Matt Wyles and his dog pose in costume Saturday night while waiting for the Mardi Gras parade to start. Saturday's parade is Oklahoma's only Mardi Gras celebration. (photo by Victoria Stahl)

Mardi Gras Celebration Comes to Norman

Norman will host a Mardi Gras parade tonight, February 21 for the 15th year in a row. Residents of Norman and visitors can witness Oklahoma's only Mardi Gras carnival, which will take place in downtown Norman.

Traditionally, the Mardi Gras parade takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but earlier this year, Mayor Cindy Rosenthal declared February 21 as Norman Mardi Gras. According the the Norman Mardi Gras Parade Committee, the parade will include animals, costumes and performances by music and dance groups. The theme of tonight's parade is "Celebrating Ancient Cultures - In a Time Warp."

"Norman is the only town in the state that has a Mardi Gras parade," said parade participant Joanne Sellers. "Norman is a town of culture, so let's show off with our culture."

The carnival will take place in the Norman Historical Downtown Arts District and will begin at the Santa Fe Depot on Jones Avenue at 6:45 pm. It will travel north to Main Street, east to Crawford Avenue, south to Comanche Street, and will circle around again at Jones Avenue. For more information call 360-3279.