Spanish Town panache
Spanish Town Mardi Gras
Parade rolls with own brand of flash
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Beads, plastic cups and other traditional Mardi Gras throws were not the only things flying Saturday at the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade.
Soon after the parade floats started rolling down Spanish Town Road at noon Saturday, a severed chicken foot bounced off Dianne Dunkin, 64.
Her daughter, Michelle Horak, gingerly picked the foot up to examine it. It was cold to the touch, with tendons dangling from the severed end.
“I think it’s rubber,” she said, as if trying to persuade herself.
Horak had not driven to Baton Rouge from Lake Charles to attend her first Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade to be pelted with chicken appendages.
“Seriously, they can’t be throwing real chicken parts. That has to be against the rules,” Horak, 39, said.
Fortunately, plastic beads made up the majority of the throws this year at the 28th annual Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade.
Chris Cano, 25, stood alongside the parade route, his 5-month-old son, Isaac, nestled on his chest in a Snugli harness.
Melissa Cano, 26, shielded her young son’s head from flying strands of beads as the baby witnessed his first Mardi Gras.
Naughty lingerie and a baby doll dangled from a clothesline on the “Spears Family Reunion Float,” which blasted a soundtrack exclusively of the Kentwood star’s hits.
Parade-goers shouted excitedly at Sarah Pebworth, who shaved her head Wednesday to portray the princess of pop during one of the princess’ well-publicized troubled moments.
“We were worried that something serious would happen to Britney and we’d had to scuttle the idea,” Pebworth, 42, said.
At least one man missed the cultural reference, shouting “Sinead O’Connor!” at Pebworth as “Baby One More Time” blared from the float’s speakers.
Pebworth flew in from Maine to ride in the parade. Last year, her flight was grounded by a blizzard, which may have caused a less determined person to give up. Instead, Pebworth drove cross country.
Her sister, Ky Burke, of Baton Rouge, was not willing to sacrifice her long locks to play Britney.
“I really like my hair,” Ky said.
Southern University soccer player Renell Reid, 26, sat in a chair in a plum spot on the parade route on Convention Street awaiting the parade.
While Reid said she was excited to celebrate her second Mardi Gras in Louisiana, it has been five years since she celebrated Carnival in her native Trinidad and Tobago.
“My heart’s aching,” she said. “I talk to my parents every day (about Carnival).”
Southern University study abroad coordinator Heather Williams brought Reid and nine other international students and faculty members to see the parade.
Fulbright scholar Yun Zu, 26, said she had never heard of Mardi Gras before moving to Louisiana in August to teach Chinese at Southern.
“I hope I can go back to China and tell my students what the experience and Louisiana is like,” Zu said.
In the quest for beads, some smiled, some flirted, some held up small children. Two men, however, took a less traditional approach, wearing live boa constrictors around their necks.
“We have snakes,” shouted Ronnie Rogers, 22.
Rogers said the reptilian method works, gesturing to many strands of metallic beads dangling around his neck.
Emergency Medical Services was out in full force Saturday, with medics riding on bicycles and in golf carts. EMS responded to 14 calls on the parade route and transported eight people to hospitals, spokesman Mike Chustz said.
Police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said that there were no major incidents needing police attention at the parade Saturday.
Soon after the parade floats started rolling down Spanish Town Road at noon Saturday, a severed chicken foot bounced off Dianne Dunkin, 64.
Her daughter, Michelle Horak, gingerly picked the foot up to examine it. It was cold to the touch, with tendons dangling from the severed end.
“I think it’s rubber,” she said, as if trying to persuade herself.
Horak had not driven to Baton Rouge from Lake Charles to attend her first Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade to be pelted with chicken appendages.
“Seriously, they can’t be throwing real chicken parts. That has to be against the rules,” Horak, 39, said.
Fortunately, plastic beads made up the majority of the throws this year at the 28th annual Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade.
Chris Cano, 25, stood alongside the parade route, his 5-month-old son, Isaac, nestled on his chest in a Snugli harness.
Melissa Cano, 26, shielded her young son’s head from flying strands of beads as the baby witnessed his first Mardi Gras.
Naughty lingerie and a baby doll dangled from a clothesline on the “Spears Family Reunion Float,” which blasted a soundtrack exclusively of the Kentwood star’s hits.
Parade-goers shouted excitedly at Sarah Pebworth, who shaved her head Wednesday to portray the princess of pop during one of the princess’ well-publicized troubled moments.
“We were worried that something serious would happen to Britney and we’d had to scuttle the idea,” Pebworth, 42, said.
At least one man missed the cultural reference, shouting “Sinead O’Connor!” at Pebworth as “Baby One More Time” blared from the float’s speakers.
Pebworth flew in from Maine to ride in the parade. Last year, her flight was grounded by a blizzard, which may have caused a less determined person to give up. Instead, Pebworth drove cross country.
Her sister, Ky Burke, of Baton Rouge, was not willing to sacrifice her long locks to play Britney.
“I really like my hair,” Ky said.
Southern University soccer player Renell Reid, 26, sat in a chair in a plum spot on the parade route on Convention Street awaiting the parade.
While Reid said she was excited to celebrate her second Mardi Gras in Louisiana, it has been five years since she celebrated Carnival in her native Trinidad and Tobago.
“My heart’s aching,” she said. “I talk to my parents every day (about Carnival).”
Southern University study abroad coordinator Heather Williams brought Reid and nine other international students and faculty members to see the parade.
Fulbright scholar Yun Zu, 26, said she had never heard of Mardi Gras before moving to Louisiana in August to teach Chinese at Southern.
“I hope I can go back to China and tell my students what the experience and Louisiana is like,” Zu said.
In the quest for beads, some smiled, some flirted, some held up small children. Two men, however, took a less traditional approach, wearing live boa constrictors around their necks.
“We have snakes,” shouted Ronnie Rogers, 22.
Rogers said the reptilian method works, gesturing to many strands of metallic beads dangling around his neck.
Emergency Medical Services was out in full force Saturday, with medics riding on bicycles and in golf carts. EMS responded to 14 calls on the parade route and transported eight people to hospitals, spokesman Mike Chustz said.
Police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said that there were no major incidents needing police attention at the parade Saturday.
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