Sunday, January 06, 2008

When members of the Bowling Green marching band headed to Dauphin Island on Saturday, they went expecting to take in a Gulf Coast tradition -- the first Carnival parade of the season.

Instead, they were treated to another tradition, that of the leisurely parade start.

The Krewe de la Dauphine parade, which kicked off an unusually early parade season this year, started late. The floats were scheduled for a 1 p.m. roll-out, but it didn't actually get going until about 1:45 p.m., the same time the band had to head back to Mobile.

Not to worry, though. The band members -- in town for today's GMAC Bowl -- didn't make the trip down from the frozen tundra of northern Ohio for nothing. They did have enough time on the island to scarf down some local flavor in the form of fried candy bars and chicken on a stick.

Zak Ryan, a member of the drum line, even bought a purple, gold and green boa to show his Mardi Gras spirit. It clashed horribly with his orange band shirt, but nobody ever accused Carnival garb of being in good taste.

The fact that the band members didn't see the parade didn't seem to dampen their spirits, perhaps because they knew the were going to see a parade from the inside later that evening when they, along with the University of Tulsa band, marched in the GMAC Bowl Parade.

Bowling Green State University squares off against the University of Tulsa tonight at 7 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the GMAC Bowl.

When the Dauphin Island parade did get going, it offered up some fancy floats and nifty throws.

The procession featured a holiday theme, with each float portraying a different fete, everything from Halloween to Independence Day. In the case of the Easter float, maskers tossed out candy-filled plastic eggs to ecstatic revelers grasping and hollering for more.

Another crowd favorite was the convertible carrying the ladies from the Eat Alabama Wild Shrimp Committee. Decked out in loud red dresses and Cajun Reeboks -- white shrimp boots -- the ladies threw beads with gusto, delighting those who were able to snag a string and dismaying those who were not paying close attention. Beads flung at high speeds can be an unpleasant surprise if you catch them with your face.

Robert Hicks, who recently moved to Grand Bay from his native Slidell, La., said he never misses a Mardi Gras parade if he can help it. He said the smaller Dauphin Island parade reminded him of the parades he attended in Slidell.

"It's great," he said, as his daughter, 2-year-old Reagan Hicks, waved for beads. "She loves the excitement."