Commander's Palace restaurant is celebrating Mardi Gras with a Pete Fountain-themed house float at the world-renowned Garden District establishment.
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Commander's proprietors Ti Martin and Lally Brennan commissioned float builders to design the artwork through the Krewe of Red Beans "Hire a Mardi Gras Artist" initiative.
Commander's is the starting point for Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club. For more than 50 years, the group has met at the restaurant early in the morning to muster for their annual Fat Tuesday stroll down St. Charles Avenue and into the French Quarter.
"The sight of Pete Fountain, Benny Harrell, and the future crazy Half-Fast Krewe leaving every Mardi Gras morning at the bar and in the courtyard of Commander’s Palace is hysterical," Brennan and Martin said in a joint statement. "They are the Mardi Gras spirit. And that is a spirit that not even the ‘Mardi Gras that Wasn’t’ can kill. God Love ’em. We know we do!"
"Most years, the Mardi Gras artisans work behind the scenes to create the beautiful floats that roll down our streets. With parades cancelled, this year they have lost their jobs. This year they need our help! We are excited to put them back to work – thanks to Commander’s Palace and others," said Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf.
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