SoMardi Gras Parade brings floats, superheroes, villains and luscious beards to South Main Street this Saturday

The 13th annual SoMardi Gras Parade kicks off at noon Saturday, Feb. 18, on South Main Street. The rain-or-shine New Orleans-style parade/block party is free to the public and will feature around 50 vendors, 40 float participants, live music, king cakes, muffulettas, beards, superheroes and more.

The parade will start on the corner of South Main and 24th streets and proceed to 12th Street, where the festivities will transition into a SoMa block party featuring music from The Rodney Block Collective. This year the parade’s theme is “superheroes and villains,” so be prepared for a couple Spider-Mans, and maybe a few Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Perhaps Arkansas superhero ShadowVision will make an appearance. There could even be mushroom zombies, who knows. Here’s the run down:

The SoMa block party will run from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be a new “Kiddie Corner” featuring bouncy houses, ball pits, face painting and football throwing in the Nayles Medical Center parking lot at 1400 Main Street. The Arkansas Rock Squad, an NBA/NFL professional preparatory dance team, will be assisting with the activities. In addition, The Arkansas Punishers, a semi-pro football team from the APDFL League, will host a football throwing game for kids.

Community Bakery will have king cakes by the slice and whole, cupcakes, specialty drinks SoMardi Gras cookies.

At high noon, The Root Cafe will be hosting its 10th annual Little Rock Beard and Mustache Contest, featuring some truly incredible facial hair and DIY crafted beards. The categories this year:

Best Mustache

Best Partial Beard (anything that is not just a mustache or full beard–‘burns & ‘stache combo, Donegal beards, raging goatee action, etc.)

Best Natural Beard under 6″

Best Natural Beard over 6″

Best Groomed Beard

Most Original Beard (do something creative or unorthodox to your beard and/or mustache and bring it with you to the contest–lights, flowers, clothespins, ramen bowl, etc.)

Once again, we will also have the category:

Best DIY/Crafted Beard (make a beard from whatever you want and wear it to the contest; also register day of the contest)

The Bagel Shop will be under the yellow striped tent slinging bagel muffulettas and mini king cakes from Flake Baby Pastry. If you want a whole 9-inch king cake from Flake Baby to pick up at the block party you can pre-order them here.

Following the beard contest the $500 first-place and $250 second-place cash prize float winners will be announced. 

Here’s more information from the press release.

The parade is SoMa 501’s biggest fundraiser of the year and enables its mission to drive economic development, historic integrity and quality of life for those living in and visiting the neighborhood.

“We aren’t saying it was easy, but we worked hard to bring the Big Easy to Little Rock to make this the best SoMardi Gras yet! It is truly heartwarming to receive the outreach of the almost 50 vendors, 40 float participants, dozens of volunteers and sponsors that all came together to make this another joyous occasion,” says SoMa 501 Little Rock, Inc. executive director Elizabeth Michael. “Little Rock’s most unique neighborhood is bursting with creativity and ready to welcome the community.”

Parade float and vendor registration are open through Monday, February 13. The parade is SoMa 501’s biggest fundraiser of the year and enables its mission to drive economic development, historic integrity and quality of life for those living in and visiting the neighborhood.

For more information, to register a float or as a vendor, or volunteer, please visit https://www.somalittlerock.com/somardigras.

About SoMa 501

SoMa 501 (formerly Southside Main Street Project, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing economic development, public relations, historic integrity and quality of life for the citizens of the SoMa neighborhood in Little Rock.

As a Downtown Destination Community, we work with our local businesses, government partners, and other stakeholders to deliver events, improvement projects, and programming for the benefit of everyone who visits our stretch of Main Street.

Vision: SoMa 501 strives for a vibrant and diverse South Main Street where residents, local businesses, and visitors alike feel welcome and engaged in the community.

Mission: SoMa 501 contributes to an eclectic and dynamic South Main Street by championing its economic interests, celebrating and protecting its history, and cultivating an exceptional downtown experience for all who come to live, work, play, and be in our vibrant, neighborly community.