Photos by Jessica Zook
Multi-colored beads and feathered masks adorned the necks and faces of thousands of people this Saturday in an early celebration of Mardi Gras held at CityScape.
This celebration was the second annual Downtown Phoenix Mardi Gras Parade, Festival and Mardi Crawl pub crawl put on by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership. Last year, the event had more than 2,000 people in attendance, and organizers expected even more this year, said Terry Madeksza, Downtown Phoenix Partnership director of operations.
The event included live music, belly dancers, various vendors, a beer garden, a parade and a late-night pub crawl with transportation between venues provided by trolleys.
Some people came in full costume, including tutus and wings, while others dressed casually and collected Mardi Gras beads.
“I hope this event grows every year and it grows until it becomes a signature downtown Phoenix event,” Madeksza said.
A diverse crowd enjoyed Saturday’s festivities, including families with young children, students and older adults.
Gwendolyn Facciano, a nursing freshman, was curious about the Mardi Gras celebration since she learned about Mardi Gras in her high school French classes.
“It was fun. I went for about 30 to 45 minutes with friends and we saw some of the parade passing through,” Facciano said. “It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but was cool seeing all the venders and people dressed up.”
Families were more present in the early afternoon and a few toddlers danced along to the live music of Rhythm is Life Steel Band, a percussion-heavy Phoenix group founded in 2006.
The vendors who set up at the event were diverse as well. The set up included Mesa-based business Blingy Beads, advocacy group Mayday Pit Bull Rescue, food trucks including Jamburrito’s Cajun Grille and Pizza People, the psychic readings of Rhonda St. Louis, Kathy Zimmerman Photography and more.
Mayday Pitt Bull Rescue was a popular stop for children and families because they brought a few dogs with them and had six dogs walk in the parade later in the day. John Stuart, one of the directors of Mayday Pitt Bull Rescue Advocacy, said they wanted to educate the public about pit bulls. They were also involved in the Mardi Gras event last year.
The smells of toasting kettle corn and Cajun spices filled the air as the parade began its route around Phoenix at 5:30 p.m. The parade included trolleys brimming with energetic and dancing passengers who threw beads to the crowd, local businesses such as the San Carlos Ghost Lounge, roller derby girls, giant puppets with skeletal motifs, clowns on stilts, a costumed Star Wars group, cheerleaders and more.
CityScape became a crowded and lively center of celebration and only the light rail’s passing honks served as a reminder of the downtown Phoenix business atmosphere.
Downtown Phoenix Ambassador Guy Engard was at the event last year and noted this year was a lot busier.
“It’s just a bunch of people having a great time,” Engard said. “It’s our version of Mardi Gras.”
The final part of Saturday’s festivities began at 9 p.m. with the beginning of the Mardi Crawl pub crawl and included a performance by the band John Henry’s Revenge. The band began a bit late due to technical difficulties and saxophone player Mike Moynihan thanked the crowd for waiting and apologized for the delay. Although the crowd had thinned out by this point, with most people boarding the trolley for the pub crawl, John Henry’s Revenge enthusiastically began their set and filled the CityScape center with their unique music, a combination of jazz and electronic sounds.
“This is the music of the people,” shouted Moynihan before beginning his set.
Saturday’s events were geared toward everyone, Madeksza said, adding that even the vendors Downtown Phoenix Partnership looked for were unique and eclectic.
Contact the reporter at carolina.m.lopez@asu.edu
