BEAUMONT, Texas — Mardi Gras Southeast Texas can't start until a chicken has been set loose on live TV to be chased by excited children and a even few adults.
If you're not from around here and maybe even if you are from here, you might wonder why. Why does Mardi Gras in Beaumont have such a fowl start?
Mardi Gras starts today at 5 p.m. when the chicken is scheduled to be tossed and runs through Sunday, Feb. 19 in downtown Beaumont around the Beaumont Event Center.
The "chicken toss," as many locals call it, is actually an homage to the Courir de Mardi Gras, which traditionally takes place in small towns across Cajun country in central Louisiana.
MORE | Full Mardi Gras schedule
The Courir de Mardi Gras has its roots in French medieval history and was brought to Louisiana in the 19th century according to LouisianaTravel.com.
The courir, which translates to "run," still happens in Louisiana towns like Mamou and Church Point where masked riders on horseback, foot and aboard trailers travel through the neighborhood and beg.
They go from house to house in the morning begging for ingredients to make a gumbo and one of those ingredients is, you guessed it... chicken.
MORE | Everything Mardi Gras
So the "runners" end up chasing chickens and sometimes, in Church Pointe, La., even a greased pig, to use them in a gumbo. The communal gumbo is traditionally served later in the evening.
But here in Southeast Texas we toss the chicken to be chased by the kids at the start our first Mardi Gras parade and festivities.
The tossed chickens are not harmed or made into a gumbo.
This year new Beaumont City manager Kenneth Williams will be tossing out the chicken.
Former mayor Becky Ames tossed out the first Mardi Gras chicken when the festival moved to Beaumont in 2020.
Take a look...
Here's today's Mardi Gras Southeast Texas schedule...
MORE | Full Mardi Gras schedule
Feb 16 - Thursday
- 5 p.m. Gates open
- Tickets @ Gate: $10 or Buy online
- 4-Day passes: $50 - Buy online
- 5 p.m. Courir de Mardi Gras Parade
- Inside festival grounds
- Starts at Magnolia Street with the Chicken Toss
- Ends at Laurel Street
- Music
- 6 p.m. - Lil Steven & the Zydeco Futures
- 8 p.m. - LT & the Zydeco Bomb
- 10 p.m. Gates close
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.