Mardi Gras on the Sabine is three-day event

Mardi Gras on the Sabine has become more than one parade. Now, there's free live music, food trucks, kids games, a munchkin parade, of course the grand parade. Starting with a free rock concert Thursday evening and going through Saturday night, Orange is ready to celebrate.

This year the events will include a tribute to Kevin Smith, recently named to the College Football Hall of Fame. Smith, a native of Orange and graduate of West Orange-Stark High School, was a football star at Texas A&M University and went on to have a distinguished career with the Dallas Cowboys. He will be honored at 7 p.m. Friday, February 10, at the Riverside Pavilion, at the Simmons Drive Boat Ramp.

Festivities will kick off on Thursday, February 1, with the 1980s cover band Bag of Donuts from New Orleans. The group has played her before to enthusiastic crowds who enjoy the bands music and rock-star costumes.

The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is one of the Together Thursday performances sponsored by Dow Sabine River Operations and the United Way of Orange County. Admission is free and coolers will be allowed, however no pets. People attending should bring lawn chairs and blankets, if needed.

Food trucks will be set up on the grounds and family games will be available.

On Friday, gates at the Riverside Pavilion area will open at 5 p.m. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., zydeko player and singer Chris Ardoin will give a free concert to get the crowd dancing after the special presentation for Kevin Smith. Audience members should bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food and drink vendors will be on the site. No pets are allowed.

The Kiddie Zone at the Riverside Pavilion Boat Ramp area will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Munchkin Parade, featuring kids with decorated wagons, bicycles, and miniature battery-operated cars will be at the grounds beginning at 2 p.m.

DJ entertainment will be playing music at the pavilion grounds all day Saturday.

The Krewe of Krewes Parade will begin at 6 p.m. from the staging area on Front Street at First Street. The parade will travel west on Front and then turn left, or south, on Fifth Street for one block. When Fifth ends at Division Avenue, the parade will turn right, or west, onto Division. Once on Division, parade will continue west past Farmers Mercantile, the Orange County Courthouse, and Heritage House Museum until Division ends at 10th Street.

Then the parade will turn right, or north on 10th and on to Green Avenue. At the intersection of 10th and Green, the parade will then turn right, or east, on Green and go past First Presbyterian Church, the old city hall, Stark Museum of Art, Stark House, and Lamar State College Orange.

Finally, the parade will turn left, or north, on Simmons Drive and end at the Boat Ramp area.