Pensacola Magazine

History of Pensacola Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Pensacola since Spain colonized the Gulf Coast. Although the celebrations fizzled out several times throughout the years and, at one point, for 50 years straight, Pensacola has always welcomed a good Mardi Gras celebration. So, grab yourself a slice of King Cake and laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll). 

The First Priscus King 

The date Pensacola named its first King of the Carnival is still not 100 percent clear. Multiple articles from the Pensacola Gazette in the Historic Trust suggest that Pensacola had been celebrating Mardi Gras since the early 19th century while other articles suggest that Pensacola has been celebrating since Spain arrived here. The Historic Trust dates the photograph of Pensacola’s first King Priscus, A. C. Blount, in 1900.

Photograph of Pensacola’s first King Priscus, A. C. Blount, dated 1900.

While Pensapedia and the President of Pensacola Mardi Gras believe A.C. Blount was named king in 1874. Although the official year of the first King of the Pensacola Carnival is unclear, the origin of the name Priscus is clear. Priscus is the name of Rome’s fifth king: Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Priscus is known for having a good time. He is said to have established the first circus. Priscus was also known for his lavish wardrobe. He wore a purple robe with a gold crown on his head. Perhaps he is why purple and gold are the prominent colors in Mardi Gras. 

The Best Mardi Gras in History

If you were to ask pensacolians from the 20th century which year Mardi Gras was the best, apparently they would say 1915. The Feb. 17, 1915 headline called the event “The Best in History.” The moment that turned this parade up a notch was when King Priscus XVI made quite the entrance. Instead of arriving at the parade in a regular old car, B.S. Hancock took to the sky. He flew an airplane above a crowd of thousands, but Hancock wasn’t the only one turning heads. Gladys Pierce was a shocking choice for queen.

The Pensacola Gazette said “She was not a parlor queen at all.” The article states that Pierce seemed like a peculiar pick because she was a woman of business. Past queens had been ones of beauty who stayed home. Pierce on the other hand went to college in Baltimore and was even a part of the Army. The article named her “the first queen of a new era in Pensacola.”

The Mardi Gras Hiatus

Although there were numerous private parties celebrating Mardi Gras, Pensacola’s official parades were skipped several times throughout the decades. In 1919, the Pensacola Journal reported that due to the world war, Pensacola skipped Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras wasn’t celebrated again, officially, until 1922. The spike in the need to celebrate again was probably a result of the Florida Land Boom, which caused many people to migrate to Florida, and the exciting Flapper era. The festivities fizzled out again after 1930 due to the Great Depression. Fortunately, that final Mardi Gras was filmed by the naval air station’s school of photography. The Saenger Theatre showed the film for several years. Mardi Gras took a 50 year hiatus, but it was brought back to life in 1977. 

Mardi Gras Returns

1977 shaped up to be a spectacular year for Mardi Gras. After 50 years of silence, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce formed a Mardi Gras Committee. The committee rounded up eight hard-kicking bands, bluegrass groups, the UWF Black Gospel Singers and many other musical groups. Pensacolians flooded the streets to see the parade on Palafox Street. 

The Creation of One of the Oldest Pensacola Krewes 

If there is a group Pensacola could credit for keeping public Mardi Gras festivities alive in the city, it’s the Krewe of Lafitte. This krewe was founded July 15, 1954. An article published May 15, 1957, states that the krewe was originally founded to host a parade and ball during the Fiesta of Five Flags week. As the number of krewe members grew, the Krewe of Lafitt’s celebrations got larger. They named their first king and queen, Harrison Wells J. and Mrs. Owen M. Ward, June 8, 1955. The krewe kicked off their Mardi Gras festivities with an invitation only cocktail party at Hotel San Carlos. Then the krewe hosted an after-dark parade. The krewe’s May 15, 1957 festivities included a parade of nine floats, which each cost $1,400, 10 bands, horses from the Mobile Mardi Gras and a 21-gun salute. The krewe closed out the night with an invitational ball. Today, the Krewe of Lafitte is the largest all male krewe in the Florida panhandle, and the krewe hosts the Krewe of Lafitte Parade each year. The krewe hosts several other parades and balls throughout the year, too.

Krewe of African Kings

First African-American Krewe Forms

The Krewe of African Kings was established in 1990. The krewe was formed by Martin Lewis and male members of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Pensacola. The African Kings participate in the Krewe of Lafitte Parade, Mardi Gras Grand Parade and Fat Tuesday Parade in New Orleans, to name a few. They also host an invitational black-tie ball each year where they select the year’s king. The queen is a guest who is randomly chosen at the ball through the cutting of the Queen’s Cake (King’s Cake). The African Kings also participate in the Krewe of African Queens annual Ball. Krewe of African Queens hosted its first ball in January 2003, and its Annual Ball is considered one of the top social events of the year in Pensacola.

Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc. Inherits Mardi Gras Celebrations

Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc. inherited the city’s Mardi Gras celebrations through a series of transitions. In 2000, Fiesta of Five Flags took over from David and Bonnie McDonald, who had organized the Grand Pensacola Mardi Gras Parade and the Fat Tuesday Priscus Procession for 25 years. Danny Zimmern, now President of Pensacola Mardi Gras, and his team had been assisting with float lineups for the parade. That year, the McDonalds handed the grand parade to Fiesta, but no Fat Tuesday event was held. After managing the parade, Fiesta passed the responsibility to Zimmern and his volunteers, who became Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc.

Pensacola Mardi Gras’ first year in 2003 was both successful and challenging. Zimmern said that the organization lost $15,000 that year. “We didn’t know what we were doing yet, so with that loss, we went from being interested to being invested,” Zimmern said. “We took it all on at full force the next year. We decided that we had to either get smaller or bigger, and we didn’t want to get smaller.” Determined to grow, Pensacola Mardi Gras focused on expanding the Grand Parade and Fat Tuesday celebrations. They complemented the established Krewe of Lafitte Parade on Friday and the Pensacola Beach Parade, hosted by the Krewe of Wrecks, on Sunday.

In 2011, Executive Director Amy Newman introduced a new tradition inspired by her Louisiana roots: a kickoff event on Twelfth Night, the official start of Mardi Gras. Pensacola Mardi Gras now observes this on the Saturday closest to January 6th, the 12th day after Christmas.

At the end of 2023, Pensacola Mardi Gras formed the Pensacola Mardi Gras Foundation and received a grant from the Tourist Development Council to help promote the city’s Mardi Gras season on a larger scale and attract visitors from across the country. With this support, the team introduced a new event in 2024, the Mardi Gras Mambo, celebrating the spirit of Mardi Gras with music, community and tradition.

Economic Impact

While being part of a Mardi Gras Krewe can be a lot of fun, the Krewes also serve a higher purpose. Each Krewe chooses at least one charity to raise money for throughout the year. Depending on the size and determination of the Krewe, charitable donations have run anywhere between $1,000 to $50,000 through food drives, diaper drives and various other events.

With the grant from the Tourist Development Council, Pensacola Mardi Gras Foundation received funding to study the economic impact Mardi Gras has on the local economy. Economic impact estimates in recent years have been upwards of $50 million during the Mardi Gras season from kick off through Fat Tuesday.

This year’s Mardi Gras celebration promises to be better than ever. Pensacola Mardi Gras and local businesses and nonprofits are planning many exciting events, so be sure to get out, catch some beads and let the good times roll. For more information about Mardi Gras in Pensacola, visit pensacolamardigras.com.