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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

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 doesn't match the first movie's enthusiasm

Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

Blumhouse Productions first made their name with the Paranormal Activity series, establishing themselves as a leader in the horror genre thanks to their relatively cheap yet effective movies. In recent years, they’ve added on “soft” horror films like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s to draw in a younger audience, with both films becoming so successful that each was quickly given a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 finds Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) still recovering from the events of the first film, with Abby particularly missing her “friends.” Those friends just so happen to be the souls of murdered children who inhabit animatronic characters at the long-defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, children who were abducted and killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard).

A new threat emerges at another Freddy Fazbear’s location in the form of Charlotte, another murdered child who inhabits a creepy large marionette. Mike, distracted by a possible romance with Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), fails to keep track of Abby, who makes her way to the old pizzeria and inadvertently unleashes Charlotte and her minions on the surrounding town.

Directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon (who also created the video game on which the series is based), the film tries to mix together goofy elements with intense scenes. One particular sequence, in which the security guard for Freddy Fazbear’s lets a group of ghost hunters onto the property, toes the line between soft and hard horror. That and a few others show the potential that the filmmakers had if they had stuck to their guns.

Unfortunately, more often than not they either soft-pedal things that would normally be horrific, or can’t figure out how to properly stage scenes. The sight of animatronic robots wreaking havoc is one that is simultaneously frightening and laughable, and the filmmakers never seem to find the right balance in tone. Every step in the direction of making a truly scary horror film is undercut by another in which the robots fail to live up to their promise.

It doesn’t help that Cawthon gives the cast some extremely wooden dialogue, lines that none of the actors can elevate. What may work in a video game format comes off as stilted when said by actors in a live-action film. The story also loses momentum quickly after the first half hour or so, with Cawthon seemingly content to just have characters move from place to place with no sense of connection between any of the scenes.

Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series), after being the true lead of the first film, is given very little to do in this film, and his effort is equal to his character’s arc. The same goes for Lail, whose character seems to be shoehorned into the story. Rubio is called upon to carry the load for a lot of the movie, and the teenager is not quite up to the task. A brief appearance by Skeet Ulrich seems to be a blatant appeal to Scream fans, but he and Lillard only underscore how limited this film is compared to that franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first film, but not by much. The filmmakers do a decent job of making the new marionette character into a great villain, but they fail to capitalize on its inherent creepiness. Instead, they fall back on less effective elements, ensuring that the film will be forgettable for anyone other than hardcore Freddy fans.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens in theaters on December 5.

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