Mobile Touts Family-Oriented Mardi Gras

M O B I L E, Ala., Jan. 27 -- From decorated trees and outrageous costumesto colorful parades and quaint traditions, it's Mardi Gras time onthe Gulf Coast. And while New Orleans' celebration may be betterknown, Mobile's claims to be older — as well as morefamily-oriented.

Historians say the carnival was born in Mobile among Frenchcolonists in the 1700s, but it didn't really catch on until 1830,when a group of rowdies hit the streets with cowbells and rakestaken from a hardware store. They called themselves the Cowbellionde Rakin Society.

Today celebrations are held all along the Gulf Coast, from Texasto at least Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and small towns in between.

While Mobile has struggled lately with job layoffs, soldiersleaving for Iraq and related economic problems, the gloom hassubsided a little for carnival in the port city, where about 30different Mardi Gras organizations form the nucleus of thecelebration.

"People are not spending like last year. Too many people areunemployed," said Carol Henson at Accent Annex, a Mardi Grassupplier. But she still has buyers for dancing jester dolls, crazyhats, designer beads, wreaths for doors and colorful sequinedvests.

"Lots of people are decorating their homes with Mardi Grastrees," she added. A typical tree is decorated with strings ofbeads and carnival masks.

All-Out Party Mode

Poor economy or not, the season of frivolity and late-nightcavorting in this 300-year-old port city is expected to fill thecity's 5,700 hotel and motel rooms, particularly downtown where themajor parades roll.

Police Capt. Joe Kennedy said about 833,479 people attended lastyear's two weeks of Mardi Gras parades. He expects a similarturnout this year.

And in response to past complaints about alcohol at the parades,an alcohol-free zone will be designated this year by roping off ablock or more along the parade route, according to Mobile PublicSafety Director Dick Cashdollar.

Mardi Gras falls on Feb. 24, but the first parades rolled Jan.24 on Dauphin Island. The pace picks up Feb. 6 in Mobile, when thefirst of the city's 33 parades is held.