Our two days of Mardi Gras fun are Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, 2026.
Apalachicola Mardi Gras Barkus Parade & Street Festival
“Salty Barkers Under the Sea”
Apalachicola, FL – The Mystic Krewe of Salty Barkers will be celebrating Mardi Gras Apalach-style bigger and better than ever this year, with two days of fun. The celebration includes a lively street festival and the 15th Annual Mardi Gras Pet Parade. This event, taking place on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, 2026 in Apalachicola, FL, will celebrate dogs and their people. All visitors and their furry friends are invited to this paw-some event.
New this year, the festivities kick off with an exciting day of fun and frivolity on Friday, February 27, from noon to 6:00 pm ET. Guests can enjoy the Fido-Do, an old-fashioned Mardi Gras street event. Highlights of Friday’s activities include street entertainment, an adopters reunion, live music, a beer and wine garden featuring local craft brews, and local food vendors. Bring your golf cart and decorate it for Saturday’s parade and be sure to stay around for our brand new magical Sundown Celebration—we’ll dance down the sun and howl up the moon!
On Saturday, February 28, the festivities will run from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm ET at Apalachicola’s Riverfront Park. While strolling through the park, guests enjoy live music, street entertainers, and more than 40 local vendors offering a variety of food and arts and crafts to enjoy.
At 1:00, pups and their people will parade in costumes inspired the wonders of the deep blue sea, a magical ocean realm ruled by dogs. We expect to see mermaids with coral crowns, sea witches, dog sharks, pirate rogues and their ships, and even dragons of the deep. Get ready for a wave of creativity in this fantasy-filled parade! It will include decorated golf carts, boats, floats, and costumed walkers – both the four-legged and two-legged kind. We can’t wait to see the splashy spirit our guests bring to this magical underwater spectacle!
The parade kicks off at Riverfront Park and winds through town, ending back at the park where the party will continue with all kinds of raucous fun.
Registration is $5 for walkers, $25 for golf carts, and $50 for floats. Canine companions, of course, are free.
The King and Queen of Apalachicola’s Mardi Gras parade are always shelter animals who are ready for a forever home and who will have a place of honor in the parade.
This celebration of dogs and the people who love them is more than just fun—it’s a fundraiser for local animal rescue organizations. 100% of the proceeds support animals in need across the Forgotten Coast. It’s a joyful way for the community and visitors to come together, show off their creativity, and raise funds for a great cause—all with a big splash of Mardi Gras magic.
Pre-register at saltybarkers.org. For more information, visit saltybarkers.org or facebook.com/MardiGrasBarkusParade. Still don’t have an answer? Contact 850-624-8085 or
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Also check out other Festivals in Apalachicola, Music events in Apalachicola.
