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Yeah, yeah, yeah — I’ve heard it all
before and just heard it again the other night: “Boring ol’
Springfield.” “Nothing to do.” “Man, I wished I
lived in a real town.” On and on droned the determined downers. You know I’ll be the first (but not the last)
to say that this town is not the happening place it could be or that other
places feel more exciting than this old morgue, er, burg — but come
on, if it’s that bad it’s time to do something about it.
That’s exactly what some industrious folks did
when there was no Mardi Gras celebration around here: They got together and
made one. Springfield Mardi Gras is a not-for-profit corporation with the
sole purpose of organizing annual Mardi Gras events in our highly
underentertained city. Depending on the size of your donation, you can
distinguish yourself as an individual, a household, a nonprofit
organization, or a business. Or you can donate your way to a designation of
Patron, Sponsor, Crown Benefactor, or even an Other (which, I’m
assuming, gives you naming rights to yourself) — but every
contribution gets you a ticket to the costume ball. From its beginnings in 2003, little more than a small
parade and big hopes, the party has grown bigger and better, more organized
and more fun. In 2007 the group produced several events, including a
Sunday-morning brunch with New Orleans-style food and music, a “Lundi
Gras” costume ball, and family-oriented activities in the early
evening and a pub crawl and parade for late-night revelers on Fat Tuesday.
The 2008 SMG calendar is similar, but with an added
first party 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, at the Brewhaus (617 E. Washington
St., 217-525-6399). The shindig will feature Cajun/New Orleans food and
music by the Jambalaya Jam Band with Frank Parker. Tickets cost $10 in
advance or $15 at the door. Costumes are suggested but not required, but
beads are a certainty. Check with Mardi Gras instigator Kate Hawkes at the
Trout Lily Café (218 S. Sixth St., 217-391-0101) for tickets and
information. I find these dates a bit early for Mardi Gras
celebrations, but, according to the common Western Christian computation
for the date of Easter, the holy holiday falls on the first Sunday after
the first full moon after the vernal equinox, putting the date for 2008 at
March 23. Complicated as this all seems, it was decided in 325 A.D. at the
Council of Nicaea, an important meeting of early Christians called by
Emperor Constantine I of the mighty Roman Empire. Now, why do we care about
dating Easter? Because Mardi Gras is the big hedonistic party culminating
in Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which
is observed by Christians as 40 days (not counting Sundays) of fasting and
prayer before Easter. So thanks to those thoughtful bishops in 325 A.D., in
unknowing cahoots with the enterprising and organizing members of SMG, the
capital city gets the honor of hosting one of the very first parties of the
Mardi Gras season this Sunday. I just love Christian math!
See how easy it is to make something happen if you
just try? The whole universe may get behind you. Borrowing the slogan of
the SMG bunch, we’re just “letting the good times roll in
Lincoln Land.”
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jan 3-9, 2008.
