LLC WICHITA, KANSAS ardi Gra M s Horseshoe Casino FEBRUARY 14-20, 2015 Premium Arrow Tour Bus City of BEGIN!Honolulu YOUR VACATION HERE! Mardi Gras Parade Ft Worth Stockyards Snorkeling L’Auberge Hotel It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans, “The Big Easy”, and you’re right in the middle of the revelers! It has been called the “greatest free party on earth” and you’ve been invited! See at least four parades, with hundreds of floats. Catch the beads and enjoy the excitement! Oak Alley In addition to the excitement of Mardi Gras, Gardens experience the history of the Antebellum South with a tour of Oak Alley Plantation, and the history of the Wild West at the Ft. Worth Stockyards and the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center. ardi Gra M s FEBRUARY 14-20, 2015 Mardi Gras Mask BONUS! LLC Fun & Games WICHITA, KANSAS on the Bus WEST VIRGINIA MISSOURI Trip Includes: Wichita ► Baton Rouge, LA & the KANSAS KENTUCKY L’Auberge Casino & Hotel ► New Orleans City Tour TENNESSEE ► French Quarter & Bourbon Duncan ARKANSAS Street OKLAHOMA SOUTH Little Rock CAROLINA ► Historic Trolleys ► Grandstand Seating for Fat Tuesday Parades MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA ► Oak Alley Plantation Ft. Worth Bossier City TEXAS ► Bossier City, LA & Horseshoe LOUISIANA Casino ► Ft. Worth, TX Stockyards & Baton Rouge FLORIDA Billy Bob’s Over Texas Oak Alley New Orleans ► Six Meals and All Hotels Gulf of Mexico ► Refreshments on the Bus Page 2 Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N. Tee Time │ Wichita, KS 67205 LLC WICHITA, KANSAS History of Mardi Gras Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, and is the last day for Catholics to indulge (or overindulge) before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The holiday has been celebrated in Europe since the Middle Ages. In New Orleans, the holiday can be traced to 1699, before the city even existed, when two French explorers set up camp on the Mississippi River. The location changed several times as the location of the French Capital changed (New Orleans, to Mobile, Alabama, to Biloxi, Mississippi) before settling back in New Orleans. Masked balls, a highly-anticipated part of New Orleans Mardi Gras, were banned while the Spanish ruled Louisiana, and weren’t reinstated until 1823. The first parades started with a group of costumed revelers Beaded Tree in 1837. In 1857 the first krewes were formed. These krewes established several Mardi Gras traditions by forming secret Carnival societies, choosing a mythological name- sake, themed parades, and tableau balls. The King of Carnival Rex (created by krewe Rex Organiza- tion) made his first appearance in 1872 and soon became CHOICES! Which parades the international symbol of Mardi Gras. Rex presented the will you watch? first organized daytime parade, the Carnival colors (purple, green and gold), its flag, and the anthem “If Ever I Cease to Love”. Mardi Gras Revelers The krewe of Proteus debuted in 1882 with a glittering parade themed on Egyptian Mythology. The original march- ing band club, The Jefferson City Buzzards, was formed in 1890. Other important groups include the Original Illinois Club (the first black group) started in 1894; and Les Myster- ieuses (the first female group) was founded in 1896; Zulu in 1916 (one of the most beloved) who has its own King whose been known to mock Rex. Mardi Gras krewes today developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their mem- bers, New Orleanians call it the “Greatest Free Show on Earth”! Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N. Tee Time │ Wichita, KS 67205 Page 3 Bacchus Parade History in Mardi Gras Challenges in the first half of the 20th century included World Wars, Prohibition and the Great Depression. However, the celebrations continued to grow and received internation- al publicity when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor attended the 1950 Cromus Ball, where they bowed to the make-be- lieve monarch Rex. In the late 1960’s a new krewe, Bacchus, wanted to make Mardi Gras more accessible to visitors. They brought in the Children’s largest floats in Carnival history, and instead of the tradition- Parade al, invitation-only ball, tried a supper dance to which tickets Ladders could be purchased. Devastation from Hurricane Katrina caused many people to wonder about the future of New Orleans and its Mardi Gras celebration, but local krewes pushed the city government forward with the 2006 event. Many of the men and women who worked on parade floats were significantly affected by i G the storms’ aftermath, in many cases having lost most or all ard ra of their possessions. When they repaired the floats that year M s (many of which had