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With the arrival of February, one of the bigger holidays on the horizon, aside from Valentine’s Day, is Mardi Gras. While not an officially recognized holiday in Georgia, there are still those that like to celebrate the occasion. Some of these Mardi Gras enthusiasts have gotten together to create the non-profit Mardi Gras Society of Southwest Georgia, which plans to bring a taste of New Orleans to Bainbridge this month.

This is the all-ladies organization’s first year, with a membership of 62 already. The Mardi Gras festivities will begin with the pet parade, the Parade of Barkus, and the Run for the Beads 5K fun run, both on Saturday, February 18. These will be followed by the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras golf cart parade, which will go from the Flint River to the Willis Park Square, with music and activities on the Square.

The Mardi Gras Society is a non-profit with a charitable bent, with any funds raised past covering the event will go to charities; for example, funds raised by the Parade of Barkus will go to the Humane Society.

“We would love to have everybody participate,” president Sheryl Cannington told the Post-Searchlight. For any interested parties, the deadline for sponsorships is February 4. Cannington and other founding members Renee Fisher and Leslie Harrell all expressed excitement for their first year, and the prospect of bringing people to Bainbridge with the celebration. For more information, visit their Facebook page, or their website, https://mgsswg.com/.