Downtown Phoenix to get taste of Mardi Gras
Joseph M. Beck
A taste of New Orleans is coming to the Valley.
The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in Arizona takes place on Feb. 18 at the Phoenix Cityscape.
Last year’s celebration was a smashing success and they are planning on an even bigger crowd this year.
“We expected maybe 300 people in 2011, since it was our first year. Instead we had over 2,000,” said Samantha Jackson, program manager for the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors, part of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership.
The event comes in three parts beginning with a festival at 2:30 p.m. The festival will showcase a variety of local artists. The Hey Boyz, John Henry’s Revenge, and the Bad Cactus Brass Band are just some of the acts that will be on stage. Vendors and psychics will be there in full force. Admission is free and open to all ages.
The festival runs until 10 p.m that night.
At 5:30 the parade begins and runs a two mile loop around the downtown Phoenix area.
There will be giant puppets, stilt walking, Star Wars wannabes, the Arizona Steam Punk Society, and more.
The parade will continue for one hour and ends at the Phoenix Cityscape to rejoin the festival.
For those 21 and older, the party continues on till 2 a.m. with a pub crawl. To combat the urge to drink and drive, trolleys have been hired and tickets will be sold for $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
The trolleys will take teams of drinkers from bar to bar to enjoy special deals.
This is the second year that this celebration has come to the Phoenix.
The event is organized by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership and the Bad Cactus Brass Band, Arizona’s premier New Orleans style jazz band.
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the culture of downtown Phoenix.
The organization is known for its ambassador program which provides people with information on everything in downtown Phoenix.
The program was the winner of 2010’s Unsung Heroes award.
More information on the event can be found atphxmardigras.com.
A taste of New Orleans is coming to the Valley.
The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in Arizona takes place on Feb. 18 at the Phoenix Cityscape.
Last year’s celebration was a smashing success and they are planning on an even bigger crowd this year.
“We expected maybe 300 people in 2011, since it was our first year. Instead we had over 2,000,” said Samantha Jackson, program manager for the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors, part of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership.
The event comes in three parts beginning with a festival at 2:30 p.m. The festival will showcase a variety of local artists. The Hey Boyz, John Henry’s Revenge, and the Bad Cactus Brass Band are just some of the acts that will be on stage. Vendors and psychics will be there in full force. Admission is free and open to all ages.
The festival runs until 10 p.m that night.
At 5:30 the parade begins and runs a two mile loop around the downtown Phoenix area.
There will be giant puppets, stilt walking, Star Wars wannabes, the Arizona Steam Punk Society, and more.
The parade will continue for one hour and ends at the Phoenix Cityscape to rejoin the festival.
For those 21 and older, the party continues on till 2 a.m. with a pub crawl. To combat the urge to drink and drive, trolleys have been hired and tickets will be sold for $8 in advance or $10 at the door.
The trolleys will take teams of drinkers from bar to bar to enjoy special deals.
This is the second year that this celebration has come to the Phoenix.
The event is organized by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership and the Bad Cactus Brass Band, Arizona’s premier New Orleans style jazz band.
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the culture of downtown Phoenix.
The organization is known for its ambassador program which provides people with information on everything in downtown Phoenix.
The program was the winner of 2010’s Unsung Heroes award.
More information on the event can be found atphxmardigras.com.
