By KERI CHAMPION

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE- King Cakes are being sold everywhere, and people’s homes are decorated in festive colors, clowns and masques. That can only mean one thing. Mardi Gras is upon us.

This unique festival of excess and hedonism is a tradition in Louisiana, and this year will be no different. The River Parishes will kick off the Mardi Gras with the Krewe of Lul Parade that runs through downtown Luling.

The parade will roll on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 12 noon

The Krewe of Lul parade will boast 27 floats, several dance groups, and the Hahnville High School Band to help celebrate the Mardi Gras season.

This is to be the 30th annual run of the Krewe of Lul parade, and the anniversary celebration will be headed by King and Queen Donald and Betty Muller and Grand Marshal Eula Champagne.

The parade will continue to travel its traditional yearly route beginning at Angus Road, and then proceeding to Paul Maillard before making its way to River Road, and making the last push back onto Angus.

Also on the 17th, Krewe Tohwahpahsah of Reserve will have their annual parade at 1 p.m.

Tohwahpahsah originally came about when a group of friends began meeting at Tohwahpahsah Lounge, and eventually began making parade plans, and so the Krewe of Tohwahpahsah was born.

&#8220It orginally was just a bunch of local guys hanging out at a bar. They began talking about decorating trucks, trailers and four wheelers and running them from the bar to the church, and that is what they did. Since then, the parade has grown tremendously,” said Lisa Triche.

She and her father Laurence have been organizing the parade since its inception 24 years ago.

&#8220My father and I enjoy running the parade together, it’s something we share,” she said.

The route this year will begin at the Recreation Center, to Annex then to West 2nd, Hwy. 44, West First Street, near the filling station, and then crosses the railroad track to make a right turn on Central Avenue.

Next, it backtracks to 44 and proceeds to West 8th Street. The last leg crosses again at the Reserve Library branch and turns right to end up back at the Recreation Center.

&#8220The good thing about this parade is that it is very family-oriented with homemade floats such as tractors, trailers, and other vehicles. There are no fancy floats and the neighbors sit out on each other’s lawns to talk and enjoy the Tohwahpahsah parade. It’s unlike any of the more popular parades, and I like it better than big city parades,” Triche said.