Mardi Gras celebration in our own backyard

Mardi Gras celebration in our own backyard

You don't have to go all the way to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras.

All you have to do is take a short drive to Brockport, which is having its own Mardi Gras celebration on Saturday, April 29. Unlike the Mardi Gras in New Orleans though, this local celebration is family and child friendly.

"This is a huge event for Brockport and the surrounding communities," said Event Organizer Bill Andrews. "It's wonderful for families and everyone who comes to it has a great time."

Mardi Gras events
The highlight of the event is a parade that will begin at 10 a.m. from Market Street. "The theme of the parade this year is 'Our Heroes,' " Andrews said. "The community groups and businesses who are designing the floats for the parade can either choose to use or not to use the theme."

The celebration doesn't end with the parade, though. From kids having the opportunity to have their faces painted to experimenting with sand art, there will be games and activities at the celebration. The Genesee County Museum will also have a 19th Century game for children to play.

For those with a sweet tooth, they should consider joining in on the "cake walk." Similar to the game Musical Chairs, participants will walk until the music stops, and whichever cake they are at when the music stops is theirs to keep.

And what would a Mardi Gras celebration be without music. In addition to Dixie Land music, there will also be bands playing such as the Blue Thunder and Captain Jacks.

The festivities immediately follow the parade and are on the grounds of SUNY Brockport.

History of event
The Village of Brockport has been hosting this Mardi Gras event for many years. The first one was in 1999 on behalf of then 10-year-old Max Monaghan, who is HIV positive. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western New York, Monaghan was granted a wish. His initial wish was to attend a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, but he later decided he wanted to have a parade in Brockport so he could share it with friends.

This first Mardi Gras celebration was a resounding success, and what started off as an event to help one little boy, has turned into an annual community celebration where the Village of Brockport decided to hold a Mardi Gras every year for its residents, as well as for other sick and disabled children.

During the Mardi Gras events, children from organizations such as CP Rochester and Camp Good Days and Special Times have the opportunity to ride on the floats and participate in a variety of special games.

"The Mardi Gras celebration is truly a community event," said Andrews. "The fire department, local businesses, the Girl Scouts and other service clubs, as well as the school district and SUNY Brockport all come together to make it a very special day for everybody, especially the kids."

Additional information about the Mardi Gras event can be found on the Village of Brockport's website at www.brockportny.org., or by calling Bill Andrews at 637-3721.