Mardi Gras

Ms. Pearl is a bead whore, and proud of it. Come Mardi Gras time in her home city of New Orleans, Ms. Pearl dons her Carnival-best clothes, draws bull's eyes on her palms, and hits the streets in search of a parade. She doesn't know why she's so drawn to collecting worthless plastic necklaces thrown from moving trucks, but she knows better than to examine her passion too closely. You don't hold a thing like Mardi Gras beads up to the light. That is, not unless you're a documentary filmmaker without a drink in your hand.

Mardi Gras Indians have been parading at Carnival and Louisiana festivals for generations, but growing interest in their culture has the dancing, costumed Indians on display in a new way at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Hurricane Katrina and the HBO television series "Treme" put a national spotlight on the Indians — African-American troupes who dress in ornate costumes. The growing interest couldn't be ignored, said Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis.

The Bellingham Educational Foundation will hold a Mardi Gras fund-raiser March 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Coachmen's Lodge on Wrentham Road. The adult-only evening will include appetizers, dancing, and a silent auction; those interested in donating items to the auction should e-mail Mike Wilbanks at wilbanksfam@gmail.com. The newly reformed foundation, led by president Cindy McNulty and the school district's superintendent, Edward Fleury, has also begun to develop a mission statement, recruit members, and plan fund-raising events.

Police say the 17th annual Mardi Gras parade in Burlington, Vt., went off smoothly. WCAX-TV ( http://bit.ly/xp8WNc) says thousands of people turned out for Saturday's festivities, which many see as an opening to spring. Police say the celebration's gone smoothly during the past couple of years, after some concerns previously that the fundraiser had become too much of a party atmosphere. Organizers say they sold out of beads, and hope to exceed their fundraising goal of $30,000.

Albert and Susan Comeau of Boston were disguised quite beautifully at the Friends of Copley Square 2d annual Mardi Gras fund-raiser at the Fairmont Copley over the weekend. The event, which benefited the Copley organization's cause (helping the city keep the neighborhood beautiful) and drew about 200 people, included dinner, dancing, and an auction.

Comedian Will Ferrell has been named the god of wine for next year's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Bacchus krewe of the popular Carnival season parade announced the choice Thursday. Ferrell rose to fame on "Saturday Night Live" and has had a string of movie hits including "Talladega Nights," "Old School," and "Anchorman. " Ferrell is currently in New Orleans shooting the movie "Dog Fight. " He joins a list of recent Bacchus monarchs that includes Andy Garcia, Val Kilmer, James Gandolfini, Michael Keaton and Nicolas Cage.

NEW ORLEANS -- Some Hurricane Katrina victims stuck in hotel rooms and unfamiliar surroundings across the United States are in no mood to party, and they are decrying the city's plans to hold a Mardi Gras celebration in February. "This is not the time for fun. This is the time to put people's lives back on track," said Lillie Antoine, 51, stuck in Tulsa, Okla. City officials said last month that New Orleans would hold an abbreviated Mardi Gras celebration. Civic boosters say the festivities can help revitalize New Orleans' economy and show the world that the city is on its way back.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thousands of hurricane-weary residents joined with rowdy visitors for Fat Tuesday, taking a break from rebuilding New Orleans to put on wild costumes and celebrate the second Mardi Gras since Katrina. John Ferguson, who is still rebuilding his house almost 18 months after the storm, said of the celebration: "We never needed it more. " "I work all day at my job, then I work all night and all weekend on my house. I just want to eat, drink, and have fun today," Ferguson said.

NEW ORLEANS - Fat Tuesday and Super Tuesday collided yesterday on the streets of the French Quarter, where revelers added a distinctly political flavor to the city's annual raucous bash. Among the men dressed in pink baby-doll pajamas or leather loincloths and the women flashing glimpses of flesh for beads were costumes with political themes. Louisiana voters don't head to the polls until Saturday, so many let their costumes make political statements on a day when 24 other states were holding presidential primaries and caucuses.

NEW ORLEANS -- City officials announced a scaled-down plan yesterday for next year's Mardi Gras celebration. The event will still cover both of its traditional weekends, but will be four days shorter than usual. The hurricane-battered city's plan is to allow eight days of festivities for the annual pre-Lenten party, and to consider corporate sponsorships to help defray the cost, said Ernest Collins with city's Office of Economic Development. The city had initially pitched a six-day schedule because of concerns over the cost of overtime pay for...

