When I think of family friendly events I can honestly say that the New Smyrna Beach Mardi Gras Parade didn’t exactly strike me as an event that Frugal Florida Fun would feature. Located right, smack-dab in the middle of the work week, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about being dragged out of the house 5 minutes after I got home from work, but I’m very glad that I gave into the Mrs!
While we were heading over to the beachside, I started thinking about the last time I actually went to an event where a parade was the star of the show. Last Christmas? Bike Week maybe? And to really top it off, other than at the Mouse, I don’t think I have ever seen a night parade that didn’t involve Christmas lights and boats. One thing was for sure, the New Smyrna Beach Mardi Gras parade would prove to be a memorable experience.
With almost anything that goes on at Flagler Avenue, parking is always a disaster. I don’t know why we didn’t follow our standard strategy of parking on the mainland and walking over, but instead we paid $5 for parking at a local church. The money went to charity and it was reasonable, so it wasn’t a big deal. We arrived at 6:15 or so, and the street began to fill up quickly. If you have never been to an event on Flagler Ave. before, it can be quite cramped and confined on this narrow beachside street. To my surprise, there was a bug section of the road that was barricaded off, which opened the are up quite nicely for pedestrians and strollers.
