Barefoot Mardi Gras

This year, the Barefoot Mardi Gras parade has a brand-new route! Parade will begin at Beach Access 5 (North of Padre Balli Park) and stretch to Beach Access 3A (South of the Jetties), flowing South to North and winding through Whitecap Beach and the Michael J. Ellis Seawall. This expanded route will allow for more people to experience the full spirit of Mardi Gras from multiple locations. This change will also include more parking, Seawall seating, condominium viewing, and better traffic flow before and after the parade. See map below:

The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. CST and ends at 2:00 p.m. CST.  Then, you can continue to enjoy your time on the beach while mixing and mingling with everyone! 

Yes! Dressing up is part of the fun! Wear beads, tutus, hats, crowns, or anything else you want in shades of purple, green, and gold for a festive and colorful beachside celebration. As you enjoy the celebration in your festive accessories, let's remember to be mindful of the beach environment and avoid littering and steering clear of plastic use. Keeping our beaches environmentally friendly and sustainable allows us to preserve the natural beauty that makes our beaches one of a kind.  

We make clean up easy! Pick up a complimentary trash bag or two from the Visitor Information Center downtown or from the blue boxes that are located as you come onto the beach at all access roads. These bags are cleverly designed so they won’t catch the wind and fly off down the beach. Trash cans can be found at every beach entrance and all along the beach.

Coastal weather is great year-round and during the Barefoot Mardi Gras, you’re looking at very pleasant temps in the 60s and 70s, making it the perfect backdrop for a beachside celebration. While the weather promises to be nice and cool and sunny, it’s best to check the current weather updates for any shifts in weather. 

Beach permits are required along certain sections of the beach, and Whitecap Beach and Padre Balli Park, where the festivities are held, require a permit. Corpus Christi Beach Permits are $12, good for the whole year, and generate income for beach maintenance, along with your sustainable efforts to keep our beaches clean.  

A few places you can purchase a permit include: 

• Corpus Christi Visitor Information Center 
• Stripes convenience stores 
• Circle K convenience store (Padre Island) 
• H-E-B grocery stores (Aransas Pass, Corpus Christi, Calallen, Portland, and Rockport)