ST. LOUIS – Mardi Gras in Soulard brought thousands of people together for one of the biggest celebrations of the year. With beautiful weather, it was the perfect day to throw some beads and enjoy the festivities at the event that brings in $25 million for the city.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came to Soulard for coming down and having a great time, but especially for celebrating responsibly,” said Bess McCoy, who planned and executed this Soulard Mardi Gras celebration.

Chief Robert J. Tracy of the SLMPD added, “What a great day today! Mardis Gras, the weather cooperating, but most of all putting the planning together.”

The highlight of the day? The Bud Light Grand Parade on Saturday morning, featuring 80 units rolling through Soulard for just under two hours. And while the crowds were big, police say things remained safe and fun.

By Saturday afternoon, there were no major incidents, and any minor issues were quickly resolved. And when the parade wrapped up, the party continued with two major headliners: Mitchell Tenpenny in the Bud Light tent and EDM legend Fischer taking over the Carnival tent.

To keep things under control, outdoor liquor sales ended at 6 p.m., and bars and restaurants shut their doors at 11:30 p.m. McCoy explained that as soon as outdoor liquor sales close, the cleaning crews start right away to return the neighborhood back to a neighborhood by early Sunday morning.

And with another successful Mardi Gras in the books, Soulard is already looking ahead to next year’s celebration. SLMPD encouraged visitors to travel via rideshare if possible.

“We have enough officers out there making sure that we’re going to make everything safe throughout the night and we just ask for everyone’s cooperation.” Tracy stated, “All the people that came here, we want you to get home safely. We want to make sure you still have a good time but let’s do it responsibly.”