Parking - Attendance Rules - Dart

 

About Popeyes MystiQal


Popeyes MystiQal is all about the true New Orleans Mardi Gras with a Quick twist in Downtown Dallas. Popeyes MystiQal includes a night parade with beads and baubles, pre- and post-parties along the parade route, live music and loads of fun activities with food and drink that celebrate everything that is Mardi Gras.

All activities will kick off at 5pm with the opening of the street festival Popeyes MystiQal Party Pavilions, located at Pegasus Plaza, Main St & Lamar and The West End, all in the heart of Downtown Dallas. The Mardi Gras Run will begin in the West End.

The Grand Parade will begin at 7:30pm, so pick your spot behind the barricades, anywhere near Main Street or The West End, and get ready to catch beads and baubles. Live entertainment on the stage and street festival activities will continue until 11pm.

We are not planning any children's activities as Popeyes MystiQal will be an authentic Mardi Gras experience in Dallas on Saturday, February 21, 2009. Now is the time to book your babysitter and join us at Popeyes MystiQal.

All content contained on this website is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice, so please check back for updates.

 

Mardi Gras Run Benefiting Captain Hope's Kids

Click here for information on The Mardi Gras Run Benefiting Captain Hope's Kids, and check back soon for more information on this exciting part of Popeyes MystiQal.

The Elisa Project MystiQal Store

 

Commemorative Popeyes MystiQal t-shirts, posters, beads and more will be available at the event. Just look for The Elisa Project Store in the street festival area.

 

 

About Mardi Gras

 

Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday) is the day before “ash Wednesday” and is also called “shrove Tuesday” or “Pancake Day”. It is the final day of Carnival. It is a celebration that is held just before the beginning of the Christian liturgical season of Lent.

Officially, the Mardi Gras season begins on the 12th day after Christmas. Most parades, balls and other festivities occur on weeknights and weekends in the 2-week period before Mardi Gras Day. Though each parade is different, there are certain common ingredients: 1) There is a king of each Krewe, picked from among the Krewe membership; 2) gaily colored floats, ridden by masked and costumed Krewe members, who throw various items or “throws”, including beads (necklaces), metal coins called doubloons bearing the official emblem and often, that year’s parade grand marshal’s name, plastic cups and assorted other fun items; marching bands from local high schools and universities, and often other invited guest bands.

A Krewe is an organization that puts on a parade and or a ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with New Orleans Mardi Gras, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations around the Gulf of Mexico coast.

The word is thought to have been coined in the early 19th century by an organization calling themselves Ye Mystick Krewe of Comus, as an imitation or parody of Old English: with time it became the most common term for a New Orleans Carnival organization.

Krewe members are assessed fees in order to pay for the parade and/or ball. Fees can range from thousands of dollars a year per person for the most elaborate parades to as little as $20 a year for smaller marching clubs. Criteria for Krewe membership varies similarly, ranging from exclusive organizations largely limited to relatives of previous members to other organizations open to anyone able to pay the membership fee. Krewes with low membership fees may also require members to work to help build and decorate the parade floats and make their costumes; higher priced Krewes hire professionals to do this work. Parading Krewe members are usually additionally responsible for buying their own throws, the trinkets thrown to parade spectators according to New Orleans tradition.

Some Krewes have other events like private dances or parties throughout the year. Some also make a point of supporting charities and good causes.

 

Attendance Rules

  • Obviously, no weapons
  • No glass containers, please
  • No cans, please
  • No lawn chairs, please
  • No silly string
  • No bicycles, skateboards or scooters
  • Remain behind barricades at all times (for your safety)
  • Catch beads
  • Have fun

 

Parking

Parking will be available throughout Downtown Dallas as it is for all other events

 

Don't drive ride Dart

Dart Rail

 

 

 

DART Rail shuttle service for the MystiQal event in Downtown Dallas on Saturday, February 21, 2009.

More info at http://www.dart.org/about/DARTtospecialevents.asp