Mardi Gras founder and director Holly Conroy, speaking while packing up the Victory Memorial Gardens afterparty, said it was hard to estimate the crowds but 10,000 people could have watched the parade.

"It was amazing, it was such a great turnout. Everybody seemed to have a great time and there was lots of positivity in the air; it was a great day," she said.

More than 40 floats took part in the parade on Saturday.

"I had a few cancellations in the week leading up. COVID still tried to have its say over the event but we weren't having bar of it so the event still went ahead," Ms Conroy said.

"Having a bit over 40 floats was amazing as we had 18 or 19 floats the first year."

Ms Conroy said the Mardi Gras events drew in people from Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, with the majority of ticket holders at the drag show coming from Sydney.

"We'll be running every year. From the start I was determined to make it a yearly thing, Ms Conroy said.

"After the reception we got from the community, it was a no-brainer: it had to come back every year for the LGBTI+ people who depend on it ... I look forward to bringing it back next year bigger and better. "

Wagga mayor Dallas Tout said the event had been great for the city.

"People came from far and wide and really loved it and were excited by the fact that Wagga has such diversity and inclusion with the ability to run this type of event with that much public support," he said.

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