Helpful tips to keep in mind if you attend Krewe of Gemini parade

Excitement is brewing as the Krewe of Gemini Parade gets ready to roll out this weekend.

The parade will roll out at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Shreveport Police want to you to keep a few things in mind so that you will have a safe and fun Mardi Gras experience.

Starting at 7 p.m. Friday night police will close Clyde Fant Parkway from Lake Street to Shreveport-Barksdale Highway.  Clyde Fant Parkway will then re-open to traffic at 7:00 a.m. Saturday so people can set up early.

The public will not be allowed to set up any kind of tent or recreational vehicle or save parking spaces on Clyde Fant Parkway or on the service road between Stoner Avenue and Shreveport Barksdale Highway before 7:00 a.m. on parade day.

Stakes, flagging tape, furniture, tents, and other such items left as space markers before 7:00 a.m. Saturday will be removed by police and discarded. Violators could be ticketed, towed, or asked to leave.

Parade-goers planning to park in the Broadmoor area toward the end of the parade route should heed all traffic and parking signs and remember not to block residential driveways. Officers will be posted at major intersections around the parade area. It is imperative that emergency vehicles be able to drive down residential streets, so parking ordinances will be enforced. Violators could be towed at their own expense.

This year's Gemini Parade will be starting on Clyde Fant Parkway at Lake Street and run the following route: southbound on Clyde Fant Parkway turning west bound on Shreveport-Barksdale Highway, west on Shreveport-Barksdale Highway turning south on East Kings Highway and then travel south until the end of the parade route at East Kings Highway  and East Preston Avenue. The parade will travel in the southbound lanes of Clyde Fant Parkway, the west bound lanes of Shreveport-Barksdale Highway and in the northbound lanes of East Kings Highway.

The parade route does include an alcohol-free family area that will be located on Clyde Fant Parkway between the railroad trestle just north of Veteran's Memorial Park and Stoner Avenue. The no alcohol rule will be enforced in the family area. Absolutely NO GLASS containers or glass bottles will be allowed anywhere along the parade route.

Parking:

• Parking on East Kings Highway is reserved parking for permit holders only.
• No parking is allowed before 7 a.m. on parade day.
• On Shreveport-Barksdale Highway and Clyde Fant Parkway, parking is allowed behind the white lines only. Citizens cannot park where areas are clearly roped off and marked.
• No parking is allowed on Captain Shreve Drive.
• Restricted parking is allowed on the residential streets from Albany Avenue to Patton Avenue. Some streets allow parking only on one side; other streets forbid parking. Look for parking signs and remember: the streets must remain clear for emergency vehicles. Violators could be towed.
• Handicapped parking is available at the East Kings Highway Park, also known as the Duck Pond, and at the Veterans Memorial Park on Clyde Fant Parkway. A handicap parking tag or plate will be necessary to gain access.
• There is no parking in the median of Shreveport-Barksdale Highway.

Parade day street closures:

• At 8:30 a.m. Crockett Street will close from Spring Street to Clyde Fant Parkway. 
• At 8:30 a.m. Clyde Fant Parkway will close from Lake Street to Milam Street.
• At 8:30 a.m. Commerce Street will close from Milam Street to Crockett Street.
• Residents can gain access to Sci-Port until 4 p.m. using Lake Street.
• At 3:30 p.m. East Kings Highway will close from East Preston Avenue to Shreveport-Barksdale Highway.
• At 3:30 p.m. East Kings Highway will close at Youree Drive.
• At 3:30 p.m. Shreveport-Barksdale Highway (including the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge) will close.
• At 3:30 p.m. Clyde Fant Parkway will close from Milam Street to Shreveport-Barksdale Highway.
• Clyde Fant Parkway between East 70th Street and Shreveport-Barksdale Highway will remain open.
• Knight Street will remain open from East Preston Avenue to Shreveport Barksdale Highway.

Emergency Assistance:

• Over 200 law enforcement officers from the Shreveport Police Department will be working the parade. Officers will be in patrol cars, on foot, on horses and on motorcycles.
• Police will utilize several mounted cameras to monitor the parade route.
• Police will have command buses on Stoner Avenue near Clyde Fant Parkway, in Shreve City and on Shreveport-Barksdale Highway.
• The Shreveport Fire Department will have EMS crews stationed throughout the parade route.

Parade Rules:

• No alcohol will be allowed on Clyde Fant Parkway from the railroad trestle just north of Veteran's Memorial Park to Stoner Avenue This area has been designated the alcohol-free family zone. Violators will be subject to arrest.
• No glass bottles or containers will be allowed on the parade route.
• No one may cross parade barricades during the parade.
• No animals are allowed within 200 yards of the parade route, except animals that are in secured yards of residents living along the parade route and service animals.
• No dangerous objects or silly string.
• No one may throw anything at a parade float.
• Large flags or banners are not allowed within 50 feet of the parade route.
• No underage possession of alcohol. Violators will be subject to arrest.
• No public nudity will be tolerated. Violators will be subject to arrest.

Safety Tips:

• Don't leave children unattended! Make plans to meet up at a particular location in case children become separated from guardians during the parade.
• Do not fight or struggle over beads.
• Keep a safe distance from the floats.
• Keep valuables at home, don't leave them in your vehicle and make sure cars are securely locked.
• Don't take purses or wallets to parades. Keep money and I.D. in pants pockets.
• Extinguish hot coals after cooking.  Do not dump hot coals on the grass.
• Obey all traffic signs and directions from officers.
• Use common sense and treat others like you would want to be treated.