Overview
Mobile's Mardi Gras is a weeks-long Carnival season of parades and balls that ends on Fat Tuesday. Mobile calls it the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.
History
French settlers held Carnival celebrations in Mobile in the early 1700s. The modern parades are organized by mystic societies, and Joe Cain Day honors the man credited with reviving the celebration after the Civil War.
Today
Parade season brings very large downtown crowds and one of the city's biggest public-safety and security efforts.
Compiled October 2026. History is summarized for general interest; check primary sources for research. This landmark is local context, not an employer or job listing.