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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. Be a part of the historic celebration that has been in Mobile since 1703. Mardi Gras celebrations begin two and a half weeks before Fat Tuesday and the Port City comes to life. Elaborate themed floats manned by masked mystic societies, mounted police and marching bands wind through downtown Mobile and surrounding areas, entertaining nearly a million revelers NOON: MOONPIE NOON YEAR’S EVE DROP FOR KIDS. Let the kids ring in 2025 at Noon! 6:30PM: DJ DALTON MUSE. Get hyped at the main stage with DJ Dalton Muse as he plays between acts through 12:30am! 7:30PM: BEST DECORATED UMBRELLA CONTEST. Come show off your best decorated Mardi Gras umbrella for a chance to win a prize and lead the parade. 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 Mobile, Alabama is the mother of mystics, the original birthplace of Mardi Gras as we know it! Each year, the city and its surrounding communities come together for weeks of parades, masked balls, MoonPies and merry-making leading up to Fat Tuesday, a season that is collectively known as 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?” 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 More than 12,811 jobs are directly related to Mardi Gras in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The annual economic impact is more than $227 million in direct carnival spending. The first MoonPie Over Mobile celebration was held on Dec. 31, 2008 and was the idea of then Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson. 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! The Story of Mardi Gras from the Home of Mardi Gras The MoonPie Minute presented by Toomey's Mardi Gras and Party Supplies, Cammie's Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe, Karat Patch Jewelers and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office. FEBRUARY 1, 2025 - EPIPHANY - KICKING OFF MARDI GRAS 2025 FEBRUARY 2, 2025 - THE DOMINO DOUBLE RUSH BALL Moon Pie is a trade-marked name of the Chattanooga Bakery in Tennessee. There are, however, other companies in operation that sell otherdifferentbe called Mardi Gras pies. The Chattanooga Bakery began making moon pies in 1916. They first came in graham cracker cookies with a marshmallow center. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. Upwards of 500,000 MoonPies are thrown into parade crowds during Mobile Mardi Gras celebrations each year. Mobile, which stakes its claim as Mardi Gras’ birthplace, foreshadows the Carnival season with a MoonPie Over Mobile celebration on New Year’s Eve, during which a 600-pound electric MoonPie glides down the side of RSA Tower at midnight. No cultural tour is complete without sampling Mobile’s sweet side. Treat yourself to pralines, a classic Southern confection, or try a MoonPie, a Mobile Mardi Gras staple. Pecan pies from local bakeries are another must-try, celebrating the bounty of Alabama’s rich pecan groves. These iconic treats offer the perfect ending to a flavorful Moon Pies, Beads, and Mardi Gras Traditions: Inside Toomey’s Mardi Gras with Stephen Toomey. 755-A McRae Ave. Mobile, AL 36606 (251) 450-5012. Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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