Parade fans getting set for Fat Tuesday festivities

BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -

The countdown is on to Fat Tuesday. Thousands of South Mississippi residents will be celebrating at Mardi Gras parades.

The biggest celebration is in downtown Biloxi, where the Gulf Coast Carnival Association parade rolls at one o'clock.

By Monday morning, there were already plenty of RVs and campers lining portions of the parade route.

More than 10,000 barricades are in place along the parade route in Biloxi, along with more than ten thousand feet of caution tape.

"We are setting up and getting ready for the Mardi Gras parade," said a smiling Joseph Barber.

His family pitched their tents in a vacant lot along Main Street. Fat Tuesday is a family affair for these folks from Pascagoula.

"I've got my kids, grand kids, friends, nephew, my daughter in law. We're all out here gonna have fun," he said.

A preview of that Mari Gras fun rolled through downtown Biloxi Monday morning. The annual children's parade gave folks a preview of the festivities that will follow on Fat Tuesday afternoon.

"It's going to be very, very busy and a lot of fun," said Sharon Beasley.

We found her busy transforming the Boomtown Casino welcome center into Mardi Gras headquarters. She's helping decorate for a purple, green and gold celebration.

"It's an invitation only for our VIP's at Boomtown. The bleachers will be decorated. The tent will be decorated. They'll have food and drinks and prizes and all sorts of things," she said.

Plenty of retailers are stocking up their soft drink and beer coolers on this Lundi Gras.

That's why on Fat Tuesday, so many parade goers will want to know the location of the dozens of Port-a-Potties strategically placed along the parade route.

The portable toilets, bleachers and barricades are all in place. Add about 75,000 people and you're ready for one thing: Happy Mardi Gras!