Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
But did you know that the country’s first Mardi Gras celebration was held not in the Crescent City, but 125 miles east, in Mobile, Alabama? It’s true, and there’s more: snack-lovers who get there in time for the parades can seriously rack up on free MoonPies. Here’s the backstory: In 1703, Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana. Get ready for flying Moon Pies, great music, colorful floats, and all the Mardi Gras fun! Mobile Mardi Gras is family-friendly! It is the perfect reason to plan a visit to southern Alabama. There are over 40 parades that roll through downtown Mobile during the two and half weeks before Fat Tuesday. Day 1 Mobile, Alabama Mardi Gras Years later, mystic societies in Mobile adopted the moon pie in a search for something softer to throw to parade-goers than the traditional box of Cracker Jack’s. The Moon Pie was a hit with parade-goers. Today some half a million Chattanooga Moon Pies (the only “official” moon pie) are said to be thrown during Mobile Mardi Gras. MoonPies, Mobile, and Mardi Gras “You know all about the beads, parades, masks and mayhem of Mardi Gras in New Orleans . But did you know that the country’s first Mardi Gras celebration was held not in the Crescent City, but 125 miles east, in Mobile, Alabama?” Taking place in in Mardi Gras Park – we’ll be celebrating early for the kids! Bounce houses, a mini-resolution wall, NYE crafts, MoonPie treats and a second line march to see the MoonPie drop at noon! NOON: MOONPIE NOON YEAR’S EVE DROP FOR KIDS. Let the kids ring in 2025 at Noon! 6:30PM: DJ DALTON MUSE The MoonPie over Mobile drops before each Mardi Gras Parade. The giant Moon Pie disc drops the 34 stories of the RSA Trustmark Building to celebrate the start of the parades. It also drops on New Year's Eve but that is another event for another post. The giant Moon Pie over Mobile weighs 600 pounds and is 12 feet tall! Here are a few things that make Mobile's Mardi Gras stand out from other Carnival celebrations--from a New Orleanian-turned-Mobilian. Catch a Moon Pie at a Mardi Gras parade, send it to a Mardi Gras This is for all things Mardi Gras related along the Gulf Coast. Local Businesses If you live in the Mobile, Alabama region and you’re looking for a certain type of business, this is the category for you. Do Some Good Mobile There are countless non-profits in the Mobile Alabama area that do good things. So, this section is to How did the treat for coal miners go from lunch pails to Mardi Gras treasure? That tradition started in Mobile, home of Mardi Gras, when it was decided that Cracker Jack boxes, the item that used to be thrown during parades, were just too darn hard. So MoonPies, a value at just a nickel back then, became the thing to throw. Mardi Gras first appeared in Mobile in 1703, the first location in the United States. MoonPies were first thrown from Mardi Gras floats in 1952 and have become Mobile’s favorite “throw” ever since. Mardi Gras is big business in Mobile. More than 12,811 jobs are directly related to Mardi Gras in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Here in Lafayette, we're just getting the tradition started. But why a Moon Pie? A lot of people that aren't that familiar with the Mobile style should know that before 1974, food has always been involved as a throw ever since 1949, when Crackerjacks, (peanuts and caramel nuggets) were thrown by a lot of Krewes as a treat for the revelers. Today, around 500,000 moon pies are thrown each year during Mardi Gras parades in Mobile. Although popular here, they are actually made in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Moon Pie General Store is located in downtown Mobile and while there, we stopped in to check it out. They had a variety of miniature moon pies so we got a few to try. Today's guest is none other than Stephen Toomey, the owner of Toomey's Mardi Gras Store, an iconic institution that has been a staple of Mobile's Carnival scene since the 1970s. If you're a Mobilian, you're surely familiar with Toomey's - the go-to place for Moon Pies, beads, trinkets, and all things Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday parades kick off at 10:30 a.m. with the Order of Athena, the only women’s group to parade on Mardi Gras in Mobile, and conclude with the city’s oldest continuous Mardi Gras parading group, the Order of Myths, who’ve been hitting the streets since 1868. The city is as vibrant as its annual Mardi Gras celebration, the oldest in the nation. Mobile’s carnival includes massive papier-mâché floats (a few of which are dragons breathing real fire), masked revelers, bejeweled royalty, and abundant Moon Pies, the city’s signature throw. For us locals, Mobile Mardi Gras is a sport and knowing the ins, outs, and everything in between is all part of the fun! So for you first-timers, let us bring you up to speed. Here's what you need to know if you're a first-timer to Mobile Mardi Gras: We love Moon Pies— Banana, chocolate, peanut Did you know that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile, Alabama? Yes, it's true! Mobile is the birthplace of America's original Mardi Gras, which took place in 1703. Get ready for flying Moon Pies, great music, colorful floats, and all the Mardi Gras fun! Mobile Mardi Gras is family-friendly! It is the perfect reason to plan a visit to southern Alabama. Are you ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Mardi Gras? Look no further than our latest podcast episode, where we sit down with the one and only Stephen Toomey, owner of Toomey’s Mardi Gras Store in Mobile, Alabama. From Moon Pies to hand-strung beads, Toomey’s has been the go-to source for all things Mardi Gras since the 1970s. Moon Pies are atthe top of the list for a parade throws and they are perfect thing to show a little Mardi Gras spirit at your event. Actually, Moon Pies make a great dessert. any time of year. Shop here for the all-time favorite original Moon Pies, plus mixed bulk candy bags, bubble gum, and more. 6. Over the Moon in Mobile. Photo Courtesy of Visit Mobile. Where: Mobile, Alabama What: Instead of a ball drop, they drop a MoonPie. While you may associate Mardi Gras with plastic beads tossed into crowds, the MoonPie is Mobile’s preferred throw. A graham cracker-and-marshmallow treat dunked and coated in chocolate, MoonPies are soft but
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |