- 14th annual Barefoot Mardi Gras 11 am on Saturday, February 10
- Rain or shine event
- Proceeds benefit Texas Sealife Center and Operation Finally Home
It’s that time of year again for the biggest event on Padre Island. That’s right—Barefoot Mardi Gras!
While fun, Barefoot Mardi Gras activities have been going on for the past few weeks like the King and Queen Ball, the main Barefoot Mardi Gras Parade event is on Sat Feb, 10.
Elaine Motl has been coordinating the event on behalf of the Padre Island Business Association as the Barefoot Mardi Gras Event Director for the past 10 years. She is thrilled to see how much it has grown over the years.
“It started off 14 years ago as a backyard event here on Padre Island. The purpose of the event was to raise money for charity. And it grew into a neighborhood parade and then eventually the parade came to the beach,” Motl said. “And now 14 years later we are in a position where we have thousands of people watching the parade and have raised over a hundred thousand dollars for charity.”