Fresno kicked off its Mardi Gras celebration with its 13th annual Mardi Gras Parade Sunday afternoon that featured live music and elaborate get-ups.

The parade marched down Olive Avenue as spectators lined the streets of the Tower District to see the most outlandish costumes and floats. Adults and kids joined in the fun collecting the famed Mardi Gras beads parade participants were throwing to the crowd.

The parade went on during St. Valentine’s Day this year prompting the Roman theme, “Roman-tic Mardi Gras Parade.” The theme seemed to fall second to the spectacle of the Mardi Gras event that featured bands singing on moving floats and costumes as varied as a Halloween party.

The kids appeared to be the most excited, as they piled on the various strands of beads they captured like prized winnings.

One of the most enthralling attractions was a man adorned with Mardi Gras attire, mask and all, while reaching new heights on stilts. Animals even took part in the parade with the local SPCA showcasing shelter dogs that gallantly walked the streets with beads around their neck.

The Mardi Gras celebration is an annual tradition celebrated all over the world that usually takes place the week before Ash Wednesday. The last day of the occasion is tomorrow, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday.