The skies opened with a deluge at the start of the annual Mardi Gras block party in Honolulu's downtown arts district. We can't have it: runny makeup, wet feathers. But lasting about five minutes, it was more of a blessing — the gods wishing us well as we partied our way through three stages of live music, rich food and enough hurricanes to spark a typhoon.
With Mardi Gras, everyone comes out for the costumes, and rightly so. Best use of papier-mache, fishnets and wigs ever. But as a fan of jazz and blues, I'm there for the music and I love that the horns come out in droves. Trumpets, saxes, trombones — they took over stages and marched the length of Nuuanu Avenue, accompanied with layered drums and percussion that got me samba-ing enough to have an outside chance of burning off my gourmet roast beef and grilled cheese sandwich — the one I was going to split with a friend but, after we each tasted it, instantly realized that was out of the question. (What makes it gourmet, you ask? Gouda.)
Enjoy the scenes from Honolulu's Mardi Gras. Not as wild as Rio or New Orleans, but with our distinctive Island vibe. Rest up, Honolulu — St. Patrick's Day hits next Thursday.
