Mardi Gras & Music Festival in Panama City Beach
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! – Translation: Let the good times roll!
There’s always a party along Panama City’s Gulf shoreline, but the Mardi Gras and Music Festival is one of the biggest Panama City Beach events and parties of the year – and you’ll want to be here!
Event Location
The massive party kicks off at Pier Park, 600 Pier Park Drive, Febraury 21st at 4 p.m. and starts right back up the next morning at 8. The Panama City Beach Mardi Gras celebration has a full schedule until 8:30 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday, culminating with a massive fireworks finale at City Pier each night.
What’s Happening
Packed in between each day are New Orleans-style festivities, like a Fat Tuesday Street Fair, float tours, a Kids’ Fun Zone, several parades (a kids’ parade, Second Line Crawl Parade and the Krewe of Dominque Youx Mardi Gras at the Beach Main Parade), a kids’ costume contest, and a Mardi Gras 5K.
The Krewe of Dominique Youx, has been a mainstay organization of 200 members since 1986 in Panama City Beach. Founders, and local residents, Errol Legasse and the late Jerry Castardo had a passion for all that is Mardi Gras, which led to the formation of the Krewe of Dominique Youx.
Live music is also a major highlight of the festival, starting with Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band taking the Celebration Stage Friday night. The combo zydeco, blues,’70s funk, and rock band boasts a Grammy-winning album, “Zydeco Junkie.” Saturday’s live music includes Chicks with Hits, featuring Pam Tillis, Terri Clark and Suzy Bogguss, Victor Wainwright & The Train, Waylon Thibodeaux and headliners Lonestar, a longtime band together for 20 years and running, and known for its 10 No. 1 country hits, including “Amazed,” which also topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Mom and Dad, the Panama City Beach Mardi Gras and Music Festival is kid-friendly and open to the public, so make this a family affair! Here’s the complete two-day schedule:
Friday, February 21st
- 4-6:30 p.m. – Float Tours, Pier Park Drive
- 4-6:30 p.m. – Kids’ Fun Zone & Festival Village, Grand Theater Plaza
- 6 p.m. – Kids’ Parade, Pier Park Drive
- 6:30 p.m. – Opening Remarks, Celebration Stage
- 6:30 p.m. – Kids’ Costume Contest, Celebration Stage
- 7 p.m. – Second Line Crawl Parade, Pier Park Drive
- 7:30-830 p.m. – Live Entertainment: Dukes of Dixieland, Celebration Stage
- 8:30 p.m. – Fireworks, Russell-Fields City Pier
Saturday, February 22nd
- 8 a.m. – Mardi Gras 5K & Fun Run, Frank Brown Park
- 12 p.m. – Kids’ Fun Zone & Festival Village, Grand Theater Plaza
- 12-1:15 p.m. – Live Entertainment: Victor Wainwright & the Train, Aaron Bessant Park
- 1:30-2:45 p.m. – Live Entertainment Headliner: Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Keith Paluso from The Voice, Aaron Bessant Park
- 3-4 p.m. – Live Entertainment: Heat & the Zydeco Gents, Celebration Stage
- 4:15-5:45 p.m. – Krewe of Dominique Youx Mardi Gras at the Beach Main Parade, Pier Park Drive
- 5:45 p.m. – Live Entertainment: Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Celebration Stage
- 7 p.m. – Fireworks, Russell-Fields City Pier
Where To Stay
The only thing left to do is to book your stay, so you can play all day at the Mardi Gras & Music Festival in Panama City Beach. Here are two Condo-World resorts we recommend:
Calypso Resort
This Gulf-front beauty boasts one- through three-bedroom condos, complete with luxe interior design, fully equipped kitchens, private balconies and easy access to the powdery-white sands of the beach. Additional amenities at the Calypso Resort include two outdoor pools, a kiddie pool area, hot tubs, Jacuzzis, spa services, fitness center, game room, kids’ activity programs, onsite restaurant and more!
Aqua Beach Resort
Panoramic views of the Gulf’s emerald-green waters from your spacious room at Aqua is only the start of what makes this resort one of the best in Panama City Beach. The 22-story high-rise features one- through three-bedroom condos with terraces and wall-to-wall elegance. Property amenities are impressive, including water features and water gardens, a tropical pool desk with an indoor and outdoor pool and a second relaxation pool, a poolside café, a fully equipped fitness center, an aromatherapy steam and treatment room, a whirlpool spa grotto and more.
