Pets and their people will parade from the Old City to the World’s Fair Park this Saturday, March 4, as part of Mardi Growl, the annual event benefitting Young-Williams Animal Center. Tanker the Dalmatian, accompanied by Knoxville Fire Department Assistant Chief Brent Seymour, will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal. 

Some downtown roads will be temporarily closed, with street parking unavailable.

Starting at 7:30 a.m., street parking will close on Willow Avenue between S. Central and Patton streets. The same blocks will be closed to traffic until 12 p.m. to accommodate parade registration and staging under James White Parkway. 

The parade steps off at 10:45 a.m. from Willow Avenue at N. Central Street and proceeds north to W. Jackson Avenue. Parade participants will turn onto W. Jackson and proceed across Broadway to World’s Fair Park Drive, continuing past Grand Avenue to the World’s Fair Park Festival Lawn for judging and the Performance Lawn for the festival. 

Roads on the route will be closed approximately 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

People are encouraged to pick up after their pets along the parade and during the festivities. Bring plastic bags from home and dispose of waste properly in trash containers (not recycling carts).

More details about Mardi Growl are available at https://mardigrowl.org and you can check out our Mardi Growl 2022 Photo Gallery on Facebook.