BATON ROUGE- The first-ever Mid City Gras Parade kicked off today after many years of planning.

Marching bands, a float or two, and a lot of walking groups from right here in the area. But the huge crowd that turned out for the parade is what everyone is talking about.

Even the mayor made a point to show up for the festivities, and remarked on the amount of people who lined the the entire parade route.

"The turn out is tremendous," Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said. "The truth be told, I would like to see neighborhoods and communities do this all over Baton Rouge." 

Organizers say this parade is more than just people coming out and having a good time. They are hoping it also brings residents in Mid City closer together to create a more unified community.

"We're bringing everybody together. We love each other. We're Mid City," one parade attendee told WBRZ.