And I thought I might not get any beads

Galveston, TX

So, unknown to me, there are Mardi Gras celebrations in Galveston this weekend and next. It’s the largest celebrations in Texas according to the Galveston Chamber of Commerce. So I decded to get warmed up for next weekend in New Orleans in a more “gentle” environment.

There were mulitple parades all weekend, and the biggest of the parades was at noon today and I was there for it. Along with thousands of my closest friends. I can’t believe how much effort people went to in order to party hardy. RVs and trucks with trailers have parked on the Parade route for the past 2 – 3 days staking out their spots. People brought huge bbqs, and folding tables laden with food, and drink… Lots of drink. They look like they’re planning on staying a month, not just for the weekend.

I paid a donation to a local charity to get a great parking spot nearby and felt good about it too. I plunked down my folding chair in an empty spot near some other folks and in no time I was surrounded and talking to locals and visitors alike. They explained all the techniques involved in getting beads. Thankfully, none of them involved taking off my shirt. Some of the folks were pretty aggressive about it. You’ll see Johnny in many of my pics, the guy in the cowboy hat. His wife was practically falling over with the weight of the beads around her neck. One of the other ladies standing with us was joking around with him trying to get around him to get the beads instead of him. She managed to score a fun hat that lit up with LEDs. In the end, I had about 5 people all grabbing beads to give to me since I was a Mardi Gras virgin.

The parade was great. Lots of floats and a dozen or more high school marching bands, flag spinners, and dance troops. And all of them had something to throw to the crowd. Mostly beads, some small and cheap, others larger and more intricate, but still cheap. Some had frisbees, others plastic footballs, and the odd one threw out an odd Mardi Gras hat! The High School bands from throughout the area were fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed the music.

And as usual, it was the people that made it interesting and fun.