Getting ready to “laissez le bon temps rouler,” Port Arthur is ramping up excitement for Mardi Gras’ return to the Southeast Texas coastal community. Putting out the word to revelers to mark their calendars for some bead-catching fun, the Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has cemented the dates for the Cajun Capital of Texas’ Mardi Gras festival as Feb. 5 to 7, 2027. As in years prior, guests can expect an array of food offerings, live music, and parades galore.
Mardi Gras has previously been held in Port Arthur, then known as Mardi Gras Southeast Texas, before the group moved the festivities elsewhere. 2027 is the first year that the Port Arthur CVB is serving as the host, and staffers are calling on the community to help make the group’s first Mardi Gras a success.
Prep is happening now, especially in the all-import Mardi Gras staple of “krewes,” groups who ride on the float and throw beads and assorted trinkets and prizes. The 2027 Port Arthur Mardi Gras will host three nights of parades where krewes are needed. The Friday and Saturday parades require a traditional float. Krewes can use a float through the bureau at a cost, or they can make their own float as long as it fits within city regulations. Sunday’s motor parade will feature both floats and vehicles, welcoming anyone interested in being a krewe. Krewes will need to supply their own beads and tossable swag.
“A krewe can be everything from a group of friends, work group, (or) social organization to a church group,” PA CVB Executive Director Tammy Kotzur said. “If you don’t have enough people to make a full krewe, but you have some friends who are interested, then our krewe committee can help you find a full krewe to join. We would love for new krewes to happen.”
Food is deeply rooted in Mardi Gras celebrations and, to keep guests happy, the bureau is seeking food and craft vendors. The CVB wants to feature a diverse group of foods for everyone to try and craft booths to help keep the event family-friendly, Kotzur said.
“We’re trying to get diversity in food vendors, and we’re certainly searching for craft vendors,” Kotzur said. “We want to make sure all the vendors are all successful, so we want diversity in each of them.”
Alongside krewes and vendors, the CVB is also seeking community talent, such as magicians or stilt walkers, to give the inaugural event that “festival feeling,” Kotzur said, adding that the group is also seeking volunteers to help staff the festival. All involvement opportunities are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Anyone interested in becoming involved with Mardi Gras Port Arthur can find more information at www.mardigrasportarthur.com.
Cajun Capital makes it to the Capital
Further cementing its designation as the Cajun Capital of Texas, three Cajun artifacts from Port Arthur made it to the Texas Capitol, showcasing the rich Cajun and Creole history deeply rooted in the community. The pieces will be part of an exhibit in the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin through Sept. 27.
An accordion that Norman Helms Jr., a Port Arthur man who performed traditional Cajun music, used when performing around the area is one of the items featured in the exhibit.
An over-the-shoulder rub-board, also known as a frottoir, is also being showcased in the exhibit. The rub-board was designed in Port Arthur in 1946 by welder Willie Landry, evolving from the wood-framed washboard.
The last piece featured in the exhibit is a ladle from Esther Benoit, known from Esther’s Seafood & Oyster Bar under the Rainbow Bridge, which is now closed but memories remain.
The inclusion of items in the exhibition at the Bullock Museum reportedly aims to draw bigger communities to Port Arthur for the Cajun Heritage Festival, giving people a real taste of Cajun culture.
The 2027 Cajun Heritage Festival in Port Arthur is expected to take place on Saturday, April 3, 2027, at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center, 3401 Cultural Center Dr. in Port Arthur. Operated by the Southeast Texas Arts Council, the cultural celebration brings communities together for non-stop Cajun two-step and waltz dancing, live music performances, and family-friendly activities, and features traditional Cajun fare including boiled crawfish, boudin, gumbo, étouffée, and beverages from local vendors.
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