It's the day after Mardi Gras and things have settled down a bit. This past week there has been something going on every day and sometimes two or three things. Our plans to go to New Orleans fell through, but the couple that went said they had a great time even though it was a long day... about 22 hrs with all the driving. 
instead went to Jennings and the Squeezebox Shootout..amateur accordion players competing for $2000 in prizes in three categories...youth, junior and senior. Last year's youth and junior winners also performed. What a great afternoon of cajun music. We left there and walked into the midst of Jennings parade. This was our first parade of the weekend and our first Mardi Gras parade. 
fun....too many floats to count, all loaded with kids and adults throwing beads and other souvenirs. Sunday was the oldtime parade at Church Point.. Betty was invited to take her campers to a farmer's house. So the whole campground caravan-ed to his farm. The parade started by touring the local countryside, with 30 or more floats and hundreds of costumed revelers,
stopping at a dozen or so houses along the way. Our host released some chickens, which were chased down by a large group of costumed paraders.
This was done in the early days to collect food donations for the groups Mardi Gras dinner to celebrate the last fling before Lent. Each small town parade had their own local customs. Some of these towns still use horses for the runners to go about the countryside...in costume, collecting food.....amazing traditions that we never hear about until we go to these kind of local functions. 
felt we didn't miss anything by not going to New Orleans. 
we were invited to a Mini Costume Ball at a local restaurant by some people we had met earlier. 
all made their costumes. year they had their king and queen and all their court with jesters and clowns and witches, all accompanied by a great cajun band and much dancing. ...Mardi Gras... we went to another small town parade that had about 30 floats filled with laughing party-ers.
This parade was like a family reunion because everyone we talked to was there with family... cousins, brothers, sisters and all other family that they didn't see much of the rest of the year. Grilles set up on the back of pickups and on trailers and much fun on a nice sunny day in Feb. in LA. I finally took the time to load our pictures ,so this post is a week late,but here it is. I also loaded more Mardi Gras pics to our web albums at the right..
instead went to Jennings and the Squeezebox Shootout..amateur accordion players competing for $2000 in prizes in three categories...youth, junior and senior. Last year's youth and junior winners also performed. What a great afternoon of cajun music. We left there and walked into the midst of Jennings parade. This was our first parade of the weekend and our first Mardi Gras parade. fun....too many floats to count, all loaded with kids and adults throwing beads and other souvenirs. Sunday was the oldtime parade at Church Point.. Betty was invited to take her campers to a farmer's house. So the whole campground caravan-ed to his farm. The parade started by touring the local countryside, with 30 or more floats and hundreds of costumed revelers, stopping at a dozen or so houses along the way. Our host released some chickens, which were chased down by a large group of costumed paraders. This was done in the early days to collect food donations for the groups Mardi Gras dinner to celebrate the last fling before Lent. Each small town parade had their own local customs. Some of these towns still use horses for the runners to go about the countryside...in costume, collecting food.....amazing traditions that we never hear about until we go to these kind of local functions. felt we didn't miss anything by not going to New Orleans. we were invited to a Mini Costume Ball at a local restaurant by some people we had met earlier. all made their costumes. year they had their king and queen and all their court with jesters and clowns and witches, all accompanied by a great cajun band and much dancing. ...Mardi Gras... we went to another small town parade that had about 30 floats filled with laughing party-ers. This parade was like a family reunion because everyone we talked to was there with family... cousins, brothers, sisters and all other family that they didn't see much of the rest of the year. Grilles set up on the back of pickups and on trailers and much fun on a nice sunny day in Feb. in LA. I finally took the time to load our pictures ,so this post is a week late,but here it is. I also loaded more Mardi Gras pics to our web albums at the right..
Great post and great pictres of Louisianna during Mardi Gras and the whole Betty RV experience!
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