A Family Celebration of Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama

Mardi Gras is celebrated on the Gulf of Mexico coast from Pensacola, Florida to Galveston, Texas. It's a time of celebration in the small towns and in the cities. The celebration itself is an expression of happiness, of partying and a time to be alive. A place to bring kids. What better way to celebrate than with family.

Mobile, Alabama offers a family friendly Mardi Gras. A place where families tailgate and fathers don their Mardi Gras aprons and pride themselves on making the best bar-be-que.

There are parades with brightly colored floats and marching bands playing music. People laugh, and a mother teaches her little one how to yell "Moon Pie, Moon Pie" It's a time to see old friends and meet new ones and to experience southern hospitality. There's a celebration in the air and the feeling is good.

Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Beinville established Fort Louis de la Mobile in 1702 and the first Mardi Gras in the new world was celebrated in 1704.

During the civil war Mardi Gras was canceled. After the war Mobile was under Union rule and was in a depressed state. A citizen by the name of Joe Cain thought the city needed some cheering up so he dressed up in full Chickasaw Indian regalia and called himself Chief Slacabanorinico. He and some of his buddies got one mule and a coal wagon and paraded through downtown Mobile.

The last Saturday before Mardi Gras day is designated Joe Cain Day. It's a day for the people. Anyone can dress in Mardi Gras garb and be a part of the parade. Hundreds of people dress up and walk the parade route throwing beads and moon pies from their bags. Women dress up as widows and visit Joe Cain's grave each seeing if they can cry louder then the next.

Since Joe Cain it has become bigger and better. There are over twenty parades. Spectators line the parade routes and as the parade rolls by they yell " Moon Pie Moon Pie" to get the masked float riders to throw them some goodies. Goodies are comprised of beads, moon pies, small toys, stuffed animals, and doubloons with the parading societies name on it.

Mardi Gras peaks on Fat Tuesday which is the day before ash Wednesday.
It's a day full of parades and the energy gets livelier and livelier until midnight when it all disappears and it's over.
If you happened to be traveling along Inter-state 10 in the days before Ash Wednesday, come on by and join the big family friendly Mardi Gras Party.

resources Fabulous Travel.com
Mobile Bay Convention and Tourist Bureau
http://www.mobile.org/vis_mardigras.phphttp://t/