LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The 2025 Carnival season is upon us, and in Lafayette, that means multiple parades.

As a result, traffic will be affected in the city starting this week.

The first wave of parades starts this week, with the Krewe de Canailles walking parade in downtown Lafayette starting at 7 p.m. Friday. The Krewe des Chiens parade rolls Saturday in downtown Lafayette starting at noon. That parade starts at Parc Putnam and ends at Johnston and Vermilion Streets.

The first full parade in Lafayette, from the Krewe of Carnivale en Rio, rolls at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

The City of Lafayette Public Works Department will begin placing barricades along the parade route on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8 a.m. Motorists are asked to use alternate routes when possible, allow extra time to get to their destinations, and exercise additional caution and patience while crews are on the roadways.

Public Works crews will begin placing barricades Thursday at the start of the parade route (downtown area), starting at the intersection of Jefferson and Simcoe Streets, then along the parade route to the intersection of Johnston and Vermilion Streets.

On Friday, starting at 8 a.m., Public Works crews will resume placing barricades from the intersection of Johnston and Vermilion Streets along the parade route to the intersection of Johnston Street and North College Road, near the Albertson’s shopping center, then along North College Road to Cajun Field at Gate 1 at Reinhardt Drive, headed toward Congress Street. Barricades will be placed to allow for turning lanes and major cross-overs along Johnston Street and North College Road.

The Lafayette Police Department will close all streets on and around the parade route one hour before the parades begin. All streets will remain closed until the completion of the last parade. No streets will be open until everyone has been removed from the area and vehicles can travel safely, officials said.

Public Works will follow a similar barricade placement schedule starting again on Thursday, Feb. 27, for the parades leading up to and including Mardi Gras Day.

The Krewe of Allons “Kick-Off” Parade rolls at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, the Lafayette Children’s Parade at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1, Krewe of Bonaparte at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1 and Queen Evangeline’s Parade at 6 p.m. Monday, March 3.

On Mardi Gras, March 4, King Gabriel’s Parade rolls at 10 a.m., followed by the Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade at 1 p.m. and the Independent Parade at 2:30 p.m.

After all the parades have run, Public Works crews will move all remaining barricades to the sides of the roads and clean up along the entire parade route. Lafayette Police asks motorists to use alternate routes when possible, allow extra time to get to their destinations and exercise additional caution and patience while cleanup crews and public safety officers are on the roadways.

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