feedback received. The float test run operations were put into place to determine the viability of the proposed route and to evaluate other potential route options.
First Feasibility Test Run – September 21, 2025
We began by addressing the first concern, which was float turn feasibility and overhead clearance on Jefferson Street. One truck and float were escorted by LPD from Simcoe and Surrey, following the proposed route to Chestnut and Jefferson Boulevard. The float continued through downtown along Jefferson Street, ending at the intersection of Jefferson and Johnston Street.
Second Test Run – October 5, 2025
Once clearance was determined, Two large floats and trucks were escorted by LPD to continue the evaluation of alternate routes and confirm clearance for trees, traffic signals, and turns along Jefferson Street. We verified that all obstacles were either clear or could be managed during standard route preparation (e.g., trimming trees and raising two LFT Fiber lines).
Both test runs were completed successfully, confirming that the proposed route is both feasible and safe. No significant negative feedback was received from participants or observers.
During the October 5th test run, one concern was raised to Sgt. Benoit by Mr. Albert Broussard Jr., who asked whether there would be adequate space along Jefferson Street for parents to walk beside the children’s floats during the Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade. Sgt. Matthew Benoit addressed this concern on-site during the test run, confirming that even with the barricade setup on Jefferson Street, there was still sufficient space for this purpose.
Mr. Albert Babineaux, President of the Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Association, was unable to attend the float test run, but had members of his organization participate. Mr. Babineaux did express some general concerns to the Greater Southwest Mardi Gras Association. Specifically, he mentioned that the route change might slightly reduce viewing areas for some businesses along Vermilion Street, Johnston Street, and near the downtown Library.
Throughout this process, all organizations involved had conversations with my Special Events coordinator, Sgt. Matthew Benoit, and no major objections or opposition were brought to his attention.
On September 23, 2025, all potential route options were distributed to representatives from GSW, LMGFA, and RIO for feedback, ideas, and preferences. The following individuals and organizations were present during one or both float test runs (several groups had multiple representatives attend, not all are listed below):
Attendance for Float Test Runs: First Test Run – September 21, 2025
Greater Southwest Mardi Gras Association • Will Kaufman • Blaine Goodrich • Junior Gonzalez • Chris Ortte • Chris Villamerette
Second Test Run – October 5, 2025
Greater Southwest Mardi Gras Association • Trey Hightower • Will Kaufman • Blaine Goodrich • Junior Gonzalez Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Association • Albert Broussard Jr. • Dr. Rollan Moore • Evette Mouton Krewe of Bonaparte • Jason Guidry • Chad Trahan Krewe of Rio • John Breaux • Christina Dayries Boy Scouts of America (Float Drivers) • Kellee Menard • Corey Menard • Paula Byrd • Joe Doucet
Thank you for your time and continued support as we work to ensure another safe and enjoyable Mardi Gras season for our community.
Chief Paul Trouard, MS. Lafayette Police Department
