We took down the Christmas Tree yesterday. Last night we went downtown where they were raising a giant moon pie to celebrate the New Year. This year is the first year that the city added to the celebration a $9000, 12 foot, 600 pound moonpie, painted banana-yellow. The Chattanooga Bakery that makes moon pies gave away pieces of the world's biggest edible moon pie, a 55-pound, 45,000 calorie moon pie, made to serve hundreds. In addition to the moon pies there was 5000 cans of RC Cola available for 25 cents each.
Why would Mobile be raising a 12 foot moon pie? Here in Mobile we go from Christmas to New Years right to the Mardi Gras season. And moon pies have been a favorite throw in all the Mardi Gras parades in Mobile for years.
Here's a short Mardi Gras history lesson.
The first Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile was in 1703 when Mobile was still a French colony. The first parade was New Year's Eve 1830 when Mobilian Michael Krafft and some tipsy friends paraded through the streets with cow bells, rakes and hoes. The Cowbellion de Rakin Society became the first parading Mystic Society. In 1840 the Cowbellion's paraded for the first time with designed floats and a theme. Then in 1857 the Cowbelions helped a group in New Orleans set up a Mardi Gras celebration and Mardi Gras began in New Orleans.
Mobilians are very proud that Mobile is the home of Mardi Gras. I hear our Mardi Gras is more family friendly than that of our sister city New Orleans. Don't get me wrong, it's a very big party!! But the fabulous thing about Mobile is that thousands of people can party in the streets in a very civilized manner. It's something we have had years to learn how to do properly.
This year we really have a lot to celebrate. Our economy, including our real estate market, is expected to be really good in 2009. With a the construction of ThyssenKrupp Steel Mill there will be new jobs for 2700 permanent employees, not to mention all the jobs that will become available once the multimillion-dollar Dale Earnhardt Jr.-affiliated racing venue and theme park gets under way. Located between the Gulf Beaches and the Mississippi casinos, Mobile has made top lists on moneymagazine.com, forbes.com, entrepreneurs.com and more. I have the links on my www.CoastalAlabamaInvestments.com page.
So, if you would like to celebrate Mardi Gras, Mobile style, plan a visit, any time in the two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day, which this year will be February 24th. It's a big party and you are all invited.
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