let the good times...wait

Texas' favorite Mardi Gras celebration canceled amid COVID-19 concerns

The good times will roll...at a later date.

Photo by Jesse Solis

Mardi Gras Galveston festivities will officially have to wait another year.

Galveston city council voted unanimously to approve canceling the 2021 Mardi Gras celebration, originally slated for February 5-16, to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread.

The council said it intends to bring back the event when it's safe.

When considering the decision, council members noted that the main Mardi Gras krewes canceled parades, which are key elements of the event. Special events permits have also been on hold since March 2020 to minimize COVID-19 spread. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's executive orders limiting outside events played a factor as well, with the council saying it would be difficult to control or enforce crowd size during Mardi Gras and its associated events.

While disappointing for revelers, the cancellation may not be a surprise.

In November, the Knights of Momus, Galveston's oldest Mardi Gras krewe, announced that it will not participate in the 2021 celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group is widely known for hosting the Grand Night Parade, Coronation and Ball for Mardi Gras in Galveston.

"This unanimous decision of the executive committee was motivated by our stewardship of Momus and Mardi Gras and was made after careful deliberations. The health and safety of the public and of our members was of primary importance," said Kenneth Shelton, Jr., chairman of the executive committee of the Knights of Momus. "We had hoped we might find some safe way to hold the events, but the current surge in cases entering the holiday season rendered this hope untenable and the risks unmanageable. Further, while the existence of the vaccine holds promise for the future, it will likely make the public feel less at risk and thus more prone to risky behavior."

The group also noted other significant Mardi Gras events have been canceled in Galveston including the San Luis Salute, hosted annually by the Fertitta family since 1996.

Both events are scheduled to return to Mardi Gras in Galveston in 2022, according to a news release.

Galveston Historical Foundation's Board of Directors voted to cancel the 2020 Dickens on the Strand event normally held in downtown Galveston due to an increase in local, regional, and state numbers related to COVID-19. The main event was scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5. The decision also means special associated events are canceled.

GHF says it plans to return to its traditional festival layout and schedule December 3-5, 2021. If you have tickets, you will be contacted about receiving a refund.

Galveston isn't the only city that won't be letting the good times roll for Mardi Gras. The city of New Orleans canceled all 2021 Mardi Gras parades.

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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Napa wine brand The Debate uncorks new Texas Hill Country tasting room

The Debate/ Facebook

The Debate will source both Napa Valley and Hill Country grapes.

Need further proof that the Texas wine industry has arrived? Acclaimed Napa Valley wine brand The Debate is expanding into the Hill Country with plans to open a new Stonewall tasting room in spring 2027.

The brand was founded in 2010 with a slightly esoteric philosophy. The Debate believes that wine isn’t just a product, but a way of “fostering connection through conversation.”

One topic will surely be about the finer points of Napa versus Hill Country terroir. The tasting room will pour The Debate's top-rated wines from California alongside new bottles made from Texas fruit. Additional wine programs under the brand's umbrella will target a range of wine drinkers.

"We've always believed that wine is at its best when it brings people together," said Todd Kerlin, the brand's general manager, in a statement. "Texas Hill Country is writing a genuinely exciting chapter in wine right now, and we saw an opportunity to be part of something real here, not to import an experience, but to build one that belongs to this place and the people in it."

The Debate tasting room Once completed, The Debate's tasting room will presumably look less like The Sims.Rendering courtesy of The Debate

Wine industry vet Jean Hoefliger will spearhead the project in Texas. He's not an area newb — he's spent the past five years working with Hill Country producers with Texas Wine Consulting.

"After years of working across wine regions around the world, nothing prepared me for Texas," Hoefliger said. "The energy here is unlike anywhere else, and so is the sense of place."

The Debate plans to partner with regional restaurants and take part in Hill Country wine events as part of its rollout. Membership details, programming, and information on the brand's first Texas releases are expected to be announced closer to the opening.

Once open, it will join two other recently opened tasting rooms on Wine Road 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City: playful concept Acquired Taste Wines in Stonewall and Rebecca Caroline, William Chris’ new sparkling wine tasting room in the historic Hye post office.

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