HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – After a two-year hiatus, the Mardi Gras parade is returning to downtown Huntsville!

Many downtown businesses will be celebrating. There will be collector purple cups, and loads of beads and fun “throws” will be passed out along the route.

At the corner of Eustis Avenue and East Side Square, better known as the “throw zone,” is where paradegoers will catch the most beads.

The parade will benefit Blount Hospitality House, a guest house for families from the surrounding 40 miles with a loved one in the hospital or those going through medical treatment in Huntsville.

The House has been in operation since the 1980s and has housed 1,000s of families.

Beginning at 3:30 p.m., some roads downtown will close and traffic will be impacted. The parade begins at 4:30 p.m. on the corner of Lincoln Street and Holmes Avenue.