| 1 | 1 | | 89R11003 BK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Leo Wilson H.C.R. No. 50 |
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| 7 | 7 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The celebration of Mardi Gras has a rich and |
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| 9 | 9 | | colorful history in Galveston, where it has become one of the city's |
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| 10 | 10 | | most anticipated annual events; and |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, The first documented Mardi Gras festivities took |
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| 12 | 12 | | place in Galveston in 1867; revelers observed the holiday with |
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| 13 | 13 | | events that included a masquerade ball and a performance of William |
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| 14 | 14 | | Shakespeare's Henry IV, and over the ensuing decades, parades and |
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| 15 | 15 | | other larger gatherings began to be introduced; by the 1870s, Mardi |
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| 16 | 16 | | Gras in Galveston had evolved into a grander and more organized |
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| 17 | 17 | | affair, with krewes such as the Knights of Momus and the Knights of |
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| 18 | 18 | | Myth overseeing the planning of parades and balls; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, During the early decades of the 1900s, various local |
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| 20 | 20 | | groups assumed responsibility for coordinating Mardi Gras events, |
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| 21 | 21 | | including the Galveston Booster Club, which merged with the |
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| 22 | 22 | | Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce in 1937, beginning the |
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| 23 | 23 | | chamber's oversight of the celebration; after festivities went |
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| 24 | 24 | | dormant with the onset of World War II, private Mardi Gras |
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| 25 | 25 | | gatherings were held by churches, social clubs, and local families, |
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| 26 | 26 | | and that practice continued for more than four decades; in 1985, |
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| 27 | 27 | | businessman and developer George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia |
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| 28 | 28 | | Woods Mitchell, led the effort to restore the tradition to its |
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| 29 | 29 | | former glory and reinstate Mardi Gras as a citywide extravaganza; |
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| 30 | 30 | | and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Today, Galveston boasts one of the largest Mardi |
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| 32 | 32 | | Gras festivals in the country; the celebration spans the two weeks |
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| 33 | 33 | | preceding Lent and ends on Fat Tuesday; activities are concentrated |
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| 34 | 34 | | in Galveston's historic downtown area, along the beachfront, and on |
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| 35 | 35 | | Seawall Boulevard; the observance continues to encompass parades, |
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| 36 | 36 | | balcony parties, balls, and other timeless attractions, creating an |
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| 37 | 37 | | atmosphere of joy and revelry for those of all ages; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Galveston has nurtured a |
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| 39 | 39 | | rich Mardi Gras culture that is distinctly Texan in spirit, and the |
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| 40 | 40 | | enduring popularity of the event attests to the pride and |
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| 41 | 41 | | enthusiasm shared by area residents for an institution that is such |
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| 42 | 42 | | a vital part of the community's heritage; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 44 | 44 | | hereby designate Galveston as the official Mardi Gras Capital of |
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| 45 | 45 | | Texas; and, be it further |
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| 46 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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| 47 | 47 | | 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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| 48 | 48 | | until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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| 49 | 49 | | passed by the legislature. |
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