DISCLAIMER: Alexandria Mardi Gras Association will be increasing purchases made with PayPal for the 2024-2025 Mardi Gras season due to PayPal increasing their service fees.

Who We Are

About the amga

The goal of the AMGA is to provide a cultural event, appealing to all cross sections of the community, state and region, to help stimulate the economy.

For additional information, please contact the individual listed as chairman under each event or contact us here.

AMGA Officers

President – Josh Candiloro
Past President – Chris Chelette
1st Vice President – Stacy Ward
2nd Vice President – Daniel McGuffee
Secretary – Charlene Cosenza
Assistant Secretary – Eula Tarver
Treasurer/Bookkeeper – Abby Blocker
At Large – Dwain Dubroc
At Large – Brad Smith

our history

The Mardi Gras du Couer de la Louisianne (Mardi Gras in the Heart of Louisiana) spirit has really taken hold of Central Louisiana since the first parade was held on Sunday, February 13, 1994. Alexandria’s Mardi Gras has grown from having a total of ten floats with participation of four Mardi Gras Krewes that first year, to presently having twenty-three floats and Krewes. The Krewe Parade attendance is estimated at 150,000 and the Children’s Parade attendance is estimated at 45,000.

The Alexandria Mardi Gras Association was begun in 1994 by a consortium of local business leaders, the Alexandria-Pineville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mardi Gras enthusiasts and the Krewes existing at that time.

In the summer of 1993, the Conventions and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, consisting of Anne Fitzgerald, Michael Tudor, Fred Rosenfeld, Tom Hardin, Mike Hadnot, Bart Schmolke, Ann Johnson and Executive Director Emory Oney, voted to provide seed money to kick off a parade in 1994. The Conventions and Visitors Bureau contracted with Frances Methvin as coordinator and Mike Tudor as committee chairman to put the inaugural parade together.

Through the leadership of President Pat Elliott, a Children’s Parade was organized for downtown Alexandria in 1997. Like the Sunday Krewe Parade, it has a Grand Marshal and an International feature with a special guest of honor serving as float captain.

Through the leadership of President Greg Gormanous, a College Cheerleader/Classic Car Parade was organized for downtown Alexandria in 2008. College cheerleaders from Louisiana colleges and universities, and from adjoining states, are invited to participate along with classic car owners. Special guests at the 2008 parade included Louisiana State University football players and Mike the Tiger, mascot.
Through the AMGA’s strategic management, Mardi Gras in the Heart of Louisiana has continued to expand and offer families the pomp and splendor of this Louisiana tradition in the safety of small-time city parades.

The Alexandria Mardi Gras Association’s parades are truly unique with as many ingredients as a good gumbo. The good times roll downtown and midtown Alexandria as people from all over Central Louisiana take part in the revelry. The Mardi Gras parades come alive with the music of middle school, high school and college bands and masked Royalty and riders from AMGA Krewes. Krewes that are members of the Association have an opportunity to take part each year in the Krewe parade. 

PAST PRESIDENTS

1995 Mike Tudor
1996 Rick Ranson
1997 Pat Elliott
1998 Russell Potter
1999 Colleen Hursey Dunstane
2000 Greg Gormanous
2001 Leetha Harris
2002 Mark Watson
2003 Colleen Hursey Dunstane
2004 Leetha Harris

2005 Shannon Tassin
2006 Denise Moore
2007 Dwayne Moore
2008 Greg Gormanous
2009 Chris Chelette
2010 Chris Chelette
2011 Zina Ford
2012 Zina Ford
2013 Chris Chelette
2014 Chris Chelette

2015 Becky Deville
2016 Chris Chelette
2017 Chris Chelette
2018 Chris Chelette
2019 Chris Chelette
2020 Chris Chelette
2021 Chris Chelette
2022 Chris Chelette
2023 Chris Chelette

Festival POSTERS

View a collection of festival Posters, illustrated by local Central Louisiana Artists, that capture the essence of our Mardi Gras festivities in Alexandria!

2023

AMGA 2023 Mardi Gras Poster

2022