been underwater), some krewes chose to incorporate the flood lines into the design. For more than 300 years of Mardi Gras history in New Orleans, krewes, traditions and events updated, changed, corrected, improved, and have created a Carnival that is one FEBRUARY 14-20, 2015 of the largest and most exciting in the world! Page 4 Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N. Tee Time │ Wichita, KS 67205 Mardi Gras Facts But Mardi Gras isn’t limited to Fat Tuesday. The season starts on LLC January 6, which is known as Twelfth Night. Other interesting facts WICHITA, KANSAS you might want to know: ► The weekend of Mardi Gras, the population of New Orleans more than doubles. King Cake ► Orleans Parish has laws prohibiting any form of commercial advertising on Carnival parades, and there is no “sponsor” for Mardi Gras (exceptions being that some krewes may have merchandise like posters that are themed for each year). ► Collecting beads started in the late 19th century with glass beads made in Czechoslovakia. Now, the limited edition beads, doubloons and plush toys that are created by the krewes are high in demand. Among them are LED and fiber optic beads. Even more special are the glass beads that have made a return to the festivities. ► King Cakes will contain a bean or small plastic baby, and is used to make decisions, including who will buy the next cake, or even Mardi Gras Spirit who will be the queen of the next ball. ► One of the most famous and sought after throws is the Zulu Coconut (also known as the Golden Nugget and the Mardi Gras Coconut). The coconuts are painted to look like famous black Zulu faces, and are now handed out instead of being thrown (thanks to a law passed in 1988 known as the “Coconut Bill”). ► At the stroke of midnight on Fat Tuesday, mounted officers, known as the NOPD Parade, clear Bourbon Street announcing the end of Mardi Gras and commencing with Ash Wednesday. ► Flambeaux carriers were originally slaves and free men of color who would light the way with heavy torches so that people could better see the elaborate floats and festivities. Crowds would toss coins for them, a custom that continues, as many will demon- strate the art of fire throwing. ► Mardi Gras Indian costumes are unforgettable! In the past, Native-Americans found it difficult to be accepted into a krewe, so they started their own tradition of costume making and parading. The costumes are hand-made creations of intricate bead work Mardi Gras Clean-up and dramatic images, which rank among the nation’s best folk art. Worn just once, the costumes take an entire year to create (some weighing as much as 150 lbs)! ► Mardi Gras success is often measured by the amount of trash collected on Ash (Trash) Wednesday. However, the age of recy- cling has reduced the amount of garbage collected and skews the numbers. Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N. Tee Time │ Wichita, KS 67205 Page 5 Little Rock Skyline ardi Gra M s FEBRUARY 14-20, 2015 Little Rock, Arkansas Depart Wichita with a special send off to get you in the mood for the Mardi Gras festivities! Learn about every- one on the bus with lots of games and fun on your way to Little Rock, Arkansas. Little Rock is the capital and largest city in the state of Arkansas with a population of almost 200,000 people. Located near the center of the state, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche (French for Mississippi River “the little rock”). The rock was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing. In the morning, we’re on the road again, following the Mississippi River, with your extra careful bus driver! He’ll escort you safely through the speed traps of Pine Bluff, Arkansas! As you drive near the Vicksburg National Military Park, Cindy will give the day’s history lesson! Don’t forget to watch for alligators (alligators are seen all through the Mississippi River in both Mississippi and Louisiana)! Little Rock River Market Page 6 Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N. Tee Time │ Wichita, KS 67205 Baton Rouge Skyline L’Auberge Casino & Hotel TRY YOUR HAND AT BLACKJACK Baton Rouge, Louisiana The capital city is located upon Istrouma Bluff, the first bluff upriver from the Mississippi River Delta, which protects the city from flooding and hurricanes. We drive by the capitol building, which was the tallest building in the South when it was built. Tonight, stay at the L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. Located just a few miles south of downtown Baton Rouge, the beautiful hotel offers several tasty dining options Rooftop Pool and thrilling gaming opportunities! LLC WICHITA, KANSAS L’Auberge Lobby Email: [email protected] │ www.jctours.com │ Tel: 316-838-0795 │ 3227 N.