Update: The event has been moved to Wed., Jan. 10 because of inclement weather.
Twelfth Night festivities are set for Friday, along with a special First Friday event, despite high rain chances.
The Twelfth Night is celebrated on Jan. 5 each year and with more than a 70 percent chance of rain forecast for Friday evening, organizers with the Gulf Coast Carnival Association, Coastal Mississippi Mardi Gras Museum, the City of Biloxi, and Biloxi Main Street, meet Tuesday afternoon at City Hall to discuss arrangements to continue with this year’s festivities. The consensus? More tents.
So those interested in joining the gathering at Biloxi City Hall, 140 Lameuse St. this Friday, and marking the official transition from the Christmas holidays to Carnival season can do so by staying dry!
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a trio of floats filled with krewe kings and queens accompanied by the Ole Biloxi Marching Club arriving at Biloxi City Hall on Lameuse Street. The entourage will then meet Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich and Gulf Coast Carnival Chairman Keith Williams who will welcome the attendees, and turn off the Christmas lights of the stately white marble facade, and turn on the lights of Carnival.
Under the purple, green, and gold illuminated three-story City Hall, the 2024 Gulf Coast Carnival Association Flag Bearers will be introduced. Directly across the street, a bonus First Friday Block Party will take place with entertainment by the Bucktown All-Stars from 7 to 9 p.m.
Visitors to the free affair will find king cake being served under tents.
The occasion also serves as a reminder of the religious significance of Carnival, often lost on tens of thousands of revelers at Mardi Gras parades. Twelfth Night, the 12th day from Christmas, is the night before the Epiphany, the day when the three wise men visited the infant Jesus, foretelling the revelation of God the Son being born as a human.
See the event flyer
News & notes: Weekly report, Christmas Tree recycling
The week that was: See an overview of calls for service, projects, and work orders from city departments each week online on the Weekly Reports page. To see the reports from the Fire, Police, Community Development, and Public Works departments, click here.
Christmas Tree recycling: Residents can drop off green trees after Christmas through Jan. 13, 2024, at the Rodenburg Avenue parking bay on Beach Boulevard. Remember to remove all decorations, lights, and stands before depositing. For more info, contact Harrison County Beautification at 228-214-1405.
