The History of Mardi Gras
17 years ago, the Magic Hat Brewing Company had a crazy idea: to gather the city of Burlington, VT, together for a Mardi Gras-themed celebration to benefit the HOPE Works (formerly known as Women's Rape Crisis Center). The only catch was that the Vermont brewer had to figure out how to get Burlingtonians outside for several hours in the middle of winter's coldest, most unforgiving month of February. After countless hours of asking local businesses to participate with a float, working with the city of Burlington, the police department, the fire department and many more organizations, the parade was ready to go, but the question remained: Would anyone actually show up?
No one knew.
As the motley crew of floats rounded the first corner from Main Street onto Church Street, Magic Hat was shocked to see a couple thousand screaming citizens eager to catch beads, chocolates and a glimpse of the fantastic floats. So began the annual ritual of the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend.
For each of the last 17 years, Magic Hat has helped to thaw the frozen winter streets of downtown Burlington and, more importantly, to raise money through revelry for the HOPE Works.
Each Mardi Gras Weekend features an ice-breaking concert on the night before the parade hits the streets. Bands that have primed the city and its many guests include The Jazz Guys, Soulive, The Disco Biscuits, Deep Banana Blackout and more. When jam band heroes moe. played at the top of Church Street in 2002, both Magic Hat and the City were caught off-guard by the solid block of people that stretched from the band's tent all the way to Pearl Street, four city blocks south. Friday night shows have since moved to the Burlington area's premier music venue, Higher Ground.
Over the years, the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade has seen it all: 50-degree February days, -5 degree February days, snow storms that led to a parade being cancelled altogether, crowd surfing blow-up dolls, outrageous contumes and more. Through it all, there have been several wonderful consistencies: tens of thousands of Mardi Gras revelers, floats, beads, moonpies and, most important of all, the spectacular community support for a local non-profit group. Over 17 years, Magic Hat, the Burlington community and our many esteemed out-of-town guests have rasied close to $150,000 for the HOPE Works.
It's been a wild ride, and we're looking forward to 2012's parade. The Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade has grown so large over the years, it will, for the first time in 17 years, be rolling up the only street big enough to accomodate 25,000+ screaming people and their excitement: Main Street. We look forward to seeing you in downtown Burlington the weekend of March 2nd through the 4th, 2012, for the 17th annual Mardi Gras Weekend. Cheers!