Manitou Springs Carnivale Parade, Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off postponed
You’ll have to put down your feathers and festive masks for now.
Manitou Springs is postponing part of its 31st annual Mardi Gras celebration due to inclement weather forecast this weekend. According to the National Weather Service in Pueblo, there is a 90% chance of snow showers Saturday with an accumulation of 2-4 inches possible.
The Carnivale Parade and Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off scheduled for Feb. 10 will now take place March 2. The Manitou Springs Carnivale expounded on the reasoning for postponement on its Facebook page.
“It’s a tough decision, but the safety of our citizens, our parade-goers and the krewes is paramount,” Jenna Gallas, Special Events Coordinator for the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce, said in the post. “The spirit of the Mardi Gras season will still be with us when the parade rolls on March 2.”
The gumbo cook-off will start at 11 a.m. and is set to offer “free smells” and 75 cent samples. Twenty gumbo chefs will compete for first place between two categories: amateur and professional. You can find more information here.
The parade will start at 1 p.m. and is free to all, but an RSVP is required to join in. For information on parking and other frequently asked questions, click here.
The Mardis Gras festivities with the 2024 theme “ARTopia” began Feb. 3 with Manitou Springs’ fifth annual CarniBall Masquerade Ball. Attendees dressed up, danced and enjoyed Cajun-inspired food.
The 28th Annual Carnivale Parade brought a Mardi Gras festive spirit to Manitou Springs on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Massive puppets are a tradition in the parade. Randy Hodges smiles from the belly of one of the puppets while walking alongside another puppet with a large grin. This year’s parade had a Middle Earth theme in honor of Manitou Spring’s beloved artist Charles H. Rockey, who passed away last year. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)
Like in any Mardi Gras, the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade crowd clamored for the much-coveted plastic bead necklaces in 2020.