Mardi Gras in downtown Mount Pleasant aims to attract students this weekend

• Tweet
• 

Jon Joslin has spent a lot of time in previous years decorating downtown Mount Pleasant in preparation for Mardi Gras, but this year Joslin took on a larger role.

Joslin, chair of the Mardi Gras committee, is in charge of the entire set up for Mardi Gras this year, taking place Friday.

“Mardi Gras is basically an opportunity for the community of Mount Pleasant to welcome Central Michigan students to the downtown community. There’s a wide variety of activities going on,” Joslin said. “The big event will be at 6 p.m. which is the parade with the Central Michigan University marching band. Once the parade is done, the CMU marching band comes back around for a performance for the community at the Town Center, along with the cheerleaders.”

Several community groups will have the opportunity to promote their groups by setting up on the sidewalk during the parades. The Mardi Gras parade is the biggest of the season and will start at 6 p.m. and feature multiple sports team and local businesses.

Activities and entertainment such as mask-making, rock climbing, clowns and live music performed by School of Rock will be going on from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. A Teen Foam Dance Party will be held from 5 to 9 p.m.

Sacred Heart’s homecoming parade will begin at 4 p.m. before the Mardi Gras parade. The day will conclude with Acoustic Brew, where there will be live music at the Grace Church, 218 S. Main St.

Joslin said the biggest part of this year’s event is the giveaway of a free round trip ticket to New Orleans, provided by Capitol City Airports.

“There’s actually quite a few new things,” Joslin said. “The parade is bigger this year. The mask-decorating contest with Art Reach is new this year. We put the same effort into it every year, we just add new stuff.”

Blue Gator Sports Pub & Grill, 106 Court St., will be adding an extra outdoor bar on the Broadway Street side of their entrance where people can watch the parade.

“We haven’t done outdoor seating in years past, so this is our first year doing that,” said Manager Leah Hetherington. “We are far busier during the Mardi Gras parade than any normal Friday night. We staff extra people for the separation of the crowd.”

Cathy Smith, owner of Basketree, 112 E. Broadway St., said she has been participating in the Mardi Gras events since they started.

There are a lot of families down here, which helps attract more customers, she said.

“The main goal is to bring students down here. I know lots of students don’t even know about it,” Smith said. “There should be a better turnout with students this year because they’re doing a little bit more with the events.”

Joslin said it is an important event.

“It gives us something to do in the fall, other than watching football,” he said.