Kingwood Celebrates First Annual Mardi Gras Festival – Expecting Thousands of Attendees Kingwood, Texas, Parades, king cakes, beads, masks, stars, floats and thousands of residents will line the streets of Town Center Park during Kingwood’s First Annual Mardi Gras Festival, scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2005 from 2 pm to 10 pm. Would-be revelers should plan to join the throngs screaming the immortal catch-phrase "Throw me something, mister!"
This first annual Mardi Gras celebration in Kingwood begins in earnest with a traditional Mardi Gras parade scheduled for 3 PM. The parade route will start on Bens Branch and go around the west side of Town Center Park, turning left on Main Street. From Main Street the parade will go around Town Center, and then around the east side of Town Center Park, ending at Bens Branch.
"We are very excited about the Mardi Gras Festival and Parade, and are still accepting applications for parade participants," said Suzanne Juel of Kingwood Event Coordinators. "There is no fee to participate in the parade, and we encourage all groups to participate. The only requirements are to submit an application and to have a family-friendly display that conforms to this year’s theme of The Roaring 20’s. Parade applications are available at Town Center Executive Suites, or may be downloaded from our website at http://www.kwtowncenterevents.com."
Several local businesses and groups have already signed up to participate. Wells Fargo is creating a "Bonny & Clyde float," the local chapter of the Humble Artesian American Business Women’s Association will be walking and riding the route, and Champaign’s Appliances of Kingwood is building a mystery float. When asked about his float, Milton Lee Court III, just smiled like a Cheshire Cat and said "You’ll have to see it to believe it."
J Christophers will join the Mardi Gras celebration to mark their 25th anniversary in Kingwood. For the parade, they will be driving the 2005 Ford F150 Truck that is being raffled by the Kingwood Chamber of Commerce. J Christophers will also hold drawings for a big screen TV and free pizza for a year. Tickets can be picked up at J Christophers at 2245 Northpark Dr. The winner must be present at the Mardi Gras Festival to win.
The event will also feature live music by Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Road Runners and Jazz musician Lawrence Overshown.
Kingwood’s Mardi Gras Festival is supported completely by donations and sponsorships. This year’s sponsors include Wells Fargo Bank, Gameforce in Town Center and Tejas Toyota.
Vendors will be on hand with Mardi Gras merchandise, and great food. Vendor spaces are still available, and applications can be found on the event website at http://www.kwtowncenterevents.com.Sponsors are still being accepted for the event, and sponsorships start at $250. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring or participating in the event should contact Kingwood Event Coordinators at 888-386-8178, or by email at
For those who are not familiar with the history of the festival, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the last hurrah before the Catholic season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It also has links to the Christmas season through the period known as Carnival.
The traditional Mardi Gras or Carnival season begins on January 6, the twelfth day after Christmas, also known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.
The Mardi Gras season continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. While the practice of Lent is not mentioned in the Bible, it has been a tradition in the Christian world since the mid 4th century. It seems to parallel the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness that Jesus experienced following his baptism. It is during the Mardi Gras season, that revelers indulge themselves prior to the beginning of Lent. Mardi Gras has evolved over the years to include the flamboyant costumes and fantastic masks that are a common part of the Mardi Gras experience; in New Orleans float riders are even required by law to wear masks. The masking tradition descends from ancient Roman times when carnival-goers assumed different identities. Modern masks can run the gamut from fun and funky to elaborate and intricate.
King cakes, another Mardi Gras tradition, have become a near universal - and delicious - symbol of Mardi Gras. Tradition dictates that whoever finds the tiny plastic baby hidden inside brings another cake, with another trinket hidden inside, the next day.
The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors were chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex. He chose these colors to stand for the following:
• Purple represents justice
• green stands for faith
• gold stands for power
So come out to the first annual Kingwood Mardi Gras Festival, dressed in your Mardi Gras finest! "We hope to see you at this first annual Kingwood Mardi Gras Festival, hosted by Town Center Merchant Association. The focus of this festival is to promote community and just plain have a good time," said Ty Eckley of the Town Center Merchant Association.
The Kingwood Mardi Gras Festival and Parade is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2005. Hours for the event are 2PM – 10 PM. Parking and admission are free. The community parade will commence at 3PM.
For more information, please contact Suzanne Juel at Kingwood Event Coordinators; email
About Kingwood Event Coordinators
Kingwood Event Coordinators create and run community events for business owners, community associations, and groups interested in profit or charitable means. We coordinate events within the perimeters that are set by the event owners. We are capable of soliciting sponsors, vendors, entertainment, and more for individual or annual events. We provide custom services for each event we coordinate and we always have the highest standards and requirements for those participating
Kingwood Event Coordinators Contact
Suzanne Juel
Kingwood Event Coordinators
Email:
Online: http://www.kingwoodevents.com
Online: http://www.kwtowncenterevents.com
Phone: 888-386-8178 x88
