ST. LOUIS — People dressed in purple, green and yellow pounded the pavement Saturday in St. Louis' Soulard neighborhood.
Thousands from across the region made it to the finish line for the Run for Your Beads 5K
"My favorite part was the beads," said runner Emily Harris.
Hillis and her wife Shannon Fitzpatrick made the trip from St. Charles to join the race.
"The course itself was pretty easy. There were a lot of people out cheering you on (and) handing out drinks, so overall it was really good atmosphere. It was a lot of fun,” Fitzpatrick said.
St. Louisan Patrick Johnson, 42, took first place in his age division.
"What better way to spend the day then to start the day off with a race. Physical fitness at its finest and then to come out of here with a win. Praise be to God. It couldn't get any better," Johnson said.
The celebration to kick off the 43rd season of Mardi Gras in Soulard continued with racers and thousands of others fueling up with food at the Taste of Soulard.
More than two dozen restaurants in the neighborhood gave participants samples of dishes and sweets.
"We have a sesame chicken bite with some dirty rice or chili. We also have a cocktail," said Will Mueller, manager of the Great Grizzly Bear, a historic neighborhood bar.
The bar, one of the oldest in the area, shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened last summer under new ownership.
"This is our first Taste of Soulard. This is our first Mardi Gras. We're a little nervous, but we're actually having a lot of fun. (We're) looking forward to getting people down (and) checking out the new Grizzly," Mueller added.
The Taste of Soulard will continue Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., while the annual Purina Pet Parade will kick off from South 12th Street and Allen Avenue at 1 p.m.