The good times came rolling in and then they rolled out.
The 2011 Mardi Gras weekend went by fast…too fast. Now the parades, the parties and the bands are all just a blurry memory of a crazy weekend. The street sweepers have been by already this morning and vacuumed up all of the beads and dobloons laying in the streets and the port-a-potties are now gone. The bandstands have been broken down and put away for another year. The parade floats have returned to the Krewe of Hebe garage and the carneys and food vendors have all moved on to the next big event. The little town of Jefferson is beginning to return to normal. The air is no longer electrified with Mardi Gras excitement. Today seems quiet and ordinary. It is just a Monday after all, no more and no less.
The Marshall News Messenger reported that 30,000 people packed into town this weekend. That could be true. The streets were definitely filled with revelers. Restaurants were full and the beer gardens were packed. We had some amazing bands playing at the different band stands throughout Jefferson’s Historic Riverfront District. If you want to know what you missed this weekend, check out the video below.
Historically, Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Jefferson, Texas going all the way back into the 19th century, due to the city’s cultural ties with New Orleans via the waterways of the Big Cypress Bayou and the Red River. History has handed down numerous stories of the parties thrown in Jefferson and some of the most notorious appear in area newspapers of the day. Many of the society writers of thetime noted the galas, including the Queen Mab Ball, held in Jefferson, and other events thrown aboard boats that plied the waterways between Jefferson, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana.
Today the tradition continues and Jefferson still throws one of the biggest Mardi Gras parties around.
People book their rooms a year in advance so that they can get a chance to celebrate New Orleans style in East Texas. The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast is one of the most popular places to stay since the parades come right in front of the house. Our guests enjoy sitting on the front porch and watching the celebration roll down Polk Street. If you haven’t booked a room for next year, you need to do so soon. The hotels and bed & breakfasts in town are already filling up for next year’s event. The Carriage House B&B is already full but we can add you to our wait list.
Tags: Carriage House Bed and Breakfast, Jefferson Texas, Krewe of Hebe, Mardi Gras Upriver