(BRANDON CLASEN reports and photographs [on actual film!] for WeHeartMusic.com)

Everybody loves a parade! –

Or, locally, it seems that everyone in Lawrence does, as there are several a year, including Halloween’s Zombie Walk, St. Patrick’s Day, and several others, not counting those National Championship celebrations.

Though not particularly a town filled with people of Creole descent, Fat Tuesday was the perfect excuse to stage the 16^th Annual Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Lawrence. For Catholics, Fat Tuesday, the last day of the six-week celebration of carnival season. Lent begins the day after on Ash Wednesday, allowing the celebration to serve one last day of indulgence.

The celebration first began locally by musician friends, Mike and Katie, who started this tradition after moving to Lawrence from New Orleans and discovering there was no existing Mardi Gras celebration and so a small band of musicians took on the responsibility of carrying the Krewe De Kaw flag in celebration.

The result is now a Noon parade with music, beads, glitter, and more, casually marching down Mass Street stopping to play on corners, in restaurants, and anywhere else that won’t kick them out immediately. So known has the parade become, many from Kansas City will attend the morning parade there, drive into Lawrence for the afternoon parade, then head back to KC for evening festivities.

Things got started early as the Brass Mob Band and associated musicians met at 8am at Cajun restaurant and main sponsor, Terrebonne to organize over beignets, coffee and cocktails, By Noon (and after a moment of silence for those suffering everywhere), the march was in full swing, stopping in to loudly play inside Free State Brewery, the Lawrence Public Library, Love Garden Sounds, and other stops before eventually returning to where they started.

Beads were flying, a collective joy hummed in downtown Lawrence, filled with people traditionally in gold, green, and purple ensembles, and made everyone in the community an honorary “Cajun”, if only for the afternoon.

(Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)