From Staff Reports
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
The Greater Picayune Area Chamber of Commerce and The Krewe of the Pearl held their 2nd annual parade Monday.
It rolled at 6 p.m., as planned, to the excitement of crowds gathered to catch the coveted beads.
Chamber Director April Lovelace, said, “For the past two years the ‘Krewe of the Pearl’ Mardi Gras Parade has rolled in the rain; we are astonished and very grateful for the large crowd that will stand in the rain to support our community.”
2013 Krewe of the Pearl Queen Lynne Barze’ said, “The excitement, love, and the celebration that was in the air, in Picayune, was exhilarating. The anticipation before the parade and the anticipation of kids when we rode in the parade calling out to us was magical.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make the parade happen, everyone who participated in it as riders and especially the families who came out and braved the weather and the cold. It was worth the cold and mist to experience everything we did. It was like nothing we had experienced before and probably never will again.”
The king and queen led the entries and were pulled in a buggy by a white stallion. There were several float, car and horse entries, as well as four wheel sports vehicles. The parade was led by the Picayune NJROTC, followed by Chamber leadership.
The Greater Picayune Arts Council (GPAC) float was directly behind the king and queen. GPAC partnered with the Chamber to sponsor the Mardi Gras Ball and co-chaired the committee planning the event with the king and queen. Members riding the float had a wonderful time and enjoyed the interaction with the crowds.
GPAC President Jodi Marze said, “It was a joy to be part of this Mardi Gras parade and the Krewe of the Pearl. GPAC has enjoyed its interaction with the Chamber and the opportunity to be part of the community coming together for a family friendly event, such as this. Picayune is a true community, in every definition of the word, as was shown tonight in the spirit of both the riders and the crowd.”
