Let the good times roll! Countdown to Mardi Gras will be celebrating the food, music, art, and fun of New Orleans throughout the 19th Ward. Shops will be festooned with distinctive purple, yellow and green decorations, and businesses will offer Mardi Gras-themed merchandise, refreshments or events for three weeks prior to Fat Tuesday.
Customers are encouraged to visit as many participating businesses as they can. Each business will have free “passports” which people can present to collect stickers. Anyone collecting ten or more stickers will be entered into a raffle for a “Bucks Stay Here” gift card, and invited the Mardi Gras Party Sun., Feb. 19, 1 to 5 p.m. at Cork & Kerry, 10614 S. Western. The party includes a Zydeco band, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., cash bar, and neighborhood food and retail vendors including Calabria, Let’s Get Poppin, The LAB, Jerk 48, and Flippin Flavors.
BAPA is excited to welcome neighbors to drop in at our office, 1744 W. 99th St., on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., to learn more about BAPA and check out the limited edition Love Where You Live Mardi Gras t-shirt. Shirts are $20 each or free to everyone who signs up to be a BAPA member.
Participating businesses include: Americanos, Ancestry Moon Art Studio, AndySunflower Café, Bailey Acupuncture, Barney Callaghan’s Pub, Belle Up, BAPA, Beverly Bakery, Beverly Dry Goods, Beverly Hills Garage, Beverly Branch Library, The Bloom Bar, Bookie’s, Cakewalk Chicago, Calabria Imports, County Fair Foods, The Drip Bakery by Chef Ced, Express Med Spa, Everything’s Relative, F45 Training, Flippin Flavors, Franconello, Funky Monkey Juice Bar, Grant’s Wonderburger, Horse Thief Hollow, Jazzy Ladies Jewels Boutique, Jerk 48, John Wesley Eyewear, La Fiesta, Let’s Get Poppin’, Live and Believe (LAB) Nutrition, Made Artisan Collaborative, Mercer Allstate, Miss Purl, Mosaics Noutique & Tea, Nicky’s of Beverly, Now It’s Yours Consignment, Open Outcry Brewing Co., The Plug T-Shirts, Walker Branch Library, Root Consignment, Running Excels, Shrader’s Goods, Southtown Health Foods, Sweet Freaks, Tranquility Salon, Turley Chicago, Two Mile Coffee Bar, and Wholehealth Chicago.
Countdown to Mardi Gras is co-sponsored by BAPA, Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association, 95th Street Business Association, and Mount Greenwood Community and Business Association.