Mona Lisa & Moon Pie kicks off Mardi Gras

The Krewe of Mona Lisa & Moon Pie welcomed the Carnival season with a Twelfth Night celebration Tuesday at the Olde Towne Arts Center in Slidell.

The krewe was started several years ago by a group of artists with a love of the southern confection known as a Moon Pie. The group is the only walking parade in St. Tammany. Known for its outlandish costumes, members tend to push shopping carts and throw Moon Pies in all shapes and flavors.

The parade will roll, or stroll rather, on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. Beginning and ending at the Arcade Theater on Carey Street, the parade will follow a route of about a mile and a half through Olde Towne.

This year’s theme is “Mona Lisa’s Train of Thought,” and marchers are encouraged to illustrate what the subject of da Vinci’s famous painting might have been thinking when she posed.

Nancy Wood, director of Rainbow Child Care, joined the group as a new member during the party, and will march with her daughter, among others.

“We think Mona Lisa was wondering, ‘what came first, the chicken or the egg?’ so that’s our theme,” said Wood.

Reigning royalty for this year’s parade are Slidell Mayor Ben Morris as King Moon Pie, and Suzanne Parsons Stymiest, St. Tammany Parish director of cultural and governmental affairs, as Queen Mona Lisa. The pair was honored for their strong support of the arts in the community and the parish.

Morris is no stranger to Mardi Gras celebrations. A former member of the Krewe of Perseus, he dropped out when he became mayor to focus on his new official duties, and said he was happy to be involved once again.

“Mardi Gras is an old Catholic tradition, and also a social thing, but some krewes take it very seriously,” said Morris. “Mona Lisa & Moon Pie is strictly about the good time.”

There are only a few rules to participate. According to the group’s president, Tom Collins, no motor vehicles of any kind are permitted in the parade.

“No scooters or lawn mowers, unless they’re the push kind,” said Collins. “Anything you can push, pull or drag is fine.”

Membership in Mona Lisa & Moon Pie is $50 until Jan. 21, and $60 after that date. Early registration is recommended, so enough Moon Pies can be ordered, of which the suggested minimum is five cases.

The Jan. 21 deadline is also the date of the King and Queen Party, to be held at Palmetto’s on the Bayou, featuring the 2008 King Moon Pie, Bernie Cyrus, and his band. The party is open to the public, and will include a cash bar.

For more information, call Collins at (404) 401-9966, or e-mail monalisamoonpie@gmail.com.