BATON ROUGE - The Krewe of Southdowns has canceled their 2021 Mardi Gras parade and ball due to the ongoing pandemic.

Krewe Captain and President Tad Haller announced the decision Wednesday in the following statement.

On behalf of Parade Command, and with a heavy heart, I announce the Krewe of Southdowns will not be holding out traditional Mardi Gras Ball or Parade in 2021.

The health and safety of the public and our members is our primary responsibility. Despite COVID-19 vaccines being only weeks away from distribution, it is unlikely that the general public will have sufficient numbers to safely support the 2021 Mardi Gras season.

It is truly unfortunate that present circumstances prohibit the full Krewe of Southdowns experience. However, we will have a Mardi Gras Theme for 2021, and producing doubloons and t-shirts for purchase.