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It’s carnival time

Category:
Community, Entertainment
Author:
Sunny Burns
Posted:
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
It’s carnival time

This year Mardi Gras brings a new concept to the festival — the Parade Carnival.

With the 2010 Mardi Gras Party being moved from parade night, organisers created this event for the whole community and it is free for all parade participants, Mardi Gras volunteers and NMG members.

The carnival will be held at the Entertainment Quarter following the parade on Saturday, February 27.

“One of the most electrifying things about Mardi Gras is the parade start area where all the floats and marchers are grouped together in advance of walking the parade route,” Mardi Gras CEO Michael Rolik said.

“With the Parade Carnival we want to capture that atmosphere, but with the facilities that can be provided in the Entertainment Quarter.
“It’s a chance for everyone involved to celebrate what they have just achieved and to get to know each other.“

Mardi Gras will also runn the Parade Awards at the carnival and will showcase some of the parade’s best floats and groups.

“There’s a massive amount of energy generated by the parade and we believe our community expects us to provide a focus for that,” Rolik said.

“We think it will be much more weighted towards parade participants, volunteers and, of course, our members. However, we’ll still get a lot of the people who are maybe more driven by the party than the parade because there’s still that opportunity to party through the night.”

While people’s budgets are tight, Rolik wanted to ensure that both the Parade Carnival and the Mardi Gras party will be affordable for all.

“They will be very different events and we’ve tried to price the carnival so that it won’t preclude too many people from doing both,” he said.
More entertainment and the DJ line-up will be announced closer to the date.

info: Parade Carnival is on Saturday, February 27. Entry is free for parade participants, Mardi Gras volunteers and NMG members. Entry is $50 for general public. Gates open at 10pm. To book tickets, call 1300 438 849 or visit www.moshtix.com.au

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