Local businesses gear up for the 33rd annual carnivale parade in Manitou Springs
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Saturday, Feb.14, is one of the busiest days of the year for businesses in Manitou Springs, and they tell KRDO13 it's absolute chaos —the good kind, of course.
The Manitou Springs Carnivale Parade attracts a crowd, and businesses are looking forward to people flooding the streets.
"Everybody from the street comes in and...they come and go, and it's absolute chaos every year," says a bartender at the Keg Lounge, Robert Snare.
"This will be like one of our top days of the year, because it's so quintessential to Louisiana. We're all decorated for Mardi Gras," explains business owner Brandi Chism at Rocky Mountain Beignets.
The night before, business owners were whooping out all the green and purple they could find to prepare for the parade.
And the team over at the Keg Lounge is ready.
"Everything's going to be colorful. We have so many Jell-O shots made, it's going to be a good time," says Snare.
And their neighbors at Rocky Mountain Beignets are bringing out the beads.
"It’s all hands on deck. We have lots of extra staff. We have lots of dough made ready to go for tomorrow. We have lots of Mardi Gras beads for everyone as well," says Chism.
And they will be slinging crepes at Starving Colorado, where the owners say they are used to seeing locals pour in for the parade, so on the day of the festival, they will be showing some love and dropping prices.
"The locals are very important for me. It's like a gift from me to them," says Starving Colorado owner Tafael Shlomo.
The parade will start at 1 p.m. in Memorial Park and continue along Manitou Avenue to Soda Springs Park.
For more information about the festival, including the masquerade, click here
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
