‘LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER’
Longmont has Mardi Gras party
Mardi Gras might have already come and gone this year, but Longmont stayed in the mood for “Fat Tuesday” with a celebration at the historic Dickens Opera House on Saturday.
Starting in the afternoon and running until almost midnight, the event brought music, food and revelry to the spacious opera house, which is upstairs in the building at 302 Main St. in downtown Longmont. Saturday marked the first time the venue was used to host a Mardi Gras party — a joint effort between The Passenger restaurant beneath the Dickens and event producer Sante Suffoletta.
Suffoletta explained that the celebration was held this weekend so as not to conflict with events like the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day. More important than aligning with the calendar, he said, is giving people the opportunity to come together and have a good time.
“This is just such a great venue,” Suffoletta said of the Dickens. “To me, this space just reminds me of the French Quarter. This classic theater that has such a rich history in the community…it’s perfect for something like this.”
Vipul Seth, co-owner of The Passenger restaurant, said around 150 people bought tickets for the inaugural Mardi Gras event.
“Mardi Gras is a fun celebration,” Seth said. “It’s that community aspect of Mardi Gras that is exciting for us.”
Some people commemorate Mardi Gras in association with the Christian observance of Lent, while others simply enjoy catching beads and donning the day’s trademark colors of purple, green and gold. Those colors were seen on many of Saturday’s guests, with some attendees wearing even more elaborate costumes with feathers and masks.
No Mardi Gras celebration would be complete without music, and live performances dominated the Dickens stage. Energetic jazz played by the Denverbased Out of Line Brass Band kicked off the event, bringing the sounds of Bourbon Street straight to Longmont.
Perry Senn, a Longmont musician, drummed on buckets outside the opera house to entertain passersby and welcome guests
inside the venue.
“I’ve played all styles, (and) I like second-line New Orleans stuff,” Senn said. “I have a jazz degree, so I have a background in it.”
Bringing a “New Orleans feel” to Longmont was one of the celebration’s key goals. On top of the music, the event also offered authentic creole cuisine, including dirty rice and beignets.
“We’re really just trying to provide something new and diverse to the community,” Suffoletta said.
Suffoletta has already started planning more events in partnership with The Passenger for the upcoming spring and summer months. In terms of Mardi Gras at the Dickens, Suffoletta said he wants the event to get “bigger and better” every year.
“There’s a bunch of (Mardi Gras) stuff that happens in Denver, and I think Boulder does one as well, but we want to make this an annual tradition,” Suffoletta said.