Mardi Gras parades will roll in this MS Coast city despite COVID-19 surge, mayor says
Jackson County has one of the highest COVID-19 rates in the state, but that won’t stop Mardi Gras according to one mayor.
Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson posted a video to his Facebook page Wednesday saying the annual party and parades are on.
He said he is aware New Orleans has canceled Mardi Gras, “unfortunately.”
“Here in the city of Ocean Springs, we are going to move forward with Mardi Gras as long as I have anything to say about it, unless there’s some mandates from the state, or wherever, that force us not to have it, of course we won’t,” said Dobson, who was walking through a CVS Pharmacy parking lot and pulled off a mask as he spoke.
“But as long as I have anything to say about it, we will.”
The Mississippi State Department of Health on Thursday reported 5,892 COVID-19 cases in Jackson County with 112 deaths. On Monday, the MSDH released high-incidence counties for COVID-19 for a two-week period running from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8. Those statistics showed Jackson County had 458.2 cases per 100,000 people.
Only three of Mississippi’s 82 counties had higher caseloads: DeSoto, where COVID-19 is rampant, Lee and Marshall.
Two Mardi Gras parades will roll
The Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce confirmed that the annual Elks parade will roll during the day on Jan. 30, with the Ocean Springs Carnival Association’s night parade planned for Feb. 12.
“As of right now, those are going forward,” said Chamber events and public relations manager Cynthia Sutton. “Mardi Gras is one of the events that help our businesses sustain.”
The Chamber hosted the outdoor Peter Anderson Festival almost two weeks ago, drawing a crowd that Sutton said was probably about half the size of the 2019 festival, when 150,000 attended the two-day event, the largest fine-arts festival in the state.
The Chamber handed out masks at the event, but photographs showed many attendees chose to brave the crowds bare-faced.
Like Mardi Gras, local businesses depend on the Peter Anderson Festival to boost sales, Sutton said.
Ocean Springs mayor says, ‘come on out’
Dobson has in the past stressed that people need to take personal responsibility for their health, a sentiment Sutton echoed.
Dobson said in his video that Mardi Gras is essential for the Coast. At past Ocean Springs parades, crowds have packed the routes, jostling for beads and trinkets.
“It’s cultural, it’s religious,” he said. “ and it’s something that I think we need to move forward with.
“So, this is just a quick video. I just wanted to put that out there that I do support having Mardi Gras. And as long as I have anything to say about it, we will move forward with it here in the city of Ocean Springs.”
“ . . . Whenever the parades do come, come on out, stay safe and have a great time.”
