The History of Soulard Mardi Gras
From a House Party to a Phenomenon While New Orleans may hold the crown, St. Louis officially stakes its claim as the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. But before the corporate sponsorships and sea of beads, the festivities in the historic Soulard neighborhood began with a much humbler—and slightly more impromptu—spark. 1980:…
Brief History of Soulard
On February 10, 1841: Julia Soulard begins giving land to the City of St. Louis for use as a public market. The story of the oldest public market west of the Mississippi isn’t just about fresh produce and local commerce; it’s a saga of colonial land grants, a decades-long legal battle, and the enduring vision…