Though New Orleans may be thousands of miles away, the spirit of Mardi Gras will soon be hitting the streets of Calgary.
The 26th annual Marda Gras Street Festival incorporates the sights, sounds and smells of Louisiana, according to Bernadette Geronazzo, executive director of the Marda Loop business revitalization zone.
“We bring the food of New Orleans to the streets and … jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun and zydeco music,” she said. “What we try to do is bring the splendor and colour and the Cajun cuisine.”
The cuisine of the south will definitely be present, with numerous restaurants setting up booths.
“We do all southern, Louisiana-style food,” said Susan Hopkins, owner of Red Tree Catering in Marda Loop.
Hopkins said some of their dishes include bourbon sticky ribs, blackened catfish and Louisiana lemonade.
“It’s great because people love the fact that the smells are there,” she said. “It’s a real theme going on.”
