Mardi Gras in Mercer Village a success despite bad weather

It was raining cats, dogs and beads in Mercer Village on February 12, a.k.a. Fat Tuesday. The weather was not in favor for celebrating Mardi Gras, but the festivities still occurred with a crowd of people.
The businesses of Mercer Village hosted an array of specials for students and customers to enjoy in the midst of the rainy weather from 11am until closing.
The only events that did not occur that day were the Mardi Gras parade, the street performers, the mask-making, and the big bands’ performances which are postponed until the Mercer Village St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on March 16th. Mercer student Bree Thomas, said, “It was very diverse and I loved the food. It was different; we got to taste some of the Louisiana flavor.”
Margaritas included in its menu Crawfish Quesadillas, Crawfish Nachos, Hurricanes, and Purple Haze. The manager, Brad Cork, noted that the event was “Fantastic!” He said that they ran out of everything that they had and that the customers seemed to enjoy the Hurricanes.
He notes that “it was full all day long despite the fact that there was a monsoon in Mercer Village.”
Fountain of Juice also had a busy day. The employees said that it was busier than the usual day and it had a good turnout. They also said that everyone enjoyed the Mardi Gras-themed specials and that the event would have been even greater with the parade.
Across the street, Ingleside and Jittery Joe’s had their own specials. The latter presented a new coffee for customers to try: Chicory Coffee while Ingleside served its Andouille Sausage and Seafood Pizza. Jimmy Smith, an employee from Ingleside Village Pizza, remarked that the event went well and that the pizza was a hot item on the menu.
Around the corner, Francar’s Buffalo Wings stayed busy all day. Owner Carl Fambro said, “It was great, fantastic! We were swamped; there wasn’t enough space, but enough food. I planned for 200 people but we fed more than that.” Beignets, Cajun Fried Catfish, and Gumbo were all big hits with the customers.
Francar’s also had Cajun Fried Chicken, Shrimp Po-Boys, and King Cakes on their menu that day. Fambro said that overall it was a good day with the cheerleaders coming out, beads everywhere, the pep squad raising spirits, and Harold “Hurricane” Thomas playing his saxophone.
The new business in Mercer Village, the William Alexander Salon, had specials on some of their various services. The salon presented to its customers Krewe Kuts, Fleur de Lis Fluffs (shampoos and styles), Fat Tuesday Trim, Bourbon Street Buff and Polish, Po-Boy Brows and French Quarter Color.