Did Shreveport Make the Best Mardi Gras Cities Not New Orleans?

Mardi Gras in Shreveport can actually be traced back to 1874, but it's really been the past 30 years that Carnival Season has seen huge growth.  The Krewe of Gemini had their first parade in Shreveport in 1990. The Krewe of Centaur soon followed in 1991, and Mardi Gras in the Arklatex has been growing ever since.

With Shreveport being the third largest city in Louisiana, and now have at least a half-dozen Mardi Gras parades, and many more bals, parties and events, it's kind of surprising that Shreveport didn't make the list of LawnLove's list of "2022's Best Cities for Mardi Gras Parades (Besides New Orleans)."

Here is the list of the Top Ten Cities for Mardi Gras, according to LawnLove.com

1. St. Louis, MO
2. Baton Rouge, La
3. Metairie, La
4. New York, NY
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Miami, FL
7. Mobile, AL
8. Dallas, TX
9. Las Vegas, NV
10. Houston, TX

Of course, there are several factors that figure into how they make their ranking determinations. Things like Partying, Eating & Drinking, and Community Interest all play a part.  "Most Mardi Gras Events and Festivals", "Most Bars per Square Mile," etc.  You can see a breakdown in the graphic below.

I can understand some of the findings.  When you look at the history of some of the cities' Mardi Gras, it's actually pretty interesting. According to the article in LawnLove:

It’s no shock that one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. takes place in Soulard, a St. Louis neighborhood with a French name that translates to “drunkard.” St. Louis holds the crown as the best Mardi Gras city besides New Orleans (or NOLA for short).

But when you consider Louisiana's history with Mardi Gras, it's hard to fathom more Louisiana cities didn't make the list.