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The Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade will take place this Saturday, bringing classic New Orleans traditions to Decatur.

According to the parade website, Mead Road Mardi Gras (MRMG) was started by local Oakhurst residents David and Emily Berg as a way to celebrate Mardi Gras without trekking down to Louisiana.

“It began as a house party when their oldest started school, and as the kids got bigger, the party got bigger,” the website says.

Since its conception, the event has expanded to become an annual, non-profit, community-wide celebration that raises money to support music and arts education in the City Schools of Decatur.

Since 2014, MRMG has donated $25,000 to the Decatur Education Foundation to fund music and arts grants in the Decatur schools. With the money, the DEF has awarded grants to buy instruments for the Decatur High School and Renfroe Middle School band programs, as well as choral arrangements for the school choruses, costumes for the DHS drama program and instruments for the 4/5 Academy, Westchester and Glennwood elementary schools.

This parade will take place on March 2 at 1 p.m. at the 4/5 Academy. It will march up Oakview Road to Mead Road, ending at The Imperial restaurant. Tokens can be purchased for $5 beforehand here for food at The Imperial.

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