Mardi Gras and Other Events Return Crowds to Galveston Island

by Jo Ann Holt

I have had a love affair with Galveston Island on Texas’ Gulf Coast since childhood, when it was a favorite vacation destination spot for my family.  Later, while raising my own children, we found the same kind of adventure and fun in the sun, making lifelong memories as we frolicked on the island’s sandy beaches.  Even now, with my children grown, my husband and I head several times each year for our favorite escape from the city:  Galveston Island.   

We were married on August 22, 2008, and spent our honeymoon at Escapes Resort on Galveston’s West Beach.  With heavy hearts, we watched the television coverage of Hurricane Ike as it assaulted our island only a few weeks later, damaging so many places we loved, including our honeymoon resort.

We returned to Galveston in December of 2009, and were relieved to find so much of it rebuilt.  We stayed once again at Escapes, and found the West Beach much as it had been, although many of the neighboring homes had lost their extensive landscaping.  The only place totally gone appeared to be a restaurant called The Captain’s Table, of which no trace remained.

Traveling east toward Stewart Beach, we found one of my favorite hotels, the once-glamorous Flagship, boarded up and in extremely sad condition.  I was pleased to learn that plans to renovate the Flagship and turn it into a Pleasure Pier are underway—good news indeed for those of us who remember the Flagship’s high-flying heyday in the 1970s.

Gone forever, although certainly not forgotten, is the legendary Balinese Room.  Once the playground of gangsters and Hollywood celebrities, dating back to the era when gambling was winked at upon the island, the long wooden pier that led to the scene of opulent dining and topnotch entertainment has totally disappeared.  Only a small plaque on the Seawall marks the spot where it once stood.

But other places, like the beautiful old Galvez Hotel, seemed to be flourishing, bigger and better than ever.

Dwayne Jones, Executive Director of the Galveston Historical Foundation, said, “The island has been blessed with great flexibility, both in its architecture and in its people.  The buildings, just like the inhabitants of Galveston Island, have always shown an amazing resilience in coming back from any storm.”

I went back to Galveston a few weeks ago, to talk to some of the people—like Jones—who were involved in organizing the 99th annual Mardi Gras Celebration February 5-16.  Events such as Mardi Gras, Dickens on the Strand, and Spring Break activities serve to showcase Galveston, and draw people back to celebrate the lifestyle that can only be found on Texas’ most beloved island.

I stayed at the historic Tremont House on the Strand, where I was impressed by the elegant rooms (complete with warming boards in the bathrooms where towels stay toasty) and delightful service of the staff.  In talking with Christine Hopkins of Mitchell Properties, I learned that George Mitchell and his late wife, Cynthia, were leaders in the transformation of the once neglected downtown area—now designated the Strand National Historic Landmark District-- where they own some 20 buildings.  The Mitchells also helped develop the West End, restored Hotel Galvez to its earlier magnificence, and built the San Luis Hotel.  The Mitchells were also the driving force behind bringing Mardi Gras back to the island.

Mardi Gras began in 1867, but following a sabbatical imposed in 1941 by the impending war,  Mardi Gras! Galveston was revived in 1984. The largest celebration of its kind in Texas, the event has grown in cultural creativity and imagination, showcasing lavish parades, galas worthy of royalty, original artwork, children’s activities and delicious Gulf Coast cuisine.  This year, the island boasts 10 extravagant parades, more than 50 galas and festive events, bead throwing, exhibits, and live entertainment.  RoShelle Gaskins, of the Galveston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Mardi Gras brings more than 200,000 people to take part in festivities that include a beachfront carnival, day and night parades and entertainment.

One of the most popular participants of Galveston Island’s annual celebration, the Philadelphia Mummers (pictured), provide entertainment for the pre-Lenten festivities. Their performance is a favorite Island tradition.

Family entertainment includes beachfront and Strand parades ranging from the lavish Knights of Momus Grand Night Parade, Krewe of Gambrinus and Krewe of Aquarius parades; Fire truck Parade, Krewe of Barkus and Meoux (pets and their owners), Children’s Parade (kid size floats with small fry bead throwers), Bicycle Parade and Truck Parade.

Galas include the Annual Treasure Ball Pageant, benefiting Galveston Catholic Schools; Special Peoples Ball (a free event hosted by the non-profit Moody Gardens, benefiting people with special needs); and Royal Krewe of Barkus & Meoux, benefiting the Galveston Island Humane Society. In addition, there is the renowned San Luis Costume Contest and a whole host of black tie galas at the San Luis Hotel and Resort and the Tremont House.  If you haven’t been to the island since Hurricane Ike, there’s no more festive time than Mardi Gras to head for the coast.

There is always inexpensive family fun available on the island, whether you just want to take the kids down to the beach to hunt for shells or visit the myriad attractions at Moody Gardens, a family entertainment destination in its own right.  They have educational exhibits such as the Aquarium Pyramid®, Ridefilm, IMAX® 3D Theater, Discovery Museum® and Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, and even encounters with a Penguin available.  They even have a Schlitterbahn Water Park that opens in time for Spring Break.

Saturday, February 27 the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) will present the 14th annual

Sacred Places tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cancelled in 2009 because of damages caused by Hurricane Ike, this year’s event resurrects the beloved tour and features nine historic places of worship. The popular tour benefits GHF’s ongoing restoration of St. Joseph’s Church, the oldest wooden church building in Galveston and the oldest German Catholic church in Texas.

www.galveston.com, www.galvestonhistory.com, www.moodygardens.org.