Photo gallery: Oak Cliff Mardi Gras Parade & Crawfish Boil (March 6)

More than 5,000 attendees chowed down on over 800 pounds of crawfish. And then came the parade.

Photo by Elliott Muñoz

Crowds jammed the street

In Oak Cliff on Sunday, celebrants crowded the streets for the Mardi Gras Parade & Crawfish Boil. With more than 5,000 attendees, the weather could not have been more perfect for this event.

The crowd started forming early, and Zen Sushi’s chef Michelle Carpenter and her family were ready for them -- with 800 pounds of crawfish! With plenty of tables and chairs on Bishop and right behind Lockhart, Zydeco Blanco played music while crawfish lovers got their hands dirty. This was hours before the parade even started.

Once the parade began, Davis street — which normally is a three-lane road (two way with one turn lane) — transitioned into a one-lane road as the crowd grew to 5,000+. Hundreds of cyclists led off as the parade began, with plenty of floats to follow, along with people, dogs, and cars in costume. Beads and candy were thrown to adults and kiddos.

As the parade came to an end, the crowds merged on Bishop Street, creating waves of people having fun and enjoying the festivities -- which meant round two for the crawfish boil, as Chef Michelle Carpenter’s crew kept up with demand. This is definitely an event to not miss.