Sunday, February 10, 2013
Brother and sister David and Rebecca Tax started the parade 15 years ago before moving to Falls Church.
Siblings and former Clarendon business owners Rebecca and David Tax know how to have a good time — and 15 years ago, they stepped out on a limb and started something that still draws quite a crowd in Clarendon. The 15th Annual Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade has grown substantially from the 10 floats it had in its inaugural year and has become a big deal for the entire region. This year’s parade is expected to be the biggest yet. “We were trying to promote the restaurants in the area and we thought it would be fun,” David Tax said recently inside the Falls Church restaurant he runs with his sister, Clare and Don’s Beach Shack. More than 40 exhibitors are expected to participate in this year’s parade. Matt Hussmann, director of the …
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hundreds turn out for annual Fat Tuesday celebration.
Wilson Boulevard was packed Fat Tuesday night for the Clarendon-Courthouse community's annual Mardi Gras parade. The parade consisted of 45 floats provided by area businesses, political and civic groups, and various entertainers. Beads flew through the air to a crowd full of everyone from children to the elderly to every age in between. Many wore masks or costumes and blinked or glowed in the dark. The local business community was well represented, from mainstays like Whitlow's on Wilson to newcomers like Trader Joe's. The latter was handing out the store's reuable shopping bags, which caused adults to push past the children to get out front. And beg. The U.S. Park Police had horses, dogs had walkers and most everyone else had some sort of…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Family-friendly event is in its 15th year.
The 15th annual Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade kicks off at 8 p.m. Tuesday -- Fat Tuesday -- along Wilson Boulevard. The event, which bills itself as "the Washington area's largest Mardi Gras celebration," is free. The parade route runs along Wilson from North Barton to North Irving Street. This year's parade features more than 40 groups from across the region, including the Batala Washington, the Jim Moyer Circus Club and the DC Rollergirls. The Clarendon Alliance, which organizes the event, has 25 cases of Mardi Gras beads on order, according to a news release. "We are really pleased that so many local businesses and community groups have signed up to participate this year," Clarendon Alliance Executive Director Matt Hussmann …
