St. Andrews Mardi Gras 2019 rolls on in the Aftermath of Hurricane Michael

Panama City, Fla. – November 29, 2018 – Panama City has announced that St. Andrews Mardi Gras 2019 will go on, despite damage from Hurricane Michael. This annual two-day parade and festival is scheduled for February 22 nd and 23 rd in the Historic St. Andrews neighborhood and is the largest Mardi Gras celebration in Bay County. St. Andrews Mardi Gras, hosted by the Krewe of St. Andrews, boasts 14 krewes and over 30 brilliantly colored floats which will roll down Beck Ave. This annual event brings crowds of roughly 50,000 people who all watch and wait for their chance to catch the tens of thousands of beads and doubloons thrown from the floats.

“We are excited to welcome visitors back to Panama City for the annual Mardi Gras festival,” says Jennifer Vigil, Destination Panama City president and CEO. “The community has been working to rebuild since Hurricane Michael, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate all the hard work, than the annual Mardi Gras parade.”

The Krewe of St. Andrews’ den received extensive damage during Hurricane Michael, which destroyed four out of the ten floats. The group hosted an emergency board meeting with the chief of police and the consensus was to use their resources internally to rebuild the floats and to host community fundraisers to raise money for the event.

“The Krewe of St. Andrews and Bay County took a huge hit from Hurricane Michael,” says Chris Pfahl, event manager for the Krewe of St. Andrews. “We won’t allow a Category 5 hurricane to stop a 24-year- old tradition. We look forward to continuing the fun in Historic St. Andrews.”

Friday, February 22, 2019 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

The festival kicks off on Friday with the Kids and Pet Parade, which is immediately followed by the Masker Parade and is perfect for the whole family to enjoy! Following the parade, The True Souls take to the stage for a fun night of rock and roll.

Saturday February 23, 2019 11:00 a.m.-Until

The parades on Saturday are the festival’s main event and draw thousands of visitors from all over to see the beautiful floats built by the Krewe. After the last float passes there will be live music by The Heat and the Zydeco Gents, a New Orleans style band, and The Panhandlers, a local favorite.

The event is free to attend but be sure to book your stay early for best rates and availability. Click here to see a full list of hotels offering St. Andrews Mardi Gras special rates. For more information on planning your trip, visit www.DestiantionPanamaCity.com.

Editor’s Note: To see photos from last year’s event, visit: https://bit.ly/2BoWZ6p