Mardi Gras San Francisco Style

Celebrating Fat Tuesday in the Fillmore with great blues, a second line processional, creative costumes, good food and colorful beads, the Village Project and the Fillmore Center will host the 15th annual Mardi Gras, San Francisco Style on Tuesday, February 16th. This year’s celebration again opens with a free community blues concert in the Fillmore Center Plaza, featuring blues songstress, Rhonda Benin, along with Freddie Hughes. The New Orleans style festival will bring San Francisco’s historic Fillmore Music District to life with Zydeco & blues, a colorful family friendly carnival atmosphere, and a second line parade led by the Gumbo Band. New Orleans’ own, Chief Takawaka will serve as Grand Marshall and will MC the event. There will be face painting, street artists and performers. The free blues concert starts at 5 pm and ends at 7:30 pm, followed by the second line New Orleans style parade down the Fillmore Corridor, culminating with the annual Masquerade Ball at the Fillmore Jazz Heritage Center at 8 pm. At the Masquerade Ball, guests will enjoy New Orleans cuisine, Mardi Gras drink specials and more blues and Zydeco music, with Derick Hughes and his Fat Belly Blues Band and the infamous Bobby Reed.