MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The city that calls itself the “birthplace of Mardi Gras” is kicking off its first real Mardi Gras celebration since 2020 after two years that were lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mobile’s first big parade of the Mardi Gras season was scheduled for Friday night, when the Conde Cavaliers were set to roll through the city. With clear skies and nighttime temperatures in the 50s, officials said they were preparing for a big crowd going after plastic beads, trinkets and Moon Pies.
“We will have a command post in the heart of downtown Mobile. So as the festivities are taking place, we’ll have personnel that can deploy additional personnel to those areas as quickly as possible,” Public Safety Director Lawrence Battiste told WALA-TV.
Health officials urged participants to be careful around large crowds to avoid spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, but many already have given up safety measures like wearing face masks and social distancing.
The city held its most recent Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday in 2020. Tens of thousands turned out when the city staged a parade in May 2021 to mark the commissioning of the Navy’s new ship the USS Mobile.
While New Orleans’ celebration dwarfs festivities on the Alabama coast, Mobile’s claim to fame is that it began celebrating Mardi Gras before New Orleans. More than 40 parades are planned in the Mobile area before festivities end with Fat Tuesday on March 1.