Feb. 24 - Mardi Gras in Eunice

Eunice, LA is the capital of the Prairie Cajuns (as opposed to the Bayou Cajuns who live closer to the Atchafalaya Basin). Surrounded by crawfish ponds which double as rice paddies in the off season and sugar cane fields, Eunice is home central for Steve Riley, who plays the street gig for free each year as a tribute to his people.

The parade starts with galloping horse riders who, again (see Tee Mamou), have been out in the sun all day scaring up the ingredients for gumbo from their rural neighbors, and drinking beer. This parade lasts for 2 hours and includes wagons with their own port-a-pottys (no sense being uncomfortable), costumed revelers and beads, beads, beads. The revelry is more "drunken" but not out-of-hand. Everyone remembers that this is a family event. Some of the horseback riders are skilled enough (or drunk enough) to ride backwards, stand in the saddle or "slip" off and re-mount while the horse trots on!!

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys start playing as the parade is ending and the dancers gravitate toward the stage like zombies in a B movie horror flick. NOW I see people I know - the festival goers who make it to all (or as many as possible) the dances. The usual suspects included Ron from Massachusetts, Alex from Alexandria, Chris from Philly, Don & Shirley from Atlanta, Sharon & Jane + two other women from Tampa and Dwight (also from Tampa). Certainly no one was thinking about the economy for those two hours --- that's just Life in Louisiana.