Mardi Gras World Tour

photos and soundstripe by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com

Artisans work while tourists are guided through the Mardi Gras World fabrication areas and float den in New Orleans on April 13, 2015. The facility prepares and manages more than 500 floats. Artists work all year, and tours are available every day except Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Mardi Gras Day (Fat Tuesday).


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Enough for now,

Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Krewe members prepare for the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade during the Southeast Texas Mardi Gras in Port Arthur on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.

See a larger version of this slideshow.

The celebrants include (as appear):   Jennifer Barroeta, Susie Salinas, Laurie Meyer, Renaldo Richard, Bob McNeal, Brittan Chalmers, Dustin Yu, Rhonda Schmidtke, Melissa Evans, Colt Schmidtke, Theresa Guidry, Patti Murphy, Henry Murphy, Arlene Oliver, Garrett Griffin, Joseph Catalina Jr., Reginald Richmond, Tiarra Bob, Brittan McDonald, Tyrone Bolson, Kellie Meaux and Shelley Booker.

Party Gras

Theresa Guidry of LaFayette, La. (left) dances with Rocky Howe of Groves (right) near the Valero float before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Yvonne Jenkins with Cummulus Broadcasting prepares a float before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade.


Janet Wehner of Port Arthur prepares a Krewe of Aurora float before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade.



Ray Ybarra (left) plays guitar while Paul Orta of the band Paul Orta and the Kingpins (right) plays a harmonica during the Southeast Texas Mardi Gras in Port Arthur.

Less than expected

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Two couples ride the a midway ride during Mardi Gras on the Neches daytime activities in Beaumont on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007. Turn out for the first-ever Beaumont event was much lighter than expected.


Turn out was not heavy for daytime activities at the Mardi Gras on the Neches in Beaumont on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007.

Mardi Gras on the Neches

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Beverly Allen of Nederland (center) shows her beads to friends Charlotte Davis of Beaumont (left) and Lisa Harper of Port Neches (right) during the first-ever Mardi Gras on the Neches parade in Beaumont on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2007.


Members of the Krewe Lagniappe throw beads during the first-ever Mardi Gras on the Neches parade near the Crockett Street Entertainment District in Beaumont.

Courir Parade

Groves residents Debi Tamez (left) and Jojo James (right) talk with parade attendees during the annual Southeast Texas Mardi Gras Courir Parade in Port Arthur on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


Pat Jackson of Nederland throws stuffed toys to children as her grandson Ian Gibson, 13, of Nederland (right) drives a cart down Lakeshore Drive during the annual Courir Parade.


Parade interim captain Joey Villemez of Port Arthur rides Red, a 13-year-old horse, in the lead of the annual Southeast Texas Mardi Gras Courir Parade.

Let the Gras begin

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Carmen Blanton, wife of Port Arthur's chief of police, releases a rooster before the annual Southeast Texas Mardi Gras Courir Parade in Port Arthur on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007. During the parade, celebrants stop at various points to gather gumbo ingredients. Roosters are released for children to catch for prizes at these points.

Please read, "Chicken chase kicks off Mardi Gras" by Rolando Garcia.

Munchkin Parade

Photos © Mark M. Hancock

James Gary Sanderson, 3, (right) and his brother ride in a gator wagon during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2006..


Children ride in an oil barrel train during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur.


Dezarae Thibodeaux, 20 months, takes in the view during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur.


Aubrey Moore, 3, rides a flower wagon during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur.


Jacey Hanley, 5, drives her own Jeep for Krewe Diva during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur.


Jalee Neff, 5, smiles after she throws beads during the Mardi Gras Munchkin Parade in Port Arthur.


Kim Hall of Orange enjoys a Mardi Gras parade in Port Arthur.
 

Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade

Colton Youngblood, 10, of Cold Springs sings and runs through the Mardi Gras fair grounds on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


Krewe captain Jennifer Cowart organizes the krewe before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.


Shelven Lewis of Port Arthur helps prepare a float before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.


The Krewe of Aurora prepares one of their floats as a barge passes on the intercoastal waterway before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.


(Right) Torey Chevis helps prepare the Cumulus Radio float before the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.

(Below) Krewes begin to work their way to the parade route during the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.




Mardi Gras fans scream for beads and toys during the Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.


KBTV Ch. 4 on-air news personalities Nick Canizales, (from left to right) Maura Siefring and Dana Melancon laugh at each other's dancing atop their float before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.


