Mardi Gras 2009: "I love it!"
Mardi Gras 2009. Photo: Ina Holst.
"This is like a deja-vu from the sixties-I love it!" said holidaymaker Gordon Mitchell from Portland, Oregon, at last weekend's Mardi Gras. "Everybody is just enjoying themselves and it is such a friendly, peaceful atmosphere. It's fantastic."
Again, this year's Mardi Gras attracted a large party crowd and offered a varied and colourful programme showcasing local and regional talents, buskers, jugglers and clowns, with plenty of music catering for all tastes. The parade was more colourful than ever and featured new costumes such as the Red Hat Fraction, two gorgeous "Adams" clad only in fig leaves, and a giant cardboard horse ridden by a miniature knight. When the parade reached the Village Green, wild drumming kick-started the dancers into a festive frenzy that continued until midnight.
"Mardi Gras is only once a year and you cannot miss it," said Clifton resident Ulla Werner-Lehr.
Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is celebrated worldwide, and cities famous for their celebrations include New Orleans, Venice and Rio de Janeiro. Takaka's Mardi Gras may be small, but its comparative attendance and fun component are making it a popular return event.
Ina Holst
