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Mardi Gras 2013 is here!

12th Night kicks off Pensacola's Mardi Gras season

10:51 AM, Jan. 3, 2013

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Krewes line Palafox Place for the 12th Night party, kicking off the Mardi Gras season. / Phil Bailey/GoPensacola.com

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GoPensacola.com's Krewe du Go will 'Fill the GoPensacola.com Truck' for Manna Food Pantries during the Mardi Gras season. The drive kicks off Saturday at 12th Night. / Phil Bailey/GoPensacola.com

Mardi Gras season calendar

• Saturday: Wind Creek 12th Night Kick Off Celebration, downtown Pensacola.
• Jan. 19: Jubilee Run, Walk or Drag With Color, Community Maritime Park.
• Jan. 26: 18th annual Cordova Mall Ball, Cordova Mall.
• Feb. 2: 27th annual Navarre Beach Mardi Gras Parade, Navarre Beach.
• Feb. 2: Kids and Kritters Parade, Pensacola Beach.
• Feb. 8: Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade, downtown Pensacola.
• Feb. 9: Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade, downtown Pensacola.
• Feb. 10: Krewe of Wrecks Parade, Pensacola Beach.
• Feb. 12: Fat Tuesday Priscus Celebration, downtown Pensacola.

PNJ.COM /MARDIGRAS

Follow Mardi Gras coverage throughout the season at pnj.com/mardigras. You’ll find photos, videos, stories, krewe profiles, foods, event listings and tons more at the site.
PNJ reporter Kaycee Lagarde will be covering Mardi Gras throughout the season, starting with the 12th Night kickoff. Follow her on Twitter by looking for @KLagardePNJ or #pcolamardigras.

Fill the GoPensacola .com Truck for Manna

Krewe du Go, GoPensacola.com’s affiliated Mardi Gras krewe, will be undertaking a special charity mission throughout the Mardi Gras season in support of Manna Food Pantries. Look for the GoPensacola.com truck at events throughout the Mardi Gras season where krewe members will be accepting nonperishable food items and monetary donations. A big party to benefit Manna also is being planned. Check GoPensacola.com regularly for details!

Mardi Gras’ good times start at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Pensacola.

The Wind Creek 12th Night Kick Off Celebration officially opens the Mardi Gras season on the 12th night of Christmas (which is technically Sunday, but the party will spill over into the early hours of Sunday morning, so we’re all good there).

The street party closes Palafox Place between Garden and Government streets and Government from Palafox to Jefferson Street.

Mardi Gras krewes will line up their floats along Palafox Place so participants and attendees can get an up-close look and catch beads from the krewes.

The event will feature a blessing march, as the “fleet” of floats is blessed by a priest who will be received by each krewe’s royalty. The Town Crier will read proclamations.

After the krewes are blessed, a Second Line Procession will head back down Palafox Place to Government Street, where there will be a citywide blessing before cutting the season’s first king cake just after midnight, courtesy of Oh Snap! Cupcakes.