Galveston road closures this weekend for Mardi Gras

GALVESTON, Texas - As Galveston prepares to kick off its 115th Mardi Gras celebrations, organizers are warning drivers of road closures for two straight weekends.

Mardi Gras! Galveston 2026: Road closures

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Mardi Gras! Galveston 2026 is set to run from Friday, Feb. 6, to Fat Tuesday, Feb. 17. It's the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the county with two weeks of parades, balls, balcony parties, and more.

Due to the events, there are road closures planned for both weekends. Organizers say drivers heading downtown or to the entertainment district should use Harborside Drive to avoid the closures.

Weekend road closures

Timeline:

Here are the closures to know.

First weekend

Downtown

• Beginning on Thursday, February 5, at 5 p.m., 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th Streets between Harborside & Strand and Strand & Mechanic, will close to allow for event staging and load-in.  Crews will close all remaining streets in the early afternoon on Friday, February 6.
• On Friday by 2 p.m., the area from Harborside to Mechanic, 20th to 25th Streets, including 25th Street, Market to New Strand, will be open to pedestrian traffic only.  A section of 25th Street from Market to Harborside, part of the downtown event area, will be closed.
• Streets will re-open no later than 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, February 8.

Seawall Parade Routes: Sat., Feb. 7

Parades are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.  Access streets leading to Seawall between 23rd and 61st Streets will be barricaded from 9 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m.  Vehicles will be directed westbound away from the parades.

• East and west-bound traffic will be closed on Seawall Blvd. between 59th and 23rd Streets from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; access streets leading to Seawall will be barricaded in that area.
• Additionally, 25th Street from Seawall Blvd. to Market will be closed in both directions from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. to safely allow for passage of the night parade. 
• Broadway, Avenue O, Avenue P, and Harborside will remain open for cross traffic except during parade events.
• There will be no motorized vehicles – including golf carts – allowed on the seawall or 25th Street on Saturday, February 7 from 9 a.m. to approximately 10 p.m. after the night parade.
• Cars parked on the Seawall MUST remain parked through the day Saturday until after the night parade. This means people will not be allowed to move their vehicles parked on the Seawall after the day parade. Participants should plan accordingly.

Second weekend

Downtown

• Beginning on Thursday at 5 p.m., February 12, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th Streets between Harborside & Strand and Strand & Mechanic, will close to allow for event staging and load-in.  
• Crews will close all remaining streets in the early afternoon on Friday, February 13, and by 2 p.m. the area from Harborside to Mechanic, 20th to 25th Streets, including 25th Street, Market to Strand, will be open to pedestrian traffic only. 
• There will be closures on 25th Street from Market to Harborside 
• Streets will re-open no later than 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, February 15.

Seawall Parade Routes: Sat., Feb. 14

• Street closures along Seawall Blvd. will begin at 8:30 a.m.
• East and westbound traffic will be closed on Seawall Blvd. between 25th and 33rd Streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; access streets leading to Seawall will be barricaded in that area.
• East and westbound traffic will be closed on Seawall Blvd. between 19th and 27th Streets from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; access streets leading to Seawall will be barricaded in that area.
• Additionally, 25th Street from Seawall Blvd. to Market will be closed in both directions from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. to safely allow for the night parade. 
• Broadway, Avenue O, Avenue P, and Harborside will remain open for cross traffic except during parade events.

Fat Tuesday: Feb. 17

• Crews will close streets inside the downtown entertainment district at 5:30 p.m. in advance of the Fat Tuesday Parade.  The area, including Harborside to Church, 19th to 25th Streets, Market from 28th to 25th Streets, and 28th Street from Santa Fe Place to Market will be closed for the festivities.  
• All streets will re-open no later than 11 p.m.

Seawall traffic, parking

Dig deeper:

During the Seawall parades on both Saturdays of Mardi Gras, moving traffic, including golf carts, is prohibited.. People who violate this rule will be subject to fines.

Overnight parking will be allowed on the Seawall beginning at 5:01 a.m. Thursday until 5:00 a.m. Sunday during the first weekend of Mardi Gras only. Vehicles parked on the Seawall must remain parked through the night parade on Saturday night. There will be no moving traffic allowed on the Seawall Saturday during the day.