Mardi Gras! 2012, Texas Celebrates Galveston Style February 10 – February 21, 2012
January 31, 2012 - Posted in Galveston. Texas, Texas Gulf Coast
Mardi Gras! 2012 Galveston livens up the island with lavish parades, more than 50 galas and festive events, bead throwing, exhibits, live entertainment and the most delicious food along the Texas Gulf Coast. Galveston Mardi Gras! 2012, in its 101st year, is one of the most popular annual events to take place in Texas with something for everyone with more than 250,000 attendees. There is a beachfront carnival, shopping, and nightlife featuring everything from salsa and Cajun to rock and roll and jazz.
Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday” in French) is celebrated by Roman Catholic communities around the world, in particular New Orleans, Galveston and Rio de Janeiro. Mardi Gras begins the day before Ash Wednesday, (beginning of Lent for Roman Catholics). Mardi Gras is a time for celebrating, drinking and eating before the abstinence of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday for 40 days.
The Philadelphia Mummers, one of the most popular entertainment events, will be back for 2012. The forty-five member group of strings, dressed in elaborate costumes playing banjos and horns, will lead off the Mardi Gras festivities.
Mardi Gras! Galveston History
Mardi Gras in Galveston was first recorded in 1867, with a masked ball at Turner Hall and a theatrical performance from Shakespeare’s “King Henry IV”.
Parades and balls became more elaborate over the years. By 1873, Mardi Gras! Galveston attracted visitors from around the state. Named “The Eras of Chivalry,” the 1873 parade revealed elaborately decorated floats fashioned after campaigns and characters from the 6th through the 15th centuries.
By 1880, the street parades became too extravagant and expensive to continue. Mardi Gras masked balls continued to flourish through the end of the century. The 1917 masked ball took on added festivities with the first official appearance of King Frivolous and his court, arriving by “royal yacht” parading through the streets. Characters in the 1917 parade were taken from the “comic sheets.”
When World War I erupted in 1918, the coronation was canceled and the Mardi Gras! celebration was confined to a single day. The celebrations and the coronation of King Frivolous resumed the following year.
Until 1928, the Kotton Karnival Kids continued to sponsor Mardi Gras parades and balls. Due to the high expense of the parades and celebrations, the Galveston Booster Club became involved with sponsorships in 1929. In 1937, the Booster Club merged with the Galveston Chamber of Commerce in 1937, transferring authority for Mardi Gras to the Chamber.
Extravagant carnivals continued through 1941, coming to a halt while the large number of men went overseas to fight in World War II. For almost 40 years, annual celebrations were somewhat private, hosted by the likes of the Maceo family, the Galveston Artillery Club, the Treasure Ball Association and Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
In 1985, George P. Mitchell (native Galvestonian) and his wife, Cynthia, revived the Galveston Mardi Gras celebration. The first year featured a mile-long Grand Night Parade with nine floats, hundreds of musicians in marching bands to the delight of 75,000 cheering spectators. Also, in 1985, there was a gala ball, the first Galveston Artwalk and musical performances. The 1871 Knights of Momus were revived by several Galvestonians and continues to coordinate Mardi Gras! Galveston today.
http://www.mardigrasgalveston.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF_d-Fvfk-Q Mardi Gras 2011 Galveston, Tx
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