Annual Mardi Gras festival wraps up

First responders honored as visitors party from NEO

To Casey Conrad, being a part of the Fairport Harbor community is like being a part of a 3,000 member family.

That family gets a little bigger around the 4th of July every year when tens of thousands of people flock to the village for the annual Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras.

Conrad didn’t grow up in Fairport Harbor, she’s originally from Eastlake, but the village has become a special place to her. Fairport Harbor embodies the feeling of childhood she said.

“There’s a flood of fond memories and tradition here,” she said.

Mary Hunt, like Conrad, grew up in Eastlake and now is raising her family in the village. While she sees the history of Fairport Harbor, she also sees a lot of potential.

The pair were first-time volunteers at this year’s Mardi Gras, which wrapped up July 8. Hunt said she always tells her kids it’s

important to be part of the community and really important to give back. Volunteering at the event that has been going on for more

than seven decades was one way to give back.

Hunt and Conrad added a new element to this year’s festival, shooting Facebook Live videos for the Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras’ Facebook page. They said one of their goals was to hear the stories and the history of the event from the elders in the community.

One of the people they talked to was Jim Cardina, who has been involved in the festival for more than 50 years and is retiring after this year’s festival. He wrapped up his responsibilities as the grand marshal in this year’s parade.

Hunt said that Cardina’s family has done a lot for the community and it’s time for others to pick up the torch.

Cardina’s family legacy in Fairport Harbor

stretches back to his grandparents and though he will no longer be involved with Mardi Gras, his daughter Jodi Trombley is the president of the festival.

Trombley said this year’s festival overall has been fun and things ran smoothly. She said they’re continuing to try to make Mardi Gras more family friendly. One way they’re doing that is having more contests, give away things like ride passes and food vouchers.

They also had a Jeep fest to help raise money for first responders to go along with this year’s theme, “Fairport Harbor Honors Our First Responders.”

For the past half-decade,

some variation of the American Flag has been painted on the hillside behind the village’s Marine Museum and Lighthouse. To go along with the theme this year’s variation was a first responder flag.

Though the theme was picked well ahead of time, it had an unfortunate resonance. Mentor police officer Mathew Mazany was struck and killed June 24, while providing backup for another officer during a traffic stop.

Mazany got a tribute of his own at the festival. Next to the first responders’ flag, Mazany’s badge was painted on the hillside.

ANDREW CASS — THE NEWS-HERALD Fallen Mentor police officer Mathew Mazany’s badge was painted onto the hillside out of Fairport Harbor’s Marine Museum and Lighthouse. The theme of this year’s Mardi Gras was “Fairport Harbor Honors Our First Responders.”

ANDREW CASS — THE NEWS-HERALD Gatherers greet military veterans July 8 as they enter Fairport Harbor Mardi Gras. The veteran’s were escorted from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center by Operation S.T.A.T., a charity that helps hospitalized veterans.