SoMardi Gras 2027!

Let the Good Times Roll in SoMa

Get ready for a weekend of music, dancing, colorful floats, local flavor, and plenty of Mardi Gras spirit as SoMardi Gras returns to Little Rock’s South Main district.

Join us for the SoMardi Gras Bash on Friday, February 19, then keep the celebration going on Saturday, February 20 with our signature New Orleans-style parade and street festival.

SoMardi Gras Bash

Kick off SoMardi Gras weekend the night before the parade with food, drinks, live music, dancing, and a celebration at one of SoMa’s favorite gathering spots.

Friday, February 19, 2027
6–9 P.M.
Rock Town Distillery

More Bash details coming soon.

SoMardi Gras PARADE

Saturday, February 20, 2027
11 A.M. – 5 P.M.
Parade at Noon

Mardi Gras, SoMa Style

SoMardi Gras brings a little New Orleans spirit to the heart of Little Rock with a celebration made for the whole community.

Watch Main Street come alive with a colorful parade, then spend the afternoon enjoying live music, dancing, local food and drinks, vendors, family-friendly activities, and some of SoMardi Gras’ most beloved traditions.

Whether you’re catching beads from the sidewalk, joining a krewe, shopping local, or dancing in the street, there’s a place for everyone at SoMardi Gras.

WHAT TO EXPECT

PARADE AT NOON

Floats, krewes, performers, beads, and plenty of Mardi Gras flair take over Main Street for SoMardi Gras’ signature New Orleans-style parade.

Live Music

Keep the party going with live music and entertainment throughout the street festival.

Food & Vendors

Explore local makers, small businesses, food vendors, and plenty of reasons to eat, shop, and stay awhile.

Beard & Mustache Contest

One of our favorite SoMardi Gras traditions returns with impressive facial hair, creative entries, and plenty of personality.

Be Part of SoMardi Gras

Want to do more than watch from the sidelines? There are plenty of ways to join the celebration.

Register as a Vendor

Bring your food, art, products, or business to the heart of the SoMardi Gras Street Festival. Connect with festivalgoers and be part of one of SoMa’s biggest community celebrations of the year.

Become a Vendor

Sponsor Now

Put your organization at the center of the celebration while supporting SoMa 501 and the work that keeps South Main vibrant, welcoming, and growing. Sponsorship opportunities range from signature event experiences to parade, entertainment, and on-site activations.

Become a Sponsor

Register Your Float

Gather your krewe, decorate a float, bring your costumes, and roll down Main Street with us. Businesses, organizations, community groups, and creative crews are all invited to help make the parade unforgettable.

Register Now

Register as a Volunteer

Help bring SoMardi Gras to life! Volunteers play a key role in keeping the celebration running smoothly, from welcoming guests to supporting activities throughout the festival.

Coming Soon

2026 SPONSORS

Presenting sponsor

Rock Town Distillery logo with black, white, and red text

soma partners

Logo of Arkansas Arts Council with a stylized mountain and circle design in shades of purple and blue
A gnome figurine with a tall blue hat featuring a city skyline and bridge design, white beard, pink nose, and yellow shoes.
Logo of Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau dot com.
A circular logo with a ghost illustration and the words 'Electric Ghost' inside.
Logo of Main Street Arkansas featuring a colorful, geometric diamond shape.
A handwritten note on a small white card with the message 'U R My Sunshine' written in black ink, attached to a metal clip, with a blurred background and a yellow flower.

t-shirt sponsor

Text reading 'AK-T's' on a black background.
Logo for AC Hotels by Marriott

Entertainment sponsor

Close-up of the Groundworks logo with a stylized number 1 in light blue.

FLOAT sponsor

Logo featuring a circular design with a blue, red, and white color scheme, the letter P inside the circle, and the word "Paschal" written below in blue cursive font, along with some additional text and decorative elements.

king cake sponsors

Red bag with the word 'ESSE' on it
Logo for Arkansas Circus Arts featuring silhouettes of three aerial performers on a circular frame.
Logo for The Flats at SoMa with black and green text
THV 11 logo with blue and gray text and the CBS eye logo.
Logo of the charitable organization, Movers Who Care, featuring a black and yellow color scheme with a stylized house and person icon.
Logo for A-REPUBLIC SERVICES featuring a red star and circular arrows, with the company name in blue text.
Logo of Careers in Welding, featuring a snarling blue tiger head in the center, with the words 'CAREERS IN WELDING' in blue at the top and 'MACTECNET SCHOOL' in red at the bottom, and a stylized atom and the word 'WELDING' with a ruler and drafting tools in red around the tiger.
A vintage-style sign reading 'Community Bakery, Est. 1947' in white text on a green background with decorative borders.
Logo of The Root Cafe featuring an orange circle with a green border, white text, and a chef's hat icon.
Black background with a yellow circle containing a large black letter 'b' and the words 'SINCE 1924' in white at the bottom of the circle. To the right, the text 'Baldwin Filters' in black.
Logo for Downtown Dwellings, specializing in historic apartments and urban lofts.
Diagram of a bike chain and gear mechanism with various colored parts.

friends of somardi gras

Logo for Haybar Real Estate with a stylized building graphic and text.
Logo of Capitol + Man with black outlined text and orange geometric symbol
Logo for Radio No Brick Oven & Barroom with the words 'RADIO NO' and a beer glass replacing the letter 'I', and the text 'BRICK OVEN & BARROOM' below.
Logo of Sport Clips, a hair salon chain. The word 'Sport' is in red and 'Clips' in black.
Logo commemorating 55 years of preserving the past and shaping the future. The text reads "The QQ 55 Years" with a tagline "Preserving the past. Shaping the future for 55 years."
Southern Tail Brewing logo in green text.
A graphic of a billiard triangle rack with pool balls numbered 1 through 15, and the text 'Midtown Billiards' in bold, orange and yellow font.
AT&T logo featuring a stylized blue globe and black text.
Logo for Arkansas Rice featuring text and stylized rice plant in white, with a red and blue background.

Natural State Medicinals

Joe Fox, CBI

Katherine Snyder

Lindsey Boerner,
Big Little Brokerage

ELIZABETH MICHAEL & DAN RODA

Support for Butterfly of New Orleans is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts.