A little taste of N’awlins: Annual Mardi Gras celebration brings palm readers, drag queens and fake gambling to the TSC
New Orleans is still little more than a pile of rubble and broken dreams in the aftermath of Mother Nature’s ugly fist.
But that hasn’t stopped the people left in the city from celebrating Mardi Gras – and it won’t stop ASUSU, either.
“If the residents of New Orleans didn’t call off the real Mardi Gras, why would we discontinue our [celebration]?” Lisa Watkins, ASUSU activities chair said.
Mardi Gras is the last day before the Catholic fasting season Lent. The name is the French translation of “Fat Tuesday,” which wins the title because it is the last day for indulgence, feasting and partying before the somber season of fasting begins. The celebration has been held annually since the Middle Ages.
Utah State University’s Mardi Gras Celebration is considerably younger than the original, though no one really knows exactly how many years it has been celebrated.
The event started out as USU Casino Night and although it has evolved into the modern Logan version of the Mardi Gras celebration, it still offers students a chance to try their hands at fake gambling. Other activities or attractions include dancing, live bands, character artists, palm readers, popcorn, cotton candy, drag queens and even a traveling circus.
“This year we worked really hard to bring in a traveling circus,” Watkins said. “They will provide entertainment for everybody, with acts including juggling, aerial arts, clowns, dancing dogs, stilts, acrobats, etc.”
Even though the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration will be toned down because of lack of residents and damage to the city, Watkins said USU’s annual event will remain relatively unchanged.
“We are holding the event because it is a Utah State tradition. Even though there was a natural disaster in New Orleans, we would hate to see this tradition leave,” Watkins said. “This is an activity for students to enjoy themselves.”
-limarc@cc.usu.edu