Beads fly from the Motiva float during the Mardi Gras Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade in Port Arthur.
 

Krewe of Krewes Parade

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Glen Lyles of Bridge City finishes off a gelatin shot before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur on Friday, Feb. 24, 2006.


Angela and Duane Lormand of Lumberton dance before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur


Krewe members prepare a float before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur.


Howard Provost of Port Arthur (left) and Rachel Lawson of Groves (right) talk on their float before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur.



The Woodland String Band, AKA The Mummers band, from Philadelphia warms up before the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur.


Lamar State College - Port Arthur krewe members throw beads in the rain during the Mardi Gras Krewe of Krewes Parade in Port Arthur.
 

Courir Parade

The traditional Courir Parade features a masked horse rider collecting gumbo ingredients from houses and businesses along a parade route. Along the way, chickens are released for the children to chase and capture for prizes. Consequently, the first parade in Port Arthur's Mardi Gras is known as "the chicken parade."


Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Larry Shackelford (right) of Nederland rides Coco, a 10-year-old horse, along the intercoastal canal as the Cajun Country Classics band (left) prepares to perform before the Mardi Gras opening parade in Port Arthur on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006.



A Clydesdale on the Budweiser team waits to be hitched to a wagon before the Mardi Gras opening Courir Parade in Port Arthur.


Members of the Mid-County Krewe de Acadiana coordinate by a float before the Mardi Gras opening Courir Parade in Port Arthur. In a traditional parade, a masked rider (played by krewe captain John Duplant, left) goes to houses and businesses to collect ingredients for a gumbo.


Savanna Sanford, 7, Cheyenne Allen, 6, and Jenna Medina, 7, scramble for beads at Rose Hill Manor before the Mardi Gras opening parade in Port Arthur.


Amonnie Lofton, 3, of Port Arthur gets beads from David Prioux of Groves (right) during the Mardi Gras opening Courir Parade in Port Arthur.


Carmen Blanton, wife of Port Arthur's chief of police, prepares to release a rooster at a stop during the Mardi Gras opening Courir Parade in Port Arthur. Along the way, chickens are released for the children to chase and capture for prizes. The first two roosters are still at large. This rooster and a duck were caught.


Lynda Wood of Port Neches holds Skippy, 2, (left) and Jojo, 4, (right) as they watch horses during the Mardi Gras opening Courir Parade in Port Arthur.
 

Southeast Texas Mardi Gras

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise It's time for Mardi Gras with a Texas twist. The 2006 event is particularly important because it's a break from the year of hurricanes. Southeast Texans can celebrate their survival and reconstruction. The following links show my images of the 2006 Southeast Texas Mardi Gras activities. Or choose the Mardi Gras label to see the last 20 entries (including more recent images) about Mardi Gras on this site. The Mardi Gras Store 2/17/2006 Aurora Ball dress rehearsal 2/17/2006 Orange Mardi Gras parade 2/18/2006 Aurora Ball 2/18/2006 Courir Parade 2/23/2006 Krewe of Krewes Parade 2/24/2006 Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade 2/25/2006 Munchkin Parade 2/26/2006 Award Winner:   3rd Place, Photo Package, Hearst Honors for a combination of six images from several days. To learn more about Mardi Gras please visit the Southeast Texas Mardi Gras official site.

Aurora Ball

Members of the Aurora Lights dance troupe put on their wings before performing at the Majestic Krewe of Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center in Beaumont on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


(Right) CC Doyle of the Aurora Lights dance troupe performs during the Aurora Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.

(Below) Royal Escorts help the Aurora Lights move on a cart to throw beads to ball attendees during the Aurora Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.






(Above) Royal Escorts move the Aurora Lights on a cart during the Aurora Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.

(Right) Laura Childress, krewe captain representing hibiscus, is assisted to a display cart during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.


(Right) Glyndon "Big" Childress, representing hibiscus, throws beads from a cart during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.


Cynthia Hinds (left), representing lily, has her backpiece adjusted by Guy Thibeault (center) as other members of the royal court watch during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center. Thibeault's wife Alice, who owns Originals by Alice in Nederland, has designed all the ball costumes for the last 11 years.


Wanda Mendoza, representing red rose, prepares to take the stage during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.




(Above) Members of the Majestic Krewe of Aurora royal court peek from backstage to see the activities during the Aurora Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.

(Left) Dolores Respess, representing pink carnation, waits backstage to be introduced during the Aurora Floral Fantasy Ball at the Beaumont Civic Center.