City of Biloxi celebrates birthday at Gulf Coast Carnival Association Parade
The City of Biloxi’s Fat Tuesday was a celebration and highlighting of history.
Today, the city honored its 325th birthday with a 6-foot wide and 7-foot-tall birthday cake to lead the annual Gulf Coast Carnival Association Mardi Gras Parade.
The city, named after the native tribe of Biloxi, was founded by Frenchman Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville in 1699.
The GCCA MARDI Gras is the oldest parade in the state and is in its 116th year. People of all ages gathered to catch beads and celebrate the close of the carnival season heading into Ash Wednesday. Susan Hunt with the Gulf Coast Carnival Association said, “My family, my grandfather started the Literary Association and later when my father became the captain, it became the Gulf Coast Carnival Association. So, it’s a family tradition. I love Mardi Gras day I love everything about it because look around and see everybody’s smiling faces and all the children saying throw me something throw me something. That’s the most important thing.”
City of Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Cecilia Dobbs-Walton said, “Biloxi’s birthday on the same day as Mardi Gras is just great. I mean, what other way to celebrate with a huge party and a huge celebration then on Mardi Gras.”
Mayor Andrew ‘FoFo’ Gilich said, “It’s kind of my wife’s idea and everybody else but no, it just like I just said the first thing you’ll see is Happy Birthday Biloxi. You know, rolling down the streets before the parade.”
Next year, Fat Tuesday lands on March 4th.
