Mother of Mystics: The Origins of Mardi Gras in Mobile Walking Tour

Come follow the path of the first mystic parades in America, the foundation of Mardi Gras as we know it today. Enjoy a little revelry as you learn the real story of how, when and where they started while you walk the same streets and stop for refreshments, just as the original maskers did. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, taking participants down Royal Street and around
Bienville Square. Back at Joe Cain Cafe there will be time to answer any and all additional questions about Mardi Gras traditions along the Gulf Coast.

Tour Highlights:
Looking over the port of Mobile from the Battle House Hotel where ships brought the first settlers, we will discuss the popular story of Mardi Gras in 1703 and the impact of steam travel in the 1830’s, which turned Mobile into a major destination for commerce and cultural innovation in the Antebellum Era.

Strolling down Royal Street you’ll walk in the same footsteps as the original “Cowbellions” where you can ring your own cowbell, stopping to see the places where the first tableau was performed and the first balls were held.
Hear the real stories of Mobile’s nationally renowned antebellum parades, with their dramatic nighttime flambeaux, elaborate costumes and mysterious themes.

Under the oaks of Bienville Square you’ll hear about the shift from New Year’s Eve to Fat Tuesday with a detailed description of Mobile’s first Mardi Gras parades in 1868, including the comedic Joe Cain and his Lost Cause Minstrels and the grand spectacle of the Order of Myths.

Back at Mardi Gras Park, learn about how the royal court was added to the American Mardi Gras tradition and stand in the same place that the carnival emperor, “Felix” was annual given the keys to the city by the mayor so that revelry may rule on the day of Mardi Gras, an unbroken tradition, still carried on today.