Join the party, or sit back and relax, as costumed carnival revelers convene in Downtown Houston for a Carnival parade and party celebrating Brazilian and Caribbean carnivals and New Orleans Mardi Gras on Saturday, May 24, 2014.
Cultures from across the Caribbean, Brazil and the rest of South America, Central America and New Orleans join together for the off-season Carnival Houston. Decoupled from Lent, this event is simply an excuse to have a good time, celebrate some of the Americas’ most revelry-filled cultures, move to the beat of some great music and show off some pretty fancy costumes.
The event kicks off at noon, with DJ music to get people in the mood for the main event. At 2pm, Houston’s streets will be filled with a parade of costumed carnival performers and costumed participants. Expect live music, over-the-top costumes and a lot of fun.
After the parade is over at 3pm, the party really gets started in Discovery Green, with back-to-back concert performances, showcases, dance exhibits and more. You’ll hear calypso, soca, samba, steel pan music and more, while sampling flavors from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Carnival Houston Parade Route
The parade begins at 2pm just south of Discovery Green on Lamar and Crawford Street (next to The Grove) and heads west on Lamar to LaBranch. There it turns left onto LaBranch and travels two blocks to Polk. Turning right onto Polk, the Carnival Houston parade will travel one block to Austin and take a right once again onto Lamar. It will conclude where it started, between The Grove and the Hilton of the Americas hotel on Lamar. The parade itself will disband at Discovery Green on the Brown Promenade and proceed to take the party to the park. Tickets are required to enter the Houston Carnival party.
Carnival Houston 2014
- Date: Saturday, May 24, 2014
- Time: Parade starts at 2pm. Party at Discovery Green is noon to 8pm.
- Location: Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Houston, Texas 77010
- Parking: Click here for parking information.
- Admission: The parade is free to view. Tickets to the event at Discovery Green are $15 per person; kids 3 and under are free. Click here to purchase tickets online.