The City of El Centro will celebrate Mardi Gras a bit differently this year.

The City's signature event in recent years has been a Mardi Gras Parade of Lights followed by social gatherings. This year , with the COVID-19 Pandemic and social distancing in place the event is to be replaced by a Virtual Mardi Gras Mad Dash and Swim 5K. You are invited to run , walk , bike or swim your way to complete the event. You do it at your own pace. Registration is FREE for all participants. The first 200 people who register will receive a swag bag filled with a runner's bib , beads , glow sticks and an event t-shirt. The event is sponsored by El Centro Regional Medical Center.