BTV: A parade of history in February

February 13 marks the 321th anniversary of the explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville setting foot on the shores of present-day Biloxi, and history is front and center this month on BTV, with new and old programs dotting the programming schedule.

August Taconi, the longtime photographer and videographer of Biloxi events, dipped into his archives for a trio of gems airing on BTV this month:

— “Twelfth Night” is a 16-minute program that uses the backdrop of the recent Twelfth Night ceremony to tell the story of Mardi Gras. The program airs daily at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. in February.

 — “City Within a City” is a 20-minute documentary where African-American community leaders – Bishop James Black, Gwendolyn Beck, Rip Daniels, Vernon Jackson, Smiley Lee Albert and Alice May Dickey – tell the challenges facing Biloxi’s minority community in the ’60s. Taconi originally lensed the program as part of an Ohr-O’Keefe exhibition in 2013, but BTV is premiering a version that has been embellished with photos from the day. See “City Within a City,” throughout Black History Month, at 8:20 a.m. and 8:20 p.m.

— “Edmond Boudreaux: Living History” is a tribute to the well-known local history authority who died in December. Taconi has compiled a series of Boudreaux’s re-enactments from the annual cemetery tour. See the 54-minute program each afternoon at 2:05.

State of the City: Of course the big production on BTV this month is Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s State of the City address. The 28-minute presentation – an overview of the city’s short-term and long-term goals and objectives – features new aerial footage of key sites around the city as well as a host of video extras added by longtime State of the City videographer Renny Sherman. See the 2020 State of the City each day at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and at 1:05 each afternoon.

Choose your screen: BTV is available on your TV screen through Sparklight (Channel 56) or UVerse (Channel 99, follow prompts) – for Biloxi residents, or you can see it on your desktop, smartphone or tablet at biloxi.ms.us/btv.
See the February BTV lineup
See the BTV archive on YouTube

Sign up now for the Children’s Mardi Gras parade

Mardi Gras is only weeks away and the city, the Gulf Coast Carnival Association and the Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum are now asking for children to join the festivities.

The annual Biloxi Children’s Mardi Gras Walking Parade, set for Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., is open to youngsters age 12 and younger who want to be creative, dress in costumes, and decorate their bicycle, wagons or the like.

Youngsters can walk, skate or be pushed or pulled in strollers or wagons. This year’s theme is Carnaval Du Cirque, celebrating the array of entertainment and performers associated with the circus such as the animals, clowns, ringmasters, magicians, and jugglers.

For safety, no motorized vehicles including battery-powered children’s cars and motorcycles will be allowed.

The parade will travel from Howard Avenue under the I-110 overpass, go east on Howard to Lameuse Street, turn south ending at Biloxi City Hall,140 Lameuse Street where there will be a celebration and costume and float contests.

Applications can be picked up from the Biloxi Visitors Center, 1050 Beach Blvd.; the Biloxi Parks & Recreation Hiller Park Office, 377 Hiller Drive; and the Coastal Mardi Gras Museum and Gulf Coast Carnival Association, 792A Howard Ave.

All forms are due to the Biloxi Visitors Center by Friday, Feb. 7.
See the application and route
See photos from the 2019 parade

News & notes: Podcast, weekend preview, council

Podcast: The State of the City, of course, is the topic, with Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and Police Chief John Miller dropping by. To listen, click here.

Podcast bonus: Take a step inside the Bethel Free Clinic in a bonus podcast this week. It sits there off Iberville Drive in West Biloxi providing an invaluable service. Bethel is the focus in the Jan. 23 podcast. To listen, click here.

Weekend preview: The Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department will hold registration for its baseball and softball leagues from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center, and Arsenic & Old Lace will be performed at the Biloxi Little Theatre. To see the Biloxi Community Calendar, click here. To see a complete weekend line up, click here.

Council: The Biloxi City Council will hold two meetings on Tuesday, a special called meeting at 4:30 p.m. and a regular scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public and will take place at Biloxi City Hall. To see the agendas and supporting documents, click here.