Those who attended Saturday night’s festivities said they enjoyed the Total Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade, live music and more.
BEAUMONT, Texas – On Saturday, Southeast Texans gathered in downtown Beaumont to celebrate the third day of Southeast Texas Mardi Gras.
Despite the chilly weather, those who attended Saturday night’s festivities said they enjoyed the Total Krewe of Aurora Grand Parade, live music and more.
“Oh, that’s awesome, really awesome,” Beaumont resident De Poole said. “I love beads. I was trying to collect them and collect toys for my 14 grandkids, so I could give them each a little something and a little video I took. It was awesome .
Prior to Saturday, De and Stephen Poole had never attended Southeast Texas Mardi Gras. They said they were happy to support local vendors and artists while enjoying the food and festivities.
“They’ve been fighting for a long time,” De Poole said. “And yes, to get back down to earth, like a lot of other people, it’s good for them, good for us.”
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For some it was a first and for others the participation was a permanent tradition. Lumberton resident David Desormeaux has attended the celebration every year since it started in Port Arthur 28 years ago.
Desormeaux said he was happy to see the event being held in Beaumont.
“This is where this Mardi Gras should be,” Desormeaux said. “They’ve got the event center. They’ve got a good crowd. They’ve really done a tough job. The weather hurt them a bit tonight, but here we are.”
Desormeaux feels the fun of Beaumont’s celebration matches that of the Mardi Gras he has attended in New Orleans and elsewhere.
“I went to New Orleans,” Desormeaux said. “We’ve been to Fat Tuesdays, and we’ve been to many places. There won’t be a better parade than the parades we have here.”
After its cancellation in 2021 due to COVID-19, event organizers expected a high turnout. Despite the feeling that the cold weather may have kept some people out, organizers said turnout was excellent.
“What’s great is that people come dressed in colors for Mardi Gras,” said event organizer Tim Romero. “They are excited. They want out. They’re ready for the cold, and if you bundle up and take a nap, it’s not so bad.
The organizers are already looking forward to next year’s festivities.
“Next year, I mean, hopefully we’ll have good weather and we’ll just, you know, have a good time too,” Romero said. “We are here for a while.”
The Saturday festivities will end at midnight when the doors close. They will reopen Sunday noon.