By Georgia Osten
Saturday we enjoyed our Crystal Beach Mardi Gras parade. Some of us stayed in the warmth of our cars parked on the side of the road, but most of us celebrated our friends and their floats and decorated golf carts or jeeps right out there in the cold with the rest of our town. Folks come from far away because they know what fun we have for Mardi Gras. If you’ve ever been in the parade, you know you better have lots of beads, koozies, stuffed animals and some of us bring doggie treats to throw. Goodness knows there are a lot of Fur Babies who attend the parade (whether they like it or not).
We didn’t ride in the parade this year, we chickened out at the last minute. The thought of riding with the cold wind in our faces, wasn’t our Cup of Tea. To this day, I don’t know what I prefer more, riding and throwing or standing on the sides catching candy, beads and trinkets.
This year, my husband and I watched the parade leaving from the new RV Park so we could see all the fire trucks. It’s so much fun to get caught up in the noise of the sirens and horns. We especially love seeing all our friends on the floats, waving to them and catching all those beads they throw to us. Although it’s really difficult trying to pick up the beads with your gloved hands.
When all the parade had passed us, we hitched a ride back into the RV Park where we had parked the Crab Fest Golf Cart. This was our weekend to sell raffle tickets. When the parade was over down at Gregory Park, people began to arrive at the RV Park for the open house. We had time to decorate the Crab Fest Cart, set up our table and get our clip boards ready for sales. These people were in celebrating moods and spending moods.
We found it a bit difficult to use our gloved hands, but the cold made it practically unbearable trying to handle money and raffle tickets. I guess I didn’t let the cold bother me too much, the Hospitality Tent was very near and the drinks were free! Stevie sure mixes up a mean Bloody Mary!
We sold a bundle – Don’t forget, it’s all about Charity and Scholarships for our Peninsula!
I hope you had a chance to enjoy the parade whether you sat in the warmth of your car or got out there in the elements to cheer on your friends in their floats. I saw a couple of Elvis’s, of course our resident Elvis, Patrick! Good job Krewe and all those involved in making the Mardi Gras parade another great success and sooooooooooo much fun!
[Mar-1-2022]
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