Canceling Mardi Gras events because of weather, some say it’s a cruel joke

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – ‘Fat Tuesday’ or more famously Mardi Gras is a time to feast and celebrate before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday.

With the winter storm hitting Kentucky, a lot of plans had to be canceled.

“We’re in a pandemic, it’s only fitting that this didn’t happen the way it was supposed to,” Kevin Heathcoat, co-owner of Bourbon N’ Toulouse said.

“I’m like, we are out of 2020, right,” Gwyn Everly, co-owner of J. Render’s Southern Table and Bar said.

“It seems like a cosmic joke,” Nikki Brown said.

Brown is now a UK Associate Professor of history and African American and Africana Studies, but before living in Lexington, she was teaching in New Orleans.

She says there’s a deep passion and culture for Mardi Gras in New Orleans that started back with French Catholic settlers, hence Mardi gras, or “Fat tuesday” in French.

“Mardi Gras is a holiday where you’re all supposed to get it all out of your system, because the next 40 days are supposed to be spent in deep reflection,” Brown said.

In Catholicism, the 40 day Lenten season is also a time of fasting. So Tuesday, many indulge in food and treats, like King Cake or traditional foods you might find in Louisiana. And that’s where Cajun restaurants in Lexington come in.

“This would have been our 17th Fat Tuesday at Bourbon N’ Toulouse,” Heathcoat said.

He said he drafted a social media post about the closing and couldn’t get himself to post it for nearly three hours.

“The sales they can come and go, but the fun aspect of it, it’s once a year, is really what kinda breaks my heart about all of this,” Heathcoat said.

Meanwhile, J. Render’s doesn’t serve just serve just Cajun food, but is always enthusiastic about seasonal menus. Everly, says for Fat Tuesday the restaurant had a four course meal planned.

“I think we’ve just gotten beaten down and we just roll with whatever now,” she said.

And Father Paul Prabell at the Cathedral of Christ the King says he understands the fatigue of the pandemic too.

“You get a little worn out and it’s good to take a break now and then, but it’s kind of doing a day by day and trying to do what’s right, being hopeful and moving forward,” he said.

Mass at the church is still allowing people inside, but with limited capacity and it live streams to Facebook.

For Ash Wednesday, if people can make it in person, ashes will also be sprinkled on the top of the head, instead of drawn on the forehead.

Regardless if the snow or the pandemic keeps people from attending in-person Father Prabell says it will all be okay.

“We’re all in this together as we try to grow,” he said.

As for the restaurants, Bourbon N’ Toulouse and J. Render’s, they say they’re both throwing a Mardi Gras do-over.

For more information on Bourbon N’ Toulouse click here. And for more on J. Render’s click here.