Laissez Le Bon Temps Roulet

Mardi Gras Party @ The Original Farmers Market

Let the good times roll! Today is Mardi Gras....Fat Tuesday, the big celebration day before Lent. Today is the day when all the stops are pulled out...live it up, go crazy, eat rich food, drink a lot, because tomorrow you must give it all up before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season which begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. I'm not Catholic, but I do like the party traditions that they celebrate in Louisiana for Mardi Gras.

Excellent Hat made from a paper bag!

This past weekend Larry and I went to the Farmers Market to hear the Mardi Gras bands, eat food from Louisiana and have a few Dixie and VooDoo beers in celebration! We saw many old friends and had a great time.

the whole Market is decorated for Mardi Gras

This was the 21st annual Mardi Gras celebration at the Original Farmers Market. It was started by a previous owner of the Gumbo Pot Restaurant, Charles Myers. In 1989, at his own expense, Charles hired Steve Allen's New Orleans band to perform on the Saturday and Sunday before Fat Tuesday. Steve invited many guest performers to play and sing with the band. In the early years, Rita Coolidge, Jimmy Wood, Billy Vera and more would perform. There were second line dances and the crowd loved it. In later years, the Farmers Market picked up the tab and started featuring bands and other entertainment all over the Market for the celebration. For a few years there were roving second line bands, Zydeco and Cajun bands, Brazilian bands, Dixie Land bands and more. Now, the celebration is concentrated at the west end of the Market.

On Sunday we danced to Lisa Haley's Zydekats. Lisa played at our wedding reception. She's such a doll. She always remembers the date of our wedding and dedicates a song to us!

Larry wore his newly crocheted Mardi Gras crown on Sunday. It was a hit! Larry has been photographing the Mardi Gras at the Market for all 21 years! He has photos of families from 20 years ago that still come to the big party. It's a tradition. Larry and I postponed our 1992 wedding so we wouldn't miss the celebration at the Market! We ended up getting married on Fat Tuesday at the L.A. Courthouse downtown. It's a double celebration for us!

Amy and Bobby

Christian and Ron

Krochet Kim

We'll be going to the Market tonight to hear Eddie Baytos and the Nervis Bros. perform. Save some gumbo for me, tomorrow it's the "honeymooner's salad"....lettuce alone without dressing! Hardee-har-har!