I grew up on the gulf coast, going to Mardi Gras at least once a year (it lasts for weeks) for most of my childhood. Any time I’m reminded of Mardi Gras, it’s a good moment. Who doesn’t love cute pups? Throw it all into a big gumbo and you have a party.
The seventeenth annual Mardi Growl, sponsored by Young Williams Animal Center, has more Mardi Gras and more puppy power than any other event in the city. Both the parade route and the site of the event have shifted as downtown has become more congested, but the core mission remains the same: Promoting the adoption and care of animals across the city.
Displaying cute animals dressed whimsically serves as a pretty strong inducement to pet ownership. The pets this year, as every year, rocked an array of fun costumes, from Mardi Gras colored boas to much more elaborate caps and capes, beads and pretty much everything green, purple, and gold. And then, like any good costume party, others came up with their own themes, from Barbie to sports figures and a few super heroes. It’s Mardi Gras: Permission to let your freak flag fly.
Of course, there is more. The humans sometimes dress pretty funky, themselves, and one portion of the parade features humans and pets dressing alike. You think you’ve seen humans who look like their animals? Check them out dressed in the same attire. Freaky. Another section of the parade is completely Volified. And on it goes. The children light up the parade with extreme cuteness and one of those cuties gave me some beads to rock.
While the floats of my childhood loom large, Mardi Growl offers a few nods to that tradition, as well, with wagons and carriages loaded with the little critters who sometimes hang over the sides and sometimes hide from the crowd only venturing an occasional peek. Some of the smaller ones never took a step in the parade as their humans carried them every bit of the way.
I didn’t see too many animal (or human) freakouts this year. Sometimes the stimulation can be a bit much for the less socialized. I did get lots of good nose nudges and tail wags, with a few of the dogs downright posing for me. It’s hard not to smile — a lot — at this event, which is always nice after a “long, cold, lonely winter.”
The parade started on Willow near where the stadium rapidly rises in the distance. After a block on Central (where I photographed), the crewe turns left onto Jackson, crossing Broadway and rolling right down to the World’s Fair Park where the judges awaited. The event itself, formerly on Market Square, now lives on the south lawn of the World’s Fair Park. Market Square, now packed on a normal Saturday, just couldn’t keep up. Seventeen years have delivered a lot of changes to the city.
One disappointment for me this year: No marching band. In recent years the Fulton High School Marching Band has led the processional blasting “When the Saints Go Marching In” on repeat. Nothing says Mardi Gras like the approaching sounds of a marching band or a jazz band. Without it, there is something distinctly missing. I hope to see them back next year.
I’ve included a few of my favorites in the large format (click them to see full screen), but I’ve dropped the dozens of others below for your pleasure. Happy Mardi Growl!