You can’t help but notice as your drive around town this week that Jefferson is beginning to gear up for some thing really big. There is a feel and impression of busy preparation everywhere you go. Vendors are beginning to set up down at the bayou and trash cans are being set up all over town. Street cleaners are out vacuuming the streets and the Sysco and beer trucks seem to be everywhere. It is beginning to feel a lot like Mardi Gras…everywhere you go.
Last night, Tom and I went to Auntie Skinners for dinner. It was Tuesday night steak night after all. We had the opportunity to sit down with some of the folks on the Krewe of Hebe and talk to them about all of the Mardi Gras planning that is being finished up these last few days. I am not sure that these people are going to get any sleep between now and Sunday night. There has been a phenomenal amount of work that has already been done but now it is crunch time and so much has to be finished up in the few days leading up to the big party.
Myself, I am going to the grocery store today and will begin my food prep for this weekend. My plan is to prepare as much as possible in advance and have it waiting for the weekend in the freezer. I am also planning on making a King Cake for the guests that are staying here. We will have it sitting out on the front porch for everyone to enjoy. So as you can tell there is a ton of work and busy preparation going on here at the Carriage House as well.
Tom and I made a quick trip back to Dallas first part of this week so that we could make a presentation about our Photography Weekends to the Plano Photography Club. I went into a little bit of a culture shock. No one had a Mardi Gras tree up. There were no ads or billboards for King Cakes. There were no beads for sale in the stores. It is almost as if Mardi Gras doesn’t exist outside of this little New Orleans influenced bubble that I live in.
If you are planning on coming out for the Mardi Gras Upriver celebrations this weekend, you will need to plan a day trip or look for a hotel room in Marshall. All of the hotels, motels and Bed & Breakfast in Jefferson are completely full. I have also heard that all of the lodging in Uncertain is full as well. We will open up our calendar for reservations for next year’s Mardi Gras this coming Monday, March 7th. You can call us at 903-665-9511 to make your reservation.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Tags: Krewe of Hebe, Mardi Gras Upriver