Welcome to a special throwback edition of “Pics of the Week,” featuring — you guessed it — pics from last year’s big Mardi Gras party at the Mill Street shopping center. Gareth Owens, who co-owns The Parish — Healdsburg’s only Cajun and Creole restaurant, situated on the southwest corner of the roundabout — shared these pics with me last February, after his third annual Fat Tuesday event. (This year’s party, happening on Tuesday, March 4, from 2pm til late, will be the fourth annual!)
And yes, the lady with the lit-up laugh in that last pic is beloved Healdsburg artist Jendala, who just died of cancer a week-and-a-half ago. “Jendala and her Shine Cart was there spreading her joy,” Gareth told me last year. And the next two pics below show another highlight of the night — when Gareth said The King Street Giants, the “classic New Orleans second line” band that headlined the event, took their set all the way out to the roundabout for a dance party.
This year, the Giants will be headlining another of Sonoma County’s popular local Mardi Gras bashes — the one at the Lagunitas taproom in Petaluma — but our lineup here in Healdsburg is still stacked, of course. More details here!
