CALB preparing for Mardi Gras ball, parade and other events
By Toni Miles
The annual Jeep-A-Gras Parade, sponsored by CALB Team McMahon-Seal 2025-26, is set to roll in downtown Long Beach at 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 10. Parade line up starts at 4 p.m. (Photo credit Toni Miles)
The Carnival Association of Long Beach (CALB) Team McMahon-Seal for the 2025-26 Mardi Gras Season is preparing for yet another year of Mardi Gras celebrations, including a King Cake Krawl 5K, an upcoming weekend for Jeepers with the annual Jeep-A-Gras Parade, and the annual CALB Mardi Gras Ball and Parade.
The first-ever King Cake Krawl 5K is scheduled for Saturday, January 10. Registration for the 5K Run starts at 7 a.m., with the race to begin an hour later, at the Harper McCaughan Town Green. Registration is $25 per adult and $10 per child.
The weekend of January 9 and 10 will also include a city-wide celebration for Jeepers and locals with the annual Jeep-A-Gras Parade rolling out on Saturday, January 10, in downtown Long Beach at 6 p.m., along with other weekend Jeepin’ activities. NOTE: See the front page for more information about Jeepin’ events.
On Monday, January 12, from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., a Mardi Gras Ball Ticket Party will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, to allow those who are interested to purchase tickets for the CALB Mardi Gras Ball, which will be held the day before the CALB Mardi Gras Parade in February. To purchase tickets to the CALB Mardi Gras Ball, one must be a paid CALB member.
The actual CALB Mardi Gras Ball will be held Friday, February 6, the night before the Saturday, February 7, CALB Mardi Gras Parade is planned for downtown Long Beach. The parade is free and open to the public.
Meanwhile, CALB is preparing to roll out the red carpet and crown this year’s CALB Royal Court, King Scott LXVI, Ryan McMahon, and Queen Rosalie 2026, Ashleigh McCaffrey Seal, who will be featured in the February 7 parade. Parade applications for 2026 have already opened for those who wish to participate and register a float for the 2026 parade.
Thousands are expected to line the streets of downtown Long Beach for this year’s CALB Mardi Gras Parade, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, at 6 p.m. (Photo credit Toni Miles)
The parade will roll out on February 7 at 6 p.m. Roads along the parade route will shut down at 5:30 p.m. Floats will gather at the Long Beach High School Stadium at the staging area before the parade begins, then the procession will head south on Cleveland Avenue, turn west down Railroad Street, turn south on Jeff Davis Avenue, turn east at the intersection of Jeff Davis and Highway 90 to run along the Long Beach Harbor, then turn north back up Cleveland Avenue, with a final turn west on 1st Street, ending at the Harper McCaughan Town Green in downtown Long Beach.
The parade is free to attend, and revelers will be sure to walk away with a lot of Mardi Gras throws; so those who plan to attend are advised to bring a bag to collect their parade throws. Parade-goers are also encouraged to stake out a spot on the parade route early for the best view.
For more information on these events, visit the Team McMahon-Seal Facebook page.
Local Long Beach CALB activities are part of the overall Mardi Gras 2026 Mississippi Gulf Coast celebrations. The season begins on January 6, 2026 and builds to Fat Tuesday on February 17, 2026.
Long Beach did not have its first official Mardi Gras celebration until 1961, although the spirit of the season was always present in the area. The preceding year, a small group of mothers of children attending St. Thomas Elementary School recognized a need for a source of continuing funds to finance the betterment of the quality of education for their children, so they undertook the task of sponsoring an annual Carnival Ball to coincide with the Mardi Gras season.
By 1964, the small club of ladies had generated so much interest that it had become a community affair, and the name was changed from the St. Thomas Mother’s Club to Carnival Association of Long Beach. By 1979, the organization had spread coast-wide and became incorporated by obtaining chartered status as a legitimate tax-exempt charitable organization.
Now, men and women of all faiths and professions join together for the common benefit of worth-while charities in the coast area, as well as St. Vincent de Paul School (formerly St. Thomas School). Through their efforts, more than one million dollars have been donated to countless charities, such as The Special Olympics, d ‘Epee Deaf Center, South MS Regional Center, North MS Regional Burn Center, Harrison County Heart Association, Senior Citizens, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, St. Jude’s Hospital, and many others.
The first CALB parade rolled through the streets of Long Beach in 1971, with the participants tossing doubloons made of wood, which are now considered among the most sought-after of collectibles, as are the .999 silver doubloons minted each year in a limited quantity.
