Alabamans Put a Twist on Mardi Gras

Alabama

The Mardi Gras tradition in Mobile, once a French territory, is older even than New Orleans’. This year’s hoopla, Feb. 23 to March 7, will be packed with more than two dozen exotically named parades (Order of the Polka Dots, Order of the Mystic Magnolias, Infant Mystics, for example). Float riders toss goodies to crowds. The Joe Cain parade on March 5 is the people’s parade, the only one not affiliated with a mystic society. For information, contact the Mobile Convention and Visitors Corp., 1 Water St., Mobile, AL 36602; telephone (800) 566-2453.

Arizona

Gold Rush Days, Feb. 11 to 13 in Wickenburg, celebrate the town’s rich mining and ranching history. Festivities begin with a shootout on Frontier Street, followed by Old West skits. Arizona’s largest parade, on Saturday morning, will feature more than 1,000 horses and be followed by the Senior Professional Cowboys’ Rodeo. Also: arts and crafts sale, gem and mineral show, stage entertainment and family carnival. For more information, contact the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, 216 N. Frontier St., Wickenburg, AZ 85390; tel. (520) 684-5479.

Florida

Old Island Restoration Foundation’s tour of five Key West homes and gardens Feb. 18 and 19 is a rare opportunity for the public to visit private homes. The sites range from the historic (and sometimes not renovated) to those that have had exceptional restoration work to newer ones that convey tropical Key West’s ambience. These self-guided tours, in their 40th year, usually draw 1,000 to 1,500 people on a weekend. For tickets and more information, contact the Old Island Restoration Foundation, P.O. Box 689, Key West, FL 33041; tel. (305) 294-9501.

New York

The Cooperstown Winter Festival, Feb. 5 to 13, is a mix of indoor and outdoor events. Indoor activities include dances, a quilt show, chocolate tasting, chili cook-off and crafts show. Outside, there will be sled races, horse-drawn sleigh rides, an ice sculpture contest and a parade. The Farmers’ Museum (a re-creation of mid-1800s farm life) will hold a sleigh rally and offer hot soup and hot cider. For more information, contact the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, 31 Chestnut St., Cooperstown, NY 13326; tel. (607) 547-9983.

Rhode Island

The Newport Winter Fest 2000, Feb. 18 to 27, brings visitors and locals alike together for more than 150 events, the highlight of the growing winter season in this traditionally summer-oriented resort. Activities include a walking tour of historic areas, mansion tours, a costumed living history reenactment of the Victorian era at the Astors’ Beechwood Mansion, ice sculpture competition, horse-drawn carriage rides, citywide scavenger hunt, wine tasting and antiques show. Winter Festival buttons offer at events and more than 50 restaurants and shops. For more information, contact the Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 23 America’s Cup Ave., Newport, RI 02840; tel. (401) 847-7666.

Texas

A Celebration of Whooping Cranes Festival, Feb. 25 to 28 in Port Aransas, is timed to take advantage of the large crane population that winters in the nearby wildlife refuge. Last year more than 140 whooping cranes were counted, delighting birders who descend on the town of 2,400 that is 15 miles from Corpus Christi on Mustang Island. There will be boat tours (the best way to see the cranes), walking tours and educational talks sponsored by the International Crane Foundation. For more information, contact the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce, 421 W. Cotter Ave., Port Aransas, TX 78373; tel. (800) 452-6278.

Singapore

Singapore celebrates the Lunar New Year on Feb. 12 with the Chingay Parade, a grand street procession of floats, acrobats and bands. It will begin at City Hall and continue to Suntec City, ending the day with fireworks and a light show. From Feb. 4 to 19, the annual carnival of Hong Bao at the Marina Promenade will feature Chinese arts, handicrafts and foods plus live entertainment. For more information, contact the Singapore Tourism Board, 8484 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 510, Beverly Hills, CA 90211; tel. (323) 852-1901.

Events appears monthly.