Happy Mardi Gras!

[Uniquely]

The Mardi Gras season is upon us. I live in the city where Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the US; Mobile Alabama. New Orleans does it a little bigger than we do... but it is too touristy for a true Mardi Gras reveler to enjoy. My Nawlins friends usually end up in Mobile for Mardi Gras.

My favorite day is Joe Cain Day, otherwise known as The People's Parade. Joe Cain ressurected Mardi Gras after the end of the civil war. On that day... anyone can get a permit to be in the parades. In years past... the parade would go all the way to the cemetary down town where a HUGE party
was held at Joe Cain's headstone. I THINK that stopped sometime in the 80's.

We usually get downtown around 3AM to stake out a good spot. Set up our tents, porta potties and grills. We start cooking around dawn. The whole day is spent eating, drinking, watching parades, and walking around to see the sights.


Good Times!

[Marquoz]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

The Mardi Gras season is upon us. I live in the city where Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the US; Mobile Alabama. New Orleans does it a little bigger than we do... but it is too touristy for a true Mardi Gras reveler to enjoy. My Nawlins friends usually end up in Mobile for Mardi Gras.

My favorite day is Joe Cain Day, otherwise known as The People's Parade. Joe Cain ressurected Mardi Gras after the end of the civil war. On that day... anyone can get a permit to be in the parades. In years past... the parade would go all the way to the cemetary down town where a HUGE party
was held at Joe Cain's headstone. I THINK that stopped sometime in the 80's.

We usually get downtown around 3AM to stake out a good spot. Set up our tents, porta potties and grills. We start cooking around dawn. The whole day is spent eating, drinking, watching parades, and walking around to see the sights.


Good Times!

This is why I don't hit up New Orleans proper for Mardi Gras, I go to Metairie parades, a lot more family friendly! It just won't be the same for us this year with Al Copeland having passed away (RIP man!) He always gave us the best throws because we had things set up specifically for him.

Mardi Gras day itself I usually get there around 8 AM to join the people who camp out all night to keep them from being bored. What sucks is I have to work that night so I end up passing out after most of the parades. We've got people that cook bring home made wine, the whole nine yards. That also is the only day that we will drink, the rest of the parades we keep a "G" rated zone because there are a lot of kids around where we are.

We also like to keep people entertained, we bring signs with sayings like "The Other Side", and we yell to the crowd across the street saying, "What's that? It's, It's, THE OTHER SIIIIDE", when certain dance squads come there's a routine, when the parade has a break and there's nothing going on we've got a sign for "Blank Spot". It's just a lot of fun, and we have people who come where we are specifically because we are there.