Manitou Springs Carnivale returns Saturday for 32nd year
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Manitou Springs is finishing preparations for its 32nd annual Mardi Gras "Carnival" celebration on Saturday.
It starts with the "Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off" at 11 a.m. The parade starts at 1 p.m. and ends around 2 p.m. This year's theme is "Cirque Du Manitou," with costumes and decorations of circus animals like lions, tigers and bears.
The parade is free to watch and to participate in. If you want to be in the parade, you need to RSVP and line up in Memorial Park at 502 Manitou Avenue by 12 p.m.
The city has designated three parking locations for the event. Fields Park (free), Hiawatha Gardens (metered parking) and Manitou High School ($10, proceeds donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
The city will provide free shuttles from all three parking locations to the parade site. If you park at the high school, a shuttle can take you to memorial park, where you can grab another shuttle to the parade. The city said Pike Ride is also offering a discount code Saturday for its E-Bike rentals. The code is BONTEMPSROULER. You can find full parking and transportation information here.
Manitou Avenue will be closed from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. There will be two detours for cars trying to make it to Manitou Springs. Cars coming from the West will be redirected to Old Mans Trail onto El Paso Boulevard and Lover's Lane.
If you're coming from the East, you'll be sent from Ruxton Avenue to Osage Avenue.
