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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The celebration of Mardi Gras has a rich and |
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colorful history in Galveston, where it has become one of the city's |
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most anticipated annual events; and |
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WHEREAS, The first documented Mardi Gras festivities took |
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place in Galveston in 1867; revelers observed the holiday with |
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events that included a masquerade ball and a performance of William |
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Shakespeare's Henry IV, and over the ensuing decades, parades and |
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other larger gatherings began to be introduced; by the 1870s, Mardi |
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Gras in Galveston had evolved into a grander and more organized |
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affair, with krewes such as the Knights of Momus and the Knights of |
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Myth overseeing the planning of parades and balls; and |
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WHEREAS, During the early decades of the 1900s, various local |
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groups assumed responsibility for coordinating Mardi Gras events, |
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including the Galveston Booster Club, which merged with the |
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Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce in 1937, beginning the |
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chamber's oversight of the celebration; after festivities went |
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dormant with the onset of World War II, private Mardi Gras |
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gatherings were held by churches, social clubs, and local families, |
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and that practice continued for more than four decades; in 1985, |
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businessman and developer George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia |
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Woods Mitchell, led the effort to restore the tradition to its |
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former glory and reinstate Mardi Gras as a citywide extravaganza; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Galveston boasts one of the largest Mardi |
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Gras festivals in the country; the celebration spans the two weeks |
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preceding Lent and ends on Fat Tuesday; activities are concentrated |
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in Galveston's historic downtown area, along the beachfront, and on |
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Seawall Boulevard; the observance continues to encompass parades, |
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balcony parties, balls, and other timeless attractions, creating an |
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atmosphere of joy and revelry for those of all ages; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Galveston has nurtured a |
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rich Mardi Gras culture that is distinctly Texan in spirit, and the |
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enduring popularity of the event attests to the pride and |
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enthusiasm shared by area residents for an institution that is such |
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a vital part of the community's heritage; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Galveston as the official Mardi Gras Capital of |
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Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |