Shreveport’s Mardi Gras Heritage: Iconic List of the Krewe of Centaur’s Theme History

Shreveport's Krewe of Centaur is one of the largest Mardi Gras Krewes in the state of Louisiana, and the biggest in the northern part of the state. The Krewe formed all the way back in 1991, and has been rolling strong ever since. The Krewe's roster still boasts a handful of Charter Members who helped found the Krewe back in the early 90s.

When the Krewe of Centaur formed, the idea was to create a fun loving community organization. It was just a small group that started the Krewe, and now it has grown to hundreds of active riders annually. The total membership over the years can be counted in the 1,000s of current and former members.

The Krewe of Centaur Parade is the largest in North Louisiana. Estimates put the attendance for the parade somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 annually. Which produces a massive economic impact for Shreveport, Bossier City, and the State of Louisiana as a whole.

One of the most engaging parts of the Krewe of Centaur parade is actually the floats. Unlike many Krewes, Centaur riders design, construct, renovate, and decorate the floats themselves. That means every float rolling by is built and maintained by the people who are riding it.

The designs and decorations of these floats are dictated by the overall theme of the Krewe's year. These themes are decided on by the Krewe, and the entire season is built around the concept. Not just the floats, but the Grand Bal, Midway, the bead designs...everything.

There has been a pretty wide scope of topics covered over the decades with the Krewe's themes. In fact, you can check out the history of those themes here: