Fat Tuesday returned to Dunedin on February 17, and the city showed up exactly the way it should.

The weather was perfect—clear skies, cool and dry. Downtown was closed to traffic, opened to pedestrians, and filled with everything that makes this town worth documenting.

The parade stepped off just after 7 p.m., led by Dunedin’s finest emergency crews strutting out freshly washed and polished firetrucks. Local businesses rolled through on floats that punched above their weight for a town this size. A percussion band kept the beat. Baton twirlers spun through intersections, followed by flag twirlers. And from the bow of a pirate float, beads flew into an audience that came ready to catch them.

Musicians played. Vendors served local bites alongside familiar chain merchants. The scent of street food mixed with the salt air from the coast.

Beads. Bands. The aroma of fresh beignets in the air. It was Mardi Gras in Dunedin.

The crowd stretched blocks deep. Families. Dogs. Visitors from nearby towns. Locals who have watched this parade for decades. All ages. All smiling. All there for the same reason: to be outside, together, before the Lenten quiet settles in.

Parking was available at local churches, banks, and office lots for as low as $10. The Jolly Trolley shuttled visitors in from the edges. Local Tiki Rides offered free pickups and drop-offs for tips. No one was stranded. No one was left out.

By the time the last float passed and the beads stopped flying, the streets began to empty. But the energy did not disappear. Crowds lined up for food and drinks, replenishing after the cheers and jumps for beads.

Mardi Gras 2026 was a success.

I took notes. I took pictures. And I am already looking forward to next year.

Hope to see you there.