The Black Hills Travel Blog

Celebrate Mardi Gras in Deadwood March 4-5

By • Feb 16th, 2011 • Category: Events

full. Historic Deadwood celebrates Mardi Gras March 4 & 5, 2011 in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Time to round up your masks, beads and Cajun-style party spirit. Mardi Gras celebrations hit the historic town of Deadwood on March 4 and 5, and organizers are gearing up for the region’s largest winter gathering. Thousands of Mardi Gras fans will converge in Deadwood to take part in the FREE festivities.

Events kick off Friday, March 4, with the People’s Parade at 7 p.m. This parade, complete with floats, costumes and beads, is for both spectators and participants because anyone can join in the festivities. The parade route starts at the lower Main Street parking lot and ends at the Silverado-Franklin Historic Hotel & Gaming Complex block.

The costume contest and the coronation of the 2011 Mardi Gras King and Queen will be held at The Buffalo Saloon on Deadwood’s Main Street after the parade. After the contest and coronation, Louisiana-born Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble will play their Zydeco music at The Buffalo. The city of Deadwood is allowing open containers on Main Street from the Four Aces Casino to the Masonic Lodge from 5-10 p.m.

Saturday’s Mardi Gras events include the Cajun Cook-Off, which starts at 2 p.m. Anyone who loves food with a little spice and Southern flavor is encouraged to stop by participating Main Street businesses for a public tasting until 4 p.m.

Those with more of a sweet tooth could venture to The Historic Bullock Hotel between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to witness the 3rd annual Mardi Gras Cake Decorating Contest. And after Saturday’s parade, the cakes will be served to the public.

On Saturday at 7 p.m., thousands of spectators will line Deadwood’s Main Street with hopes of catching some of the 100,000 strings of beads thrown during the annual Mardi Gras Parade of Lights. The 2011 King and Queen will lead the way, along with floats created by local groups and businesses. Open containers will again be permitted from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble will take The Buffalo Saloon stage after the parade.

This year, the King and Queen of Deadwood’s Mardi Gras are being chosen on the Historic Deadwood Facebook page. Voting is currently underway and the “polls” close at noon tomorrow. Head on over to the Deadwood Facebook page, cast your vote for royalty and we’ll see you in downtown Deadwood just a couple short weeks from now.

About the Author

is a resident of Spearfish, S.D. He grew up in the tall-corn state of Iowa, where he developed an early interest in all things outdoors. After high school he moved to Vermillion, S.D., where he earned his bachelor’s degree in public relations and advertising. During his college years, two things caught his attention: the beauty of western South Dakota’s Black Hills and a girl from those Black Hills. After graduating from college, Joe traveled across the country as a recruiter for the University of South Dakota. He saw the sights from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas and everywhere in between, but it was the Black Hills (and the girl) that kept drawing him back. He and wife moved back to the Black Hills in 2008. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker and road cyclist whose future plans include trying to fit a pair of kayaks into the spare bedroom.
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