BEAUMONT, Texas — Mardi Gras Southeast Texas will now have a new home 20 miles north of its original location in downtown Port Arthur next year.
The Beaumont City Council approved the move of the festival to Beaumont during its regular meeting on Tuesday.
The council voted for the move 6 - 1 with Ward 4 councilwman Robin Mouton voting no.
The city council voted on a five year agreement with Mardi Gras Southeast Texas. The proposal says Mardi Gras would run Thursday through Sunday in downtown Beaumont.
The Mardi Gras would give the city three dollars from each admission ticket, which would help to cover the city's expenses to host the event, like security.
In exchange, the city will not charge to use the Great Lawn, Jefferson Theater, Julie Rogers Theater, Civic Center and Event Center.
Mayor Becky Ames said she's excited about the potential partnership.
12News has been tracking the speculations surrounding the potential move for weeks.
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The organization started looking into other options in April, saying it was losing too much money in downtown Port Arthur after lower attendance this year.
In July, just before Mardi Gras Southeast Texas' contract was set to end with the City of Port Arthur, Mayor Thurman Bartie said he had been in talks with organizers.
Mayor Bartie told 12News that although the event has seen a drop in revenue, that could be changed with a new business model.
In response to today's vote, Bartie told 12News, “In the very near future we’ll discuss our options and move forward. Several individuals correlate Port Arthur and Mardi Gras as being synonymous!”
