Mardi Gras Parade

Review #2 of 2023!!First time attending the parade but it wont be my last! I heard about this through a simple google search after hear something about it on the radio. Sure enough it seems legit so I made the drive from fort worth to Dallas. I left with early to find parking because I know one thing for sure is that Dallas is always short on parking. I did some research and saw a park not too far away from the parade route and decided that is where I would park. It was easy to find parking if you don't mind walking a bit. There was a soccer game going on so already there were lots of cars but when I got there I was glad to see people dress in mardi gras colors walking to the parade route!People brough their coolers and lawn chairs to enjoy the parade. I also thought about this but since it was just me it would be more of an inconvenience to carry them haha. There was a tent near the parade route that looks like it was headquarters for the 5k fun run for the parade. In that area they had food trucks, a variety of vendors and most important beer haha! There were also bouncy houses for the kids, a phot booth (free of charge) and plenty of porta potties! Inside the tent they had more vendors that were actually part sponsor of the parade so they had some freebies for anyone that stopped by their table. The weather was nice and it was not too hot but I did see some people bring their own umbrella stand for shade (smart). The parade itself was nice, lots of classic cars, high school marching bands, neighborhood associations, local musicians and plenty more. The parade was around an hour and a half so get here early for a good seat because the closer it got to kick off the more crowded I saw it get.After the parade was over I walked over to the bishop arts disctrict where the 'after party' continued and omg yall It was packed! You could hardly walk outside because it was so crowded! They blocked off the street and even then it was such a hassle, the lines for food were enormous that it discourage me from supporting the local restaurants there. Lets say you did get some food there were no places to sit down, inside or outside. I guess you have to get here before the parade is over so you can have a good seat to eat. I did enjoy the fact that they had a band and a DJ along the street and there were local artist selling their crafts. I saw some cool plant stuff but I resisted temptation and just keep swimming. Eventually I ended up leaving after checking out some of the other businesses that where right outside that main area. Everywhere you walked a restaurant seem to have some kind of festivities going on and I will keep that in mind next time I go. I suggest making it a day in Dallas if you go to make the best use of your time out here.