Laissez les bons temps rouler!

It's that time of year again and here in St. Louis, the banners are up. The green, gold and purple are appearing on doors, buildings and banners everywhere as I drive through the Soulard neighborhood on my way to work.

If you're a tourist in St. Louis, the Mardi Gras weekends in Soulard is something you don't want to miss. While statistics can be deceiving, St. Louis has one of the more festive Mardi Gras celebrations outside of New Orleans. It really makes sense. You just NEED something to celebrate in the dead of winter, because Lent sure makes winter seem really LONG, even if you don't participate in an organized religion.

Last weekend, the fun started with the annual Krewe of Barkus pet parade. This is always a fun event and has the famous Wiener Dog races for all the dachshund owners. With the matching costumes for pets and their owners, you sometimes wonder who's having more fun, the pets or the people.

The big parade happens the weekend before Mardi Gras (this Saturday, February 25) and has gotten so big with corporate sponsors that it now starts downtown (near Busch Stadium) and makes it's way south to Soulard. There's always a float competition, so it can get interesting. One year, when I participated with my husband and the MG Club of St. Louis, a van caught on fire, just past the reviewing stand. One of the judges, a local radio host, gave the float points for pyrotechnics even though it was unintentional. Luckily, for everyone, the fire house was nearby and the van was soon extinguished.

So besides that, what would you want to do during St. Louis Mardi Gras, you ask? Check out http://www.mardigrasinc.com/ then see the sights. Soulard is known for its great restaurants, bars and Soulard Market, one of the oldest farmers markets in the Midwest. Go down Geyer (street just north of St. Peter & Paul's church) and pick a place. You could eat at Norton's, have a drink at 1860s Hard Shell Café and see a blues band at the Great Grizzly Bear.

Change your mind? Turn another way and you'll run into another bar or two. Head south to Russell, and check out the Irish music at McGurk's (http://www.mcgurks.com/), if you need a change of pace, or Joanie's (http://www.joaniespizzeria.com/) for pizza. If that's not enough for you, check out Dining St. Louis for more Soulard restaurant information. (http://www.diningstl.com/Soulard.htm)

Got the shopping bug and need some cool stuff? Head over to the Porch (http://www.soulardporch.com) and find lots of original goodies, including beads and boas, and buy a bottle of wine while you're at it.

For more information on the City of St. Louis and fun festivals like Soulard Mardi Gras, see the Community Information Network (http://stlouis.missouri.org)