Little Rock channeled the spirit of New Orleans on South Main Street Saturday, Feb. 18, where hundreds of people flocked to take part in the annual SoMardi Gras parade and block party featuring local vendors, food trucks, a beard competition and more.
The event was organized by SoMa 501, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote economic development and increase quality of life for the South Main Street neighborhood.
Several local businesses sponsored the event including Rocktown Distillery, Community Bakery and The Root Cafe, as well as the city of Little Rock, this year’s theme was “Superheroes and Villains.”
Local businesses and vendors lined the street, selling everything from freshly-baked bagels to handmade jewelry and tie-dyes, and several food trucks were scattered up and down the street.
The New Orleans-style Mardi Gras parade kicked off at noon and ran through 12 blocks on South Main Street before ending at 12th Street, by Community Bakery.
SoMa restaurants and stores like The Root Cafe and The Green Corner Store stayed open throughout the parade and party, allowing attendees to grab a bite to eat or hop off the crowded street for a rest.
Floats and performers from local businesses and organizations, including Arkansas Circus Arts, a performance art studio that offers classes for kids and adults, threw candy and beads at the hundreds of onlookers.
Camille Rule, one of the owners of Arkansas Circus Arts and a stilt walker in the parade, said the experience was “so much fun.”
“The energy from the crowd is the best of all the parades that happen in Little Rock. It’s the highest here at the Mardi Gras parade,” Rule said. “It’s just a lot of high energy, a lot of kids, a lot of families, really fun.”
The activities for kids included several inflatable bouncy houses.
Rule, who said this was “probably my seventh” SoMardi Gras parade to perform in, walked with several other stilt walkers and performers from Arkansas Circus Arts in unique Mardi Gras costumes.
The 10th Annual Little Rock Beard and Mustache Contest presented by The Root Cafe and Arkansas Times was another big draw of the day.
Emceed by Kyle Hicks, a teacher at North Little Rock High School and former contestant, the contest lasted several hours as the judges inspected the beards in the seven different categories.
“There is best mustache; best partial beard, which would be sideburns, goatees and the Irish-style Donegal beard; most original beard, where they can sculpt and do crazy things with their beard shapes; best-groomed beard; best natural beard under six inches; best natural beard over six inches; and then the D.I.Y. [do-it-yourself] crafted beard, which is open to the ladies,” Hicks said.
Several women entered the D.I.Y. category with unique, handcrafted beards made out of materials like yarn or felt.
Judges picked the best beard in each of the seven categories before awarding the overall best-in-show award.
Festivities continued until 5 p.m. when SoMardi Gras 2023 officially came to a close as the sun began to set.
Those hoping to catch the next SoMa event can attend SoMa After Dark, a recurring event held on the first Friday of every month featuring food trucks and vendors.