Celebrating 32 years

Carnivale Parade

Saturday, March 1, 2025

2025 Carnivale Parade

It’s tradition in Manitou Springs to march down Manitou Avenue and celebrate Mardi Gras in true fun and funky color that Manitou is known for! So grab your beads and costume-up with us!

Our theme for 2025 is:

The more the merrier, so bring your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, everyone! Always free to join in, RSVP REQUIRED. Parade RSVP for 2025 is not currently open.

be a parade volunteer

Get in touch today

We need help herding Mardi Gras revelers! If you have a big voice and personality we need you. Fill out a volunteer application below.

Congratulations to our 2024 Best Carnivale Krewes

Thank you to all who participated in the Manitou Springs Carnivale Weekend Community Parade. It was a blast!

Congratulations are in order for our 2024 Winning Krewes:

BEST LE GRANDE KREWE – Krewe of Jib-Wa
BEST MANITOU FLAIR – Krewe Khameleon
BEST USE OF THEME – Rockey’s Krewe

Make your trip as easy as possible!

Cavnivale parade detour & Event Parking

Stop at any Pike Ride hub and pick up an e-bike for a quick yet beautiful ride into Manitou Springs. You can ride all the way to Soda Springs Park & park your bike at any bicycle rack.

Pike Ride is offering a discount code for your bike into Manitou Springs for Carnivale! Use BONTEMPSROULER on their website here and look for more bike parking information and the QR code.

Grab a bus! The #3 Metro Bus will be running all day and drops off at Memorial Park.

Rocky Mountain Ride will be conducting the #36 shuttle route that goes from Fields Park through Downtown Manitou and runs every 20 minutes. Last shuttle at 4 p.m.

There will be a shuttle from Manitou Springs High School with drop off at Hiawatha Gardens in Memorial Park. Last shuttle at 4 p.m.

The #33 Free shuttle for Manitou Springs will stop running from 12pm until 2pm on March 1, 2025 due to the parade.

Parking will be available for a fee at Hiawatha Gardens located in Memorial Park.

Free parking located at Fields Park.

Parking will be available at Manitou Springs High School from 10am – 2pm for a $10 donation to the FCA and AT Clubs. This is first come, first serve parking.

Carnivale Parade FAQ's

Themes change every year, but the rules don’t. See below for some standard Carnivale practices.

Can I drive my sweet ride in the parade?

Some things never change. We’ve never had any motorized vehicles in the parade, and we’ll stick to that.

My pets are family! Can they come with me?

Yes! Your four-legged family members are welcome (or two legged ones, for that matter!) Please consider that this can be a very busy and crowded day in Manitou Springs and not all of our beloved pets like big crowds, so if it’s best to leave them at home-please do. If they’re coming with you, just make sure they’ve got a leash and stay safe.

I want to watch- What's the Parade Route?

The Parade starts at Memorial Park, 502 Manitou Ave, and continues all the way Westbound down Manitou Ave to Soda Springs Park, 1070 Manitou Ave. You can watch from anywhere along the route!

Can I carry a letter?

The letters lead the parade after the King & Queen and are the centerpiece of the parade. We wish we could offer letters to everyone that wants to be a carrier, but our voted-in Carnivale Court will carry in addition to other “Manitou Royalty”. We’ll have puppets that need carried, though! So please email jenna@manitouchamber.com if you’re interested in donning one of the historic puppet characters.

Can I throw beads or hand things out?

It’s a parade, after all. Yeah, we know. Unfortunately, we can’t toss things like candy, beads, or other fun stuff. That’s a rule. Handing out flyers is also a no-no. (That’s about the environment). If you want to walk over to hand beads or candy to someone in the crowd, that’s ok. Just please keep the tossing to yourself!

Is this a free event?

Yes! Always free for everyone. Come down and watch- or join in the fun!