Saturday, March 04, 2000
Mardi-ers get merry
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MainStrasse Village Mardi Gras opened with a parade Friday night.
(Jeff Swinger photo)
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COVINGTON — It wasn't Bourbon Street but it was the closest Northern Kentuckians could get to the Big Heads, beer and beads of New Orleans.
The area's biggest two-day Mardi Gras party kicked off Friday night. MainStrasse Village was closed to traffic so the swarm of revelers could enjoy the music, crazy costumes and the Krewe of the Big Heads Parade.
People lined the streets to watch as Big Head guests like King Tut, Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Ken Griffey Jr. and the band members from KISS marched along. Pope John Paul II and his infamous rival the devil himself even made an appearance.
“The New Orleans spirit is here,” said Jeff Underwood of Erlanger. “You're drinking and being merry.”
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IF YOU GO
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• What: MainStrasse Mardi Gras 2000
• When: 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. tonight
• Directions: From Interstate 71/75 take Exit 192 and follow the signs to the village.
• Admission: Tickets are $5
• More coverage at Cincinnati.com/freetime
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The Kazoos, an impromptu band, took their place behind a float and belted out, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
“If you're halfway dressed up you act like you belong,” said Don Pottenbaum, a band member.
Mardi Gras, a celebration before the beginning of Lent, ends on “Fat Tuesday,” the day before Ash Wednesday. But most on Main Street weren't thinking about that.
Many guzzled beer, ate Cajun food and negotiated terms for trading beads.
“Tonight is the only night you can celebrate big heads,” said Judy Schulte of Cleves.
It's wasn't exactly The Big Easy, but it was close enough.
Organizers were glad the weather held, unlike last year when it snowed on the parade.
“I think it's hugely successful,” said Craig Johnson, an organizer of the event and part owner of the Cock and Bull bar on Main Street. “There was a line a hundred deep when I pulled my float around after the parade.”
More coverage at Cincinnati.com/freetime
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