Venice Beach Mardi Gras Parade is set for Feb. 11th. After party at the Sidewalk Cafe

A message from event producer XO Miss Jessicaa.

Get your costumes ready and join in on the Venice Beach Fun.

SATURDAY FEB 11, 12-5pm
Pre-Party 11:00 at the Sidewalk Cafe
PARADE 12 NOON. Line up location TBD
After Parade Dance Party 2-4pm with The Gumbo Brothers at The Sidewalk Cafe

Theme “ROCKIT” Looking forward to gettin our Mardi Gras on with y’all!

Sidewalk Cafe

A little Venice History:

Following insert by Jeffrey Stanton. “Venice held its first annual Mardi Gras Festival August 16-18, 1935. The three day event featuring parades, costumes, contests and entertainment, was modeled after the New Orleans event. It began with the arrival of King Neptune in an outrigger canoe followed by Queen Venetia’s coronation and a royal procession along Ocean Front Walk. The queen read a proclamation commanding her subjects to engage in three days of fun and frivolity. The afternoon parade featured floats and costumed merrymakers wearing enormous plaster of Paris heads that were manufactured in Arthur Reese’s studio.

Right: Ms. Jessica

Windward Avenue was roped off for a street carnival where wandering gondoliers entertained. The parade included Keystone Cops and people wearing enormous plaster of Paris head gear. The king and queen’s float along Venice’s Ocean Front Walk. – 1938. There was an afternoon treasure hunt for children and an evening program of aquatic events on Saturday. Sunday’s Miss California beauty pageant drew huge crowds, and a Mardi Gras Ball in the evening capped the celebration. The Mardi Gras Festival became an annual event of considerable importance prior to World War II. It became bigger and better each succeeding year and civic pride improved. By 1941 five hundred thousand people attended the expanded four day event in its final year. For more history on Venice, visit Jeffrey Stanton’s website.