Albert and Susan Comeau of Boston were disguised quite beautifully at the Friends of Copley Square 2d annual Mardi Gras fund-raiser at the Fairmont Copley over the weekend. The event, which benefited the Copley organization's cause (helping the city keep the neighborhood beautiful) and drew about 200 people, included dinner, dancing, and an auction.

Local residents can get into the spirit of New Orleans next Saturday when Arts After Hours presents its second annual Bourbon Street event from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Lynn Arts building, 25 Exchange St. The event is designed to bring the traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration to Lynn. This year it will feature live music from Elephant Wrecking Ball, a band with members from the Berklee College of Music that is known for its brassy New Orleans-style sound and special trombone effects.

NEW ORLEANS - Carnival season kicked off last month and ends with the grand finale next week on Feb. 21, Mardi Gras Day. Organizers spend months preparing lavish parades and Fat Tuesday celebrations, but don't feel that you have to visit in February to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer. The city is steeped in history and has plenty of attractions, restaurants, 24-hour nightclubs, fun happenings, and festivities year-round. I took a whirlwind tour of the French Quarter in the off-season and quickly learned that it's a great place to visit anytime.

(Courtesy Italia Unita) Italia Unita's first Carnevale in 2011 featured dancers from the Beverly Richards Dance School as well as other performers including Peppe Nappa, the king of carnivals character for Sciacca, Sicily, seen here on the upper right. By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent The Italian tradition of Carnevale lives on in East Boston, as Italia Unita prepares to host its second annual celebration. Founded in 1995, the East Boston-based non-profit organization works throughout the year to celebrate and share Italian...

The Bellingham Educational Foundation will hold a Mardi Gras fund-raiser March 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Coachmen's Lodge on Wrentham Road. The adult-only evening will include appetizers, dancing, and a silent auction; those interested in donating items to the auction should e-mail Mike Wilbanks at wilbanksfam@gmail.com. The newly reformed foundation, led by president Cindy McNulty and the school district's superintendent, Edward Fleury, has also begun to develop a mission statement, recruit members, and plan fund-raising events.

JAN. 26-29 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Pride Film Festival: Bloomington's LGBT film fest includes everything from acclaimed features to animated shorts. There are a number of meet and greets for guests, including a party on Jan. 28. On the marquee are the 2011 documentary "We Were Here," which examines AIDS in San Francisco in the 1980s, and 1970's "The Boys in the Band," about gays in New York. Some events at Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 East Kirkwood Ave. , pridefilmfestival.org FEB. 2-12 ELY, Minn.

NEW ORLEANS - Pete Fountain, clarinet in hand and looking dapper in a white tuxedo and fedora trimmed in gold, kicked off Mardi Gras with his “Half Fast Marching Club’’ the way they have for 50 years: with beads and jazz. “We’re slower than we were, and older than we were,’’ Fountain, 79, said with a laugh. “But on Mardi Gras none of it matters.’’ Yesterday, the final day of Carnival, was sunny and cold with high temperatures hanging around 50 degrees. That didn’t do much to chill a party that has been rolling since the New Orleans...

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans may have half the population it did before Hurricane Katrina, but the cash-strapped city still loves a party. To help pay for Mardi Gras, it's trying a new money source: text-messaged donations. The fund-raising campaign, which also includes online giving, aims to raise $1 million over the next year. During Carnival season, which culminates Tuesday with Mardi Gras, the Text to Give program will be advertised on posters in local businesses, pillowtop cards in hotels, billboards, radio, and television , and a 20-foot sign in the French...

Comedian Will Ferrell has been named the god of wine for next year's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Bacchus krewe of the popular Carnival season parade announced the choice Thursday. Ferrell rose to fame on "Saturday Night Live" and has had a string of movie hits including "Talladega Nights," "Old School," and "Anchorman. " Ferrell is currently in New Orleans shooting the movie "Dog Fight. " He joins a list of recent Bacchus monarchs that includes Andy Garcia, Val Kilmer, James Gandolfini, Michael Keaton and Nicolas Cage.

SHIRLEY — With Mardi Gras happening today and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a week away, iconic New Orleans musician Dr. John surely had demands on his time this past weekend. Yet there he was Sunday night, dazzling a packed house at the Bull Run, a 300-seat gem of a music room attached to a Colonial-era inn on a Central Mass. back road. Of course, Mac Rebennack has long confounded expectations as Dr. John, a musical alchemist who turns funk, jazz, blues, and rock into sonic gold.