Krewe of Gemini and Centaur Captains meet with local officials this morning to discuss if and where the 2022 Mardi Gras parades will be taking place.
After much discussion, it was announced in a letter posted on Facebook by Krewe of Gemini’s Captain, Jamey Purdy, that the parades will be taking place in 2022. But the parade route is still an unknown. Both Centaur and Gemini will know something in the next 14 days.
Below is the letter that Purdy post on the Krewe of Gemini’s Facebook Page:
LOAD YOUR BEADS….WE ARE ROLLIN’!!!!
Myself (Captain Jamey Purdy), Parade Chairman Patrick Gallagher, Captain Elect Tracy Herrin, along with Krewe of Centaur Officials met with local Shreveport and Bossier City officials this morning to once again hash out a plan for the 2022 Mardi Gras Parades. I would like to let everyone know that our meeting went well today. It was a packed house in Mayor Chandler’s boardroom with Council members, both Mayors, and various department heads from Bossier and Shreveport represented.
Some things we took away from this meeting were:
1. Mayor Perkins has agreed to extend our parade contracts through the 2022 season, to include a possible additional year for 2023.
2. City officials will be reaching out to additional state agencies to support the financial burdens concerning the parades, removing this burden on the Krewe’s.
3. Mayor Perkins has given his administration 14 days to determine the best route for the parades. Both the Krewe officials agreed to an earlier start time (3pm) in an attempt to keep the current route the same.
I hope that this information helps everyone have a little piece of mind knowing we will have a parade. Lets continue to have a positive attitude and get our community back to some normalcy and have a heck of a lot of fun along the way!
I would like personal thank everyone for the support, words of encouragement and prayers. I would also like to thank Ricky and Corky Bridges with the Krewe of Centaur for working closely with us during this matter. I’d also like to thank the citizens of the Ark-La-Tex communities for standing with all of us during this time. Your emails, phone calls and Social Media post did not go unnoticed.
Once we hear back from Mayor Perkins, I will let everyone know what direction we will be heading.
Yours in Gemini,
Jamey Purdy
Captain – Gemini XXXIII
