My Wife and I attended the annual Mardi Gras Parade in Rubonia Florida.

It definitely is not a Mardi Gras like you would see in New Orleans and doesn’t come anywhere near as big and exotic as the famous Carnival in Rio.

But, we had a Ball. This little parade and celebration has been going on for decades in this little coastal town and even though you may have missed the one this year, you should mark your calendar and attend the next one.

Rubonia is literally a “one-horse town” along the Tampa Bay coast, just north of Bradenton. And actually, the rest of the year it is a time capsule of small town Florida from long ago. But, they blossom into a fantastic three-day celebration for Mardi Gras. 

They have a fantastic parade that includes large floats used in other local parades in the area and also a number of handmade floats that in themselves are worth seeing. Interspersed with the floats you will see hundreds of local characters, some in fancy expensive costumes and others with whatever they could come up with from their closets.

Add such things as “juked up” cars and Motorcycles owned by the locals, and the fact that anyone can be in the parade, and the fact that all of them are throwing beads at you, and I guarantee that you will walk away with a smile on your face.

Below you will find a few of the pictures that I took and I hope you enjoy them, as much as I enjoyed being there.

DON

Thats It, Folks,

DON BOBBITT, 2014