Anyone going this weekend? I'll be there all day and night tomorrow (Saturday 2/2), since I live about a mile away and can walk home. Hit me up if you see me and I'll buy you a beer. Unless there's a lot of you, in which case you can buy me one. If I haven't met you in person yet, check out my myspace to see my ugly mug. That way you aren't asking random people to buy you a beer.
I don't know for sure. It's free admission this year, so I don't think that there are cops screening people getting in and out. It may be possible. Drinking on the strand is legal year-round, but I'm not sure of the specifics. No glass containers allowed though. Beer is fairly cheap from vendors, $2-4 a pop depending on where you get it, and it's usuallly at least a 16-oz can.
just curious what time does all the fun stop. i was planning to get there around 11 but someone told me it was too late
Is it as crazy as it used to be down there? During the late 90's, I went a couple of years in a row. The first year, nothing really bad happened, but there were definitely gangs around, and they made their presence known. The second year, I watched a gangster-looking (no clue about real allegiances) get shot in the arm from across the street. I haven't been back since. It doesn't matter for this year, I'm going to be on a float at tonight's Port Arthur Mardi Gras parade. But I would like to know for the future.
I walked around the Strand last Sunday and enjoyed a few beers. Galveston is very underrated. I watched a couple of enormous cruise ships leave port, also
There hasn't been any crime/gang problems at Mardi Gras for a long while. A lot of that is due to increased security and having to pay at the gate. But it's free this year, and I don't know how much security there is. I doubt it will be horrible because word hasn't gotten out yet that it's free (paying keeps the riff-raff out). They clear the streets at Midnight, but then you can walk back in and go to all the bars in the area. Getting there late is a bad idea, since traffic is really bad. Aim for around 5-6 PM and you can get here without tons of traffic. Speaking of traffic, I had to drive between Galveston and Clear Lake twice today, and there were cops every 1-2 miles after you hit Dickinson. If you're coming to Galveston, go the speed limit.
You'll see A LOT of us. Sin, Gang Members. I used to frequent Mardi Gras Galveston in the late 80's until the mid 90's when the gangs took over. Saw stabbings, shootings, got in a few fights over a girl I was with thanks to these scumbag, pieces of lowlife ****. Never. Again.
Honestly, it's a huge mix of people of all races and ages. It's a big event, but it's not coo-coo crazy like New Orleans. Everyone has fun and tries to get along. I haven't seen a fight there in years, and I go every year.
My Mardi Gras souvenir: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21699842@N05/2237040338/" title="More Road Rash by weslinder, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/2237040338_f4865b5d43.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="More Road Rash" /></a> Road rash. I just fell. No good reason other than alcohol, and not really that much of that. I think I blacked out, because I don't remember falling until I almost hit the ground. It was wierd, but it looks worse than it is.
I thought Galveston Mardi Gras used to be great when they had big time Rock'n' roll and Blues bands, but they lost money every year so they quit booking national acts. (you got to pay the band even if it's 40 degrees and drizzling..like it usually is) Without the music though, I see no reason to go at all. The Strand is a great day trip any other time, without the hassle of the crowds.
I went last night to check things out. No vendors at all, but there was at least one store per block selling beer/wine/hurricanes. You just walk in, no checkpoint or paying involved. People were really polite, and there were boobs...I turned around and one girl had her shirt up. She was so flat that I didn't even register what I was seeing for a second. Some of the bars along the strand like Yagas and Gravity will have local bands. The bands were never a draw for me anyway. B.B. King was pretty awesome though. It's kind of sad that the Park Board can't make money off of this event. You'd think with attendance around 500,000 yearly they could make some cash. It's really poorly managed in that respect, but it's all about politics here in Galveston, not sound business decisions. wes- that's nasty road burn. Did you get that this year? Here's a link to Galveston webcams. The top one is at 23rd facing south (by Yagas). (I thought it was 20th). I'll be down there around 1-2 today.
Yeah. After the parade, I was unloading the float and fell while getting off. Apparently, with just a little alcohol, I'm too clumsy to be out in public.
