NEWS EDITOR – ASHTON JEFFERS
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON MARCH 2, 2023
Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Carnival Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday are all ways of naming the celebration known as Mardi Gras. No matter what you call it, the holiday always takes place the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. Some popular locations for celebrating Mardi Gras or Carnival are New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro and Venice. Historians state that this celebration dates back to the ancient Romans, whose traditions can be seen in modern practice. One of these is the practice of baking king cake. King cake is a dessert named after the practice of hiding a little baby, also called a fève, inside a piece of the cake. According to the New Orleans & Company Tourism website, various traditions define Mardi Gras celebrations, such as parades, photo contests, and get-togethers.
San Antonio had its own Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 17 and 18, with two full days of music, food, drink and merriment before the beginning of the Lenten season. One might find it interesting to have Mardi Gras celebrated in Central Texas. Still, the proximity of Louisiana and the roots of iterations of the celebration in Christianity allow the residents of San Antonio to celebrate the season of Carnival in their own unique way before welcoming Easter and Fiesta. While the celebration is certainly not as large of a celebration compared to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, San Antonio’s Mardi Gras Parade invited residents and local performers alike to participate in the festivities.
Sponsored by Bud Light, the annual Mardi Gras River Parade had two separate opportunities for viewing the float parade on Saturday. The Mardi Gras Parade was held in the afternoon at the Museum Reach area and at the Riverwalk Downtown in the evening. Both celebrations allowed individuals to experience the parade when they were available to attend. A new event, the River Walk Royalty Coronation, was held on Saturday, where the River Walk Royalty was officially announced. These “Royals” were nominated last June, and spent the past months fundraising for their campaigns. The donations willgo to local organizations that focus on hospitality and architectural preservation in San Antonio.Mardi Gras may be the Royals’ first introduction to the public, but it certainly isn’t the last of the season.Each of the Royals attend and host Riverwalk events throughout the spring.
Other floats were decorated by businesses and organizations in the San Antonio area, incorporating the themes of both traditional Mardi Gras attire and a bit oftheir own flair. It wouldn’t be a proper Mardi Gras paradewithout throwing colorfulbeads of silver, green, purpleand gold to the crowds thatlined the River Walk.Another feature of the MardiGras celebration was the livemusic performances on theRiver Walk that played from Friday, Feb. 17 through the18. A variety of local artists,bands and solo musiciansperformed fan-favoriteoldies, pop songs and jazzpieces that drew friends,families and couples together before the parades.
It would not be a complete festival without good food and drinks. Food vendors set up pop-up tents and stand in La Villita, along the River Walk for hungry and thirsty patrons. These vendors included local and nationaly recognized restaurants and fast food stores. Of course to top it all off, there were discounts given for the Mardi Gras holiday at the many restaurants and bars that line the winding paths that make up the River Walk. The best part of this incredible public celebration was free attendance. The parade and performances were free of charge to the public, allowing visitors to fully enjoy San Antonio’s take on Mardi Gras, and solidifying the River Walk as a gathering space to celebrate community, culture, and festivities before the season of Lent begins.