The Twin Cities celebrated Mardi Gras a little early on Saturday when the Krewe de Riviere rolled through town.

Filled with beads, costumes and a little debauchery, the parade brought Cajun culture north. The theme this year for the Krewe de Riviere was “Rolling on the River.” Each float put its spin on the theme, with some decorated like the Ouachita River and some decked out with portrayals of the gators that lurk in the river’s depths.

The route started at West Monroe High School and then crossed over into Monroe at the Lea Joyner Bridge, where it finished up outside the Ouachita Parish Courthouse. The parade featured around 30 floats and three marching bands, one of those being the Tiger Marching Band from Grambling.

Some ULM students chose to spend their Saturday with the krewe. Sophomore kinesiology and sports management major Brett Drillette said he enjoyed the parade and was glad he had the opportunity to celebrate Mardi Gras with friends.

“I heard a lot of people say it was going to be a lot of fun, so I wanted to get out and have a good time with my friends,” Drillette said. “I think that it lived up to its expectation, and I can’t wait for next week.”

Next week, the Krewe of Janus will take their turn to roll through with a parade. While the Krewe of Janus will hold its 40th parade this week, the Krewe de Riviere finished its fifth when the beads ran out last week. Speaking of beads, graduate student Peyton Dunn said that’s why he came out to the parade.

“Beads,” Dunn said. “I love beads.” Paradegoers got their fair share of beads, with each float having its own style of beads to throw out. Some floats even tossed beads from famous krewes in New Orleans, such as Bacchus and Hercules.

The atmosphere brought a sense of festivity to Downtown Monroe and West Monroe that paid tribute to the party Fat Tuesday brings. The spectacles will continue this Saturday when the Krewe of Janus rolls through, starting at 6 p.m. The theme for this year’s parade is “40 years of Janus.”