'Just a lot of opportunity to drive business into the community': Mardi Gras celebrations return to Galveston after COVID-19 hiatus

A time-honored Galveston tradition that was dashed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic has made its triumphant return. 

If the first of two weekends of Mardi Gras! Galveston 2022 was any indication, the 111-year-old pre-Lenten celebration didn't miss a beat.

Galveston Island Chief Tourism Officer Michael Woody describes the event as a great opportunity for Galvestonians and visitors to celebrate, according to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.

And after last February in which no parades made their way through downtown Galveston, the people were ready to do just that.

"There’s a lot of fun that goes on during the next two weeks,” Woody told KPRC.

Mardi Gras! Galveston has something for everyone, from headliner concerts to formal galas to face painting, the station reported. 

The biggest draws every year are the parades in which hordes of revelers enthusiastically clamor for beads and other trinkets that are tossed from floats.

Galveston's The Strand serves as the epicenter of all the fun.

Visitors to the island won't have a dull moment from now through the literal Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which is Mar, Woody said.

Around 300,000 crossed the Galveston Causeway during the opening weekend to bathe in the green, purple and gold shimmer, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported. 

Galveston, which has an economy dependent on tourism, is expected to experience a much-needed windfall.

“A typical year for Mardi Gras brings in about $15 million in visitor spending, which happens over the course of those two weeks – from a hotel perspective," Woody told KPRC. "For restaurants and retail, just a lot of opportunity to drive business into the community.”

Mardi Gras! Galveston is the third-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, according to KHOU. 

Some revelers told the station it was the first time in 15 years the event attracted its largest crowd. 

Whether it's to make long-awaited updates to their bead collections or enjoy the cooperative, seasonable weather, excitement was the common dominator.

"Last year was a letdown," a reveler told KHOU. "It’s good to be back in the crowds."