Beads, Live Music and More Coming to Downtown Mount Pleasant

Head on downtown Friday and it will seem like you traveled to New Orleans. Downtown Mount Pleasant will be transformed into a New Orleans environment as the annual Mardi Gras festivities take place.

There will be plenty of activities for people to choose from. Besides the Mardi Gras Parade, with a special performance by the CMU Marching Band at Town Center after the parade, there will be face painting, an inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, live music and entertainment and much more.

This is an event that a person of any age can enjoy. Some people are going for their first time.

“I’ve never been before, but I hear it’s a big, giant block party,” said Jake Sproul, Redford senior.

There are many people that get involved to make this event a success.

“We play our halftime songs and the fight song,” said Pam Oriold, Sterling Heights senior and member of CMU’s Colorguard. “It’s very fun marching down Main Street and seeing the little kids with their faces painted and all the people with beads.”

Not only are there plenty of activities to check out, but there will be plenty of food for people to chow down. You can check out your favorite local restaurant or vendor for fajitas, burgers, kettle corn, BBQ and more.

This is a chance for the city to show off the downtown area and what they have to offer the residents of this city.

“I’m excited to see downtown Mount Pleasant come alive,” Sproul said.

The live music and entertainment is a big part of the festivities, along with some of the local pubs downtown.

“I’m very excited to see the bands play and do a little bar crawling action,” said Evan Huff, Macomb senior.

Mardi Gras is a special event that the city hopes all residents and out-of-towners enjoy. It’s something the people in the area should appreciate.

“It’s very nice to see Mount Pleasant put on an event like this for its citizens,” Huff said.

The events and activities for Mardi Gras kick-off at 3:00 p.m. and run through 10:00 p.m. To find a complete listing of all the events and activities and times, you can visit www.downtownmp.com or call (989) 779-5348 for more information.