Mardi Gras and the Fasching Karneval are here in Minden, with the celebrations for the holidays taking place all over town today. The Fasching, or Fifth Season, Karneval is a nod to Minden’s heritage, given that it is the German equivalent of Mardi Grass, which officially began on November 11th at 11:11 a.m.
While everyone is getting prepped for the 23rd Annual Minden Mardis Gras/Minden Fasching Karneval Parade, there will also be a variety of fun events taking place in Downtown Minden, especially for the children.
The Johnson Brother’s carnival is slated to be open today from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with $20.00 armbands from 1 pm to 4 pm.
With just a brisk walk away, kids can make free mardi-gras themed masks by visiting City ArtWorks from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. If the kids want to forgo the mask and just want to put the art supplies directly on their faces, there will be face painters set up in the downtown area starting at around 2 p.m to paint up faces in all manner of purple green and gold.
This year, Miss Spirit of Fasching 2020, Grace Powell will be serving as Grand Marshal for the parade.
Judging for the parade entries will be set up in front of City Hall, and they will be picking winners in the categories of Most Spirited Group, Sweepstakes Winner (Best Overall), Best Small Float, Best Marching Group, and Most Original Entry.
The parade, sponsored by the Minden Main Street Program, is scheduled to begin today at 5 p.m. with the parade route covering a 3.3-mile route which begins at the intersection of Germantown Road and Elm Street and winds through the Minden Historic District, Downtown and back to Germantown Road.