Greetings from the French Quarter!  Good morning fellow "Pardi" Animals!
I don't know if you've met me or not, but I am the "Master Gator", and I have been enjoying hosting you and all of my Pardi-Gras (R) friends in the French Quarter for these past 18 years! Of course my real name is not the Master Gator; it's just a nickname I picked up from working at the various clubs here in the Quarter. Let me say that I once again look forward to having you back in the Quarter with me in January, 2016!
Now I don't actually "organize" the events at Pardi-Gras; you might say that I am more of an "idea" gator. I like to leave the boring details up to my friends Jerry & Mary Diaz, and their Pardi-Gras krewe. I met the Diazs years ago, when I was down on my luck, and living in a storm drain beneath Bourbon Street. But that is ancient history! Today, I own several restaurants on wheels that you may see around the French Quarter on a busy night. Life is good! So I just wanted to let you know that I will be checking in with you from time to time between now and Jan. 14, 2016, when Pardi-Gras begins.
I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who voted in the nomination round of the annual Trop Rock Awards. We sure do appreciate your votes, and we have been nominated for "Event of the Year" once again! Visit our website for more info about our event, and be sure to check in with me occasionally. I also make announcements on Facebook, and Twitter. Hey, social media is the way to go now baby!
Per tradition, we roll out a little bit of our schedule at a time, so be sure to get on the Pardi-Gras e-mail list.
Hope to see you all in N'awlins! - Troy Lafitte (aka "The Master Gator")
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 | | "Vampires of the Vieux Carre" 
Our Theme for 2016! In case you didn't know, dressing up in costume that fits our theme is a big part of the fun at Pardi-Gras! |
Pardi- Gras 2016 Registration is Open! --------------------------- Dates are: Jan. 14 -17, 2016 Where: The French Quarter, NOLA Only the first 500 registrants allowed! Click HERE for info, and to register! |
| Introducing Donny Brewer to Pardi-Gras! --------------------------------------------------------------  This Austin, TX. native has hit the Trop-Rock scene in a big way in 2015! And why not? He's a talented singer / songwriter who also happens to be a top-notch lead guitar player. He's been performing in the Central Texas area for a few years now, but 2015 saw him burst onto the scene at MOTM in Key West, where crowds were impressed not only with his guitar playing with other artists, but also his clever and catchy original songs. We're proud to have him at Pardi-Gras for the first time ever! |
| Dennis Davis Returns to Pardi-Gras! --------------------------------------------------------------
 A frequent performer at Pardi-Gras, this resident of Houston, TX., is well respected throughout the Trop-Rock world, and the Texas coastal communities for his excellent original songwriting. Dennis has been nominated multiple times for Trop-Rock awards, and has performed from coast to coast in support of his 3 current CDs. Not only is he a great songwriter, but he's a great entertainer too. We're proud to have Dennis Davis back at Pardi-Gras once again! |
| Pardi-Gras Pub Crawl on Bourbon Street!
--------------------------------------------------------------  It's back again! This "event within the event" absolutely captures the spirit of Pardi-Gras. We've been doing this since 1997, when a handful of us started a 4 hour Pub Crawl around the French Quarter. Over the years, we've realized that if we didn't limit it to Bourbon Street, and only two hours, things would definitely get out of hand! Join about 250 of your friends as we descend en massse on a carefully selected cross-section of bars on Bourbon Street. Dress the part...outrageous, ... or come as you are! |
Bob Karwin back at Pardi-Gras 2016! ----------------------------------------------------  "What's My Name?" That is something you'll be asked several times during the Bob Karwin show. This confident entertainer/singer/songwriter from San Diego, CA. is a perfect fit for Bourbon Street on a rowdy Friday afternoon. But don't let the brashness fool you...he's a very talented songwriter who also covers many of your favorite songs. With half a dozen CDs under his belt, he presents a solo show that you do not want to miss!
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| Crowning of King and Queen! -------------------------------------------------------------  One of our favorite traditions at Pardi-Gras is naming, then crowning a king and queen. The selection for each year's king and queen is kept secret until the night of the crowning, then revealed in a ceremony on Thursday night, at the upstairs of the Tropical Isle. The king and queen slected then preside over all of the weekend's festivities, in their robes and crowns, if they choose! Don't miss the crowning on Thursday night...it's a blast! |
| John Reno returns to Pardi-Gras! ------------------------------------------  From Fairhope, Alabama, and making his 18th consecutive Pardi-Gras appearance, Pardi-Gras is excited to have our friend John Reno perform at our event this year! An extremely talented performer, John can go wherever the crowd wants to go, including great Buffett and Trop-Rock covers, Jim Croce tribute covers, and best of all, some of the best original music you've ever heard. He's toured the country extensively for years, and you've seen him at Pardi-Gras as part of a duo, a trio, and in our favorite configuration, as a solo artist this year. You may have heard that John has performed at Pardi-Gras more than any other entertainer...it's true!
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| Monte Tolar's Pirate Toast!  We started this tradition back in 2001 (I think) and it holds a lot of emotional significance to many of us. One of the earliest champions of the idea was our good friend, the late Monte Tolar. We decided to name the event after him, and many close friends of Monte's, including Brian Watson, Earl Sanders, Brent Jones, and singer John Reno have continued Monte's tradition. It takes place in the courtyard at arguably one of New Orleans' most spiritual locations, the nearly 300 year old bar "Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shoppe". Come in your pirate gear, and join us! |
| Don Middlebrook returns to Pardi-Gras! -------------------------------------------------  Pardi-Gras 2016 is pleased to announce the return of singer songwriter Don Middlebrook to Pardi-Gras! One of the very first "Trop-Rock" artists to record his own songs, Don Middlebrook has been a popular and respected singer songwriter on the Trop-Rock scene for a very long time. Since the early '90s, Don has been writing, recording and touring in support of some of the best original music in the country. A resident of Michigan, we are lucky and happy to have Don Middlebrook back at Pardi-Gras again! |
View the entire Schedule of Events HERE |
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