The Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association was the crown jewel of a beautiful, sunny afternoon on Fat Tuesday in downtown Mobile as its Mammoth parade stretched for miles.

By far Carnival’s longest and the largest parade of any season in Mobile, the Mammoth Parade starts at 2 p.m. by traversing a westward loop in the city, taking nearly two hours to hit the heart of the city on Royal Street.

The parade’s theme was “MAMGA’s 86th: Celebrating Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

The Mammoth Parade provides a raucous bridge between the day’s earlier offerings — the Order of Athena, Knights of Revelry, the Mobile Carnival Association royals, and the Comic Cowboys — and the final parade of the season, the Order of Myths.

Crowds along the expansive route danced and cheered to a variety of marching bands, including the Alabama State University Mighty Marching Hornets, the Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Piper Band and local high school bands from Williamson, Chickasaw and LeFlore. And those looking to fill their bags with throws soon found themselves seeking larger receptacles as a mass of grocery items was launched in the air, along with the usual beads and MoonPies. Paradegoers scrambled to scoop up boxes of oatmeal cream pies, popcorn and peanut butter crackers, to name a few.

The 2024 MAMGA Royal Court was also featured prominently in the Mammoth parade. Fresh off his signature Mardi Gras ball on Friday night, Grand Marshal Napoleon Bracy waved to the crowds throughout the parade, as the current Alabama representative continued to mount a bid for U.S. Congress. Bracy was accompanied by members of the MAMGA junior court, as well as King Elexis I Tyler Rice and Queen Taylor Nicks.

In all, the parade featured 56 unique floats, including the Mollies signature float, paying homage to MAMGA’s most recognizable characters.