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DID YOU GEAUX? HarborWalk kicks off the Mardi Gras season in style (PHOTOS and VIDEO)
For dozens more photos of the day, click here.
For a 360 degree photo of the Mardi Gras fun, click here.
More than 9,000 parade-goers turned out for Saturday’s Mardi Gras Kick-off Parade at HarborWalk Village, beating last year’s turnout by more than 1,000, according to event organizers.
With 64 entries in the parade that danced its way down the harbor, beads, MoonPies and smiles were aplenty as the traditional phrase, “hey mister, throw me something” filled the air.
Entrants were judged on their theme, creativity and spirit by a panel of local judges. The winners were: 1st Place — Highsteppers; 2nd Place — Northwest Florida Regional Airport; and 3rd Place — Omni Financial of Eglin Air Force Base.
As part of the Mardi Gras festivities, HarborWalk Village collected donations for Destin Harvest, which have totaled more than $800 as of Monday.
With more festivities to come, the team at HarborWalk couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.
"Mardi Gras on the Destin harbor continues to grow and become one of the largest events of the year. What started as a golf cart parade has expanded into a full Mardi Gras experience with over 9,000 in attendance,” said Whitney Lee, events and marketing manager for HarborWalk Village. “We are proud to host a family-friendly Mardi Gras. The celebration continues with our party animal parade on Fat Tuesday with free red beans and rice."
