Rolling Together: With an emphasis on inclusion, Mid City Gras grows up in second grade in Baton Rouge | Mardi Gras

The organizers had worked hard and things had gone well before the first Mid City Gras parade last year, but there was still some anxiety.

"We did not know if people would come," says parade organizer Terri Singleton, showing a necklace she's wearing and repeating her words: "The people who were seen dancing were considered crazy by those who could not hear the music. "

"We did not know if everyone would think we were crazy," says Singleton. "Ninety-nine percent of Mid City residents have heard the music. We have been so well received by the community. "

In its second year, Mid City Gras is growing rapidly.

The non-profit organization began the carnival season with a celebration of Epiphany – where the group hosted a painting workshop on how to decorate small acorns, its signature spray – and held its first ball around the theme "Peace, Love & Nuts" of 2019, nod to his squirrel mascot.

The second Mid City Bold parade takes place at 1 pm Sunday, February 24th on North Boulevard, from 19th Street to Foster Drive. Front Yard Bikes, a non-profit organization that teaches kids to repair bikes, is the grand marshal.

About 950 people have signed up to participate in this year's parade, according to the organizers, compared to about 450 last year.

Mid City Gras is the youngest Baton Rouge parade in Mardi Gras for over fifteen years. The next group, The Krewe of Artemis, started in 2001.

Singleton explained that the Mardi Gras parade celebrating Mid City had been very intense over the years, until a group finally decided to set up an appointment a few years ago.

"So I discovered that by organizing an official meeting," says Singleton, "you're then officially responsible for running at least this step."

The group met, set a goal, went ahead to achieve this goal, reunited again, set new goals, etc., in passing through the steps necessary to planning a new parade, such as securing licenses and liability insurance, coordinating with and paying. for the police, fundraising and working with local businesses and, with some money still available, organizing portable toilets.

Twanda Lewis, Chairman of the Board of Mid City Gras, was surprised at how simple it was to get official permission to scroll.

"I thought it would be more bureaucratic," says Lewis, "especially with the fact that you have to deal with government and law enforcement." The meetings I've had with some groups have been They have been very helpful. "

There were several reasons, say the organizers, to add a ball to the carnival season of Mid City Gras: the Krewes participating in the parade have the opportunity to socialize, it's a way to to make new people dive into Mardi Gras waters and the group wanted to show that Mid City Gras was open to everyone.

About 450 people attended the first Mid City Gras Ball on February 2nd, including Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. The event was intentionally organized with most people dressed in colorful costumes (many with the theme "Peace, Love & Nuts") and dancing in black lighting on DJ mixes from WHYR Baton Rouge Community Radio. In one corner, people were watching an art show or moving to another part of the room to play giant board games.

An artist associated with the Krewe of Southdowns parade lent a selection of large painted daytime pieces that stood out from the black lights, as well as groups from Spanish Town and Mystic Capital) took place around the event space with tables filled with food and drinks.

The groups could reserve their own table, but individual tickets were also available and Mid City Gras deliberately kept the prices low.

"There were different goals to make" the ball, says Leslie Gilliland, the ball's organizer, "but in discussing, it became obvious that one of the things that can make an incestuous ball or that you exclude instead of including is, No. 1, money, and if you do not have an entire group that can buy this whole table or if you are not part of the parade in general, so you're not part of that ball. "

Mid City is an important and diverse section of Baton Rouge, and the organization wants to take this into account, says Lewis, so the organizers are trying to make sure that their actions fit in well with their mission.

"It can be open, it can promote that diversity," said Lewis. "But we have to do it as a community, we have to come together and participate in efforts like this, we've been very intentional in the way we set our fees and in our recruitment process." We were very intentional to make sure we include everyone in Mid City. "

Mid City Bold Fashion Show

Sunday, February 24

North Boulevard, 19th Street to Foster Drive

midcitygras.org