County cancels Fort Morgan Mardi Gras parade

COVID concerns lead to calling off lasts Baldwin street parade

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BAY MINETTE – Citing concerns over COVID-19, County commissioners denied permission Tuesday for the last Mardi Gras parade planned to roll on Baldwin streets.

The third-annual Fort Morgan Mardi Gras Parade had been scheduled for Feb. 14, the Sunday before Mardi Gras. The parade would roll on 1.9 miles of streets in the community.

At their meeting Tuesday, county commissioners said they did not feel the event was appropriate during the pandemic.

“My concern would be that many others that would normally not go there went there. I personally would have problems supporting that parade. I would like to them to postpone it, Commission Chairman Joe Davis said.

He said some Carnival events could be rescheduled for later in the year.

“All of our Mardi Gras festivities might need to happen in the fall and call them something else for this unusual time,” Davis said.

Parade organizers said in letters to the commission that precautions would be in place to maintain social distancing among spectators and float riders at the event.

Commissioner Jeb Ball said he still worried about endorsing a gathering during the outbreak.

“I just don’t’ think that right now is the appropriate time to grant access for a Mardi Gras parade when all the rest of them have been canceled,” Ball said. “I just think for the safety of the people, I don’t want to have the responsibility of OK’ing this and it turns out that somebody gets sick and they say the commission let it happen.”

County Administrator Wayne Dyess said all other parades scheduled to roll on the streets of Baldwin County, and in most other places, have been canceled.

“As you all know, there have been some concerns, really, I think all the Mardi Gras parades have been canceled throughout the county and also Mobile County and even in place like New Orleans, so we’ve had some concerns expressed really about the nature of the parade and the current COVID virus subject,” Dyess told commissioners. “There is some concern that this may not be appropriate at this time.”

Davis said Baldwin residents are very worried about the spread of COVID-19. He said that at a press conference on Jan. 15 to announce plans for vaccine distribution at the Daphne Civic Center in the following two weeks, residents were already coming to get shots. “In this day and age people hear things and don’t want to be left out,” Davis said.

He said that if the Fort Morgan event is the only parade during the season, the event would be more crowded than usual.

“My concern would be that many others that would normally not go there went there. I personally would have problems supporting that parade,” Davis said.

Other parades planned in Baldwin County were canceled either by parade organizers or city councils. One boat parade on Fish River was still scheduled for Feb. 6.

Canceled paraded include the events planned for Fairhope, Daphne, Gulf Shores, Foley and Orange Beach.

Also during the meeting, the commission announced grants for public safety in Fairhope, Spanish Fort and Magnolia Springs. The Fairhope and Spanish Fort grants of about $50,000 each will allow the cities to buy barricades for future parades or other events.

“This will allow us to complete our parade route with metal barricades, the interlocking parade barricades,” Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan told commissioners.

This is a resource that we’ll be able to share throughout Baldwin County, so if other municipalities in Baldwin County will ever need to borrow those, we’ll have that resource available,” Sullivan added.

The Magnolia Springs grant of $49,937 will be used for communication equipment.