let the good times roll

Mardis Gras! Galveston opening weekend kicks of with concerts, parades, and bountiful beads

A perennial draw, Mardis Gras! Galveston is one of the oldest continuous celebrations in the continental United States, starting just 10 years after New Orleans. Naturally, the event is one of main highlights of the island calendar year.

Galveston's massive, always popular event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands this year, many who'll pack the island during carnival season for concerts, parades, balcony parties, elegant balls, and of course, beads from Friday, February 2 through Fat Tuesday, February 13.

The fun runs from The Strand to Seawall Boulevard and parts in between; those planning their trip can check out this handy map. To up the ante, the popular “Golden Bead” contest is back; lucky fans who manage to grab a golden bead will be treated exclusive prizes. Read more here.

Here’s what’s happening across the opening three-day weekend, from Friday, February 2 through Sunday, February 4.

Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Friday – Umbrellas and Hayden Baker

Parades are the soul of Mardis Gras, and few do it better on the island than the Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. The group is known for their rainbow of meticulously decorated umbrellas that weave through the streets, sometimes breaking into “The Hokey Pokey.”

Mardi Gras! Galveston Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. Thousands pack the streets Friday for the opening night Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade. Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Mardi Gras! Galveston umbrellas Funky Uptown Umbrella Brigade Show off your best umbrella for fun — and free admission.Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

It’s also one of the few parades people can join free of charge, provided they bring their own decorated umbrella, of course. This year’s parade honors the memory of Mary Pegler, a Galveston night-life entrepreneur and philanthropist who filled many dance floors and raised money for numerous good causes.

Other parades include the Party Gras! Procession, the George P. Mitchell Mardi Gras Award Honoree Parade, and the Mardi Gras! Galveston Parade with Grand Marshal Trey from the Fe.

On the Corona Extra Stage at the Tremont House (2300 Strand), there will be several concerts. In addition to Mid Life Crisis and The Line Up, country star Hayden Baker will take the headline spot at 10 p.m. Baker started out his career doing covers and how-to tutorials on YouTube before being discovered by country superstar Brad Paisely. Since then, he has been a rising star on the country scene.

Hayden Baker performs Friday.Photo via Hayden Baker/Facebook

For those who wants a quieter experience during the day before the party gets rolling, historical sites like Moody Mansion and the Trinity Episcopal Cemetery are running tours while the sun is up.

Saturday – Golf Carts, 5K, and Gin Blossoms

Saturday is the big show! Several more themed parades are set to wow visitors, including the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius. Galveston’s second-oldest krewe, it features a whopping 12 flats, 15 marching bands, and walking units and more. When it comes to the quintessential Mardis Gras parade experience, accept no substitutes.

Mardi Gras! Galveston Mystic Krewe parade float The Mystic Krewe of Aquarius is Galveston’s second-oldest krewe.Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Earlier in the day is the Jolly Jester Jaunt, a 5k marathon with a Mardis Gras flair. Not only is it a fun way to get some exercise, participants will receive passes to balcony parties, concerts, and drinks afterwards. It’s one of the best ways to get right in the thick of the celebrations.

Or if walking isn’t your speed, how about the Zaniest Golf Cart Parade? Locals outfit their carts with a wild collection of decorations.

Music-wise, the night belongs to the Gin Blossoms. One of the 1990s’ best alt-rock acts, they had major hits with “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear it From You.” Now on the nostalgia circuit but still releasing records, the band’s southwestern sound mixes well with the frontier nature of Texas Mardis Gras.

Photo via Gin Blossoms/Facebook

Sunday – All Things Latin at Fiesta Gras!

Mardis Gras’s roots are in Carnival, which exploded in popularity in Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s only fitting that Mardis Gras! Galveston have a day-long celebration of Latin America, which is the theme for Sunday’s events — dubbed Fiesta Gras!

The afternoon opens with the Univision Houston Parade, a massive collection of various Hispanic floats, bands, and dance troupes. It continues with the Los Locos Vaqueros & Jeeps Parade.

Karina Gonzalez Houston Ballet Photo via Karina Gonzalez/Instagram/Jeff Busby

The Grand Marshal is Houston Ballet principal ballerina Karina Gonzalez. The Venezuela-born dancer has starred in productions like Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, Andre Prokovsy’s The Great Gatsby, and Justin Peck's Reflections.

Music-wise, Sunday caps off with the Duelo. The norteño band from Roma mixes traditional Mexican music with a more dance-ready, romantic style that is sure to get people swaying. They’re sure to play their hit “Desde Hoy,” a slow jam with an incredible accordion line that is an instant earworm.

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For more information, schedules, and tickets, visit the official Mardi Gras! Galveston site.

Movie Review

Cookie Queens goes behind the scenes of Girl Scout Cookie season

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Girl Scouts in Cookie Queens.

Few people are strong enough to resist the lure of Girl Scout cookie season every year, with the cookies’ limited availability and unique flavors a strong incentive to indulge. But only the girls and their families who have sold the cookies know the joys and stresses of trying to get people to buy them, a process that is detailed in the new documentary, Cookie Queens.

The film by documentarian Alysa Nahmias uses the stories of four different girls to represent the nationwide ritual for the Girl Scouts. They include 12-year-old Olive in Charlotte, North Carolina, a longtime top seller; 8-year-old Shannon Elizabeth in El Paso, Texas, who wants to earn the reward of going to camp; 5-year-old Ara in San Diego, California, whose goal is modest compared to most other girls; and 9-year-old Nikki in Chino, California, who has to compete with her older sisters in the cookie-selling bonanza.

The girls represent a cross-section of both ages and backgrounds, with some girls coming from wealthy families and some girls dealing with more limited means. And how much money your family has makes a big difference, as not only does someone richer have more freedom with their time and supplies, but all scouts are required to reimburse the organization for every box they take in, regardless of whether they’re able to sell it or not.

That caveat makes the journeys of the four featured girls feel wildly different. It’s clear from the start that Olive and Nikki’s families don’t give a second thought to the personal economics of selling cookies, with each girl taking in thousands of boxes at the beginning of the six-week selling season. With both Olive and Nikki rightfully confident that they’ll have no problem offloading their supply, their stories turn to how selling is personally affecting them, with each trying to reconcile the fun of doing it with the pressure they feel from their family members.

Shannon Elizabeth’s story is more harrowing, as her parents feel a strong desire to help her accomplish her lofty goal, but worry that the cost might literally be too high for the family as a whole. More than once, the parents are shown fretting that they won’t have the money to pay back what they owe should they fall significantly short in their sales. Their selling approach, which includes walking through an empty swap meet and standing outside a chain restaurant at night, only adds to their stress.

The most fun story to watch is that of Ara, whose innocence is matched by her confidence. Her parents teach her how much money they’ll owe with her small goal of 55 boxes, but right away she takes on more responsibility than expected. She’s shown making sales pitches and tallying the total number of boxes she’s sold with little-to-no help from either her mom or dad. With her high voice, glasses, and a monitor on her arm to manage her diabetes, she becomes the cute and sympathetic part of the film.

There are times that the film starts to feel more than a little manipulative, however. While many of the moments documented come off as organic, some of them seem like Nahmias is actively guiding the participants in order to get a better story. This is especially evident with Shannon Elizabeth and her family, whose early struggles turn into a miraculous feel-good story by the end, a turnaround that seems implausible at best. Everything with them might have been aboveboard, but Nahmias and her team edit the family’s journey in a way that pushes a bit too hard for emotion.

Cookie Queens, which was produced by a company owned by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, helps to give insight into the business of selling Girl Scout cookies for those who’ve only been on the purchasing end of the transaction. The dedication of each girl toward selling their allotted supply proves fun and interesting, even if the filmmaker tries to gild the lily on occasion.

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Cookie Queens is now playing in theaters,