A few weeks back, I attended the Galveston Mardi Gras celebration for two Saturdays. I had a great time each day. What follows are some pics from those 2 days in Galveston.
It was cold on the first Saturday that I went to Galveston for Mardi Gras. I snapped a pic of CoCo and I before I left Houston.
When I arrived in Galveston, I parked in my usual garage and had no troubles.
I picked up my Media Passes with no troubles also. I’d like to thank Mary Beth for them. She works with http://www.VisitGalveston.com
I always like to get an early morning shot down the street where all of the action will occur throughout the day.
I ran into a friend that I met at last year’s Mardi Gras celebration.
Mark is always so nice to me.
He made me laugh when he told me that I look like a movie star. I had one kid ask me if I was a Black Panther. I told him, White Lion.
I love going to Mardi Gras to see all of the different outfits that people wear.
There was a Fun Run on this first Saturday and a lot of people showed up for it.
Many in the Fun Run had matching outfits on and all looked great.
Mardi Gras began on March 3, 1699. French explorers Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and Sieur de Bienville landed near what is now New Orleans. They dubbed their landing spot as Point du Mardi Gras and had a small celebration.
The French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.
I met some great people who were all having a fun time.
I snapped a pic of them and their pooch. I think his name was Slider. It took me 3 tries to get him looking at the camera.
This was a fun group.
This booth was at last year’s celebration.
I met Jorge and took a few pics for him.
If ZZ Top had a song, “Sharp dressed Mardi Gras Man.”
These two guys were having a good time.
I ran into them and their group later on and got a group shot for them.
The stage had bands playing all day long.
Live music is always good for an event.
I stopped by my favorite food booth.
Amanda offered me something to eat and it was delicious. I love fried shrimp.
Naji owns and operates a food booth at all of the Galveston events. I see him at Mardi Gras and also Dickens on the Strand. He is a great guy and a good friend.
There were several other food booths to choose from and all of the food looked great.
This mobile stand is at a lot of events also.
They offered several things to choose from.
And had a fun staff.
This guy was funny.
Joshua had another good food booth.
Attendees were catching beads from the balcony.
These ladies had a prime seating spot for the parade.
All good parades start with the military.
There were many great floats.
Lots of effort goes into making a beautiful float.
Pirates!!
Loved it.
The Aggies showed up.
Mardi Gras colors are Purple, Green and Gold. Purple – Justice. Green – Faith. Gold – Power.
“Let the Good Times roll.”
This float would work for St. Patrick’s Day also.
Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Loved this group.
Pirates!!
Mardi Gras marks the end of carnival season.
Da Krewe du Roux.
Another fun group.
The Fleur de Lis means life, enlightenment and excellence, and has an interesting history.
A pic that I liked as a former motorcyclist.
The parade included decorated golf carts also.
The balcony had the best views.
Mardi Gras is also known as Pancake Day.
The best name for a tanning salon that I’ve ever heard of.
The parade drew a large crowd.
Everyone was enjoying the sights and catching beads.
There were also Jeeps in the parade. You’ll see some of those later in this post.
After the parade, the streets filled up with people again.
Everyone was having a great time.
The food booths became very busy after the parade.
That concludes the pics from that first Saturday. There are many more in the galleries on my site. The link will be at the end.
The next Saturday, my garage was closed so I parked on the street. It was cheaper than the garage.
The early morning shot.
I usually go by the Tremont House for coffee when I arrive early.
They are located one block from all of the action and provide a great place to relax with a cup of Joe.
Mark was back for the next weekend from Austin.
I never tried any of the food from this booth.
But it all looked good.
A different staff but also fun.
A couple of Call of Booty members repping the Pirates.
A cat in a hat.
Jorge was back also.
A funny pic.
Cute girls serving cold beer is always nice.
Lilly Bontemp fits right in with Laissez Bon Temps Rouler. “Let the Good Times roll.”
Sharp dressed men.
Naji and his crew.
Amanda served me some freshly cooked beef with onions and cheese. So good.
All of the food booths had great food and friendly staffs.
Tits or Tips. He didn’t want to see my tits so I got a free pic, lol.
Beads, beads and more beads.
A fun couple.
With big beads, you need a big hat.
The crowd started gathering for the parade.
I got up to the street late.
Every spot on the rails were taken.
Mardi Gras had a good police presence.
This was going to be my view for the parade.
Then, I asked a nice officer if I could shoot from the street because I was with the Media. He said, “Sure” and this is my view from then on. Many thanx to him.
The start.
Big Daddy and Big Momma.
Z Krewe.
Mardi Gras is about parades, music, food and excitement.
Reminds me of Mad Max.
The beads used to be made of glass but are now plastic.
Krewe De Lemons.
A ‘Thumbs Up’ is always good to get.
This guy knows how to pose.
Here are the Jeeps I mentioned earlier.
Decorated Jeeps seem natural.
A cool mini car.
There were golf carts in this parade also.
High Five to you too.
Another cool car.
This couple looked great.
The King and Queen.
A cool thing to have in a parade.
The parade crowd was packed.
I ran into this couple again after the parade.
A great look.
That concludes this post about the Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston. You should attend next year because it is a lot of fun.
To see many more pics from the celebration and parades, visit the site below, click on Media then Photos.
Last weekend, I attended the Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston, Texas. I had a great time and ended up with 387 pics and 2 videos.
I only attended on Saturday. The celebration continues this next weekend also, but I’ll be at the Houston Rodeo BBQ Cook Off. Look for that post soon.
This is a shot of the parade route that runs the length of the Strand.
I ran into several people that were dressed for the occasion.
I think this couple were with a Cruise Ship because in another pic, they wanted the ship behind them.
There were lots of merchandise booths to shop in.
Like father, like son. Great pic that I’m sure they enjoyed downloading from the site.
I’ll be adding in some info that I found out about Mardi Gras. Most of my material came from a New Orleans Mardi Gras site.
The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of “Boeuf Gras,” or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.
On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it “Pointe du Mardi Gras” when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday.
Bienville also established “Fort Louis de la Louisiane” (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America’s very first Mardi Gras.
New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today.
In the early 1740s, Louisiana’s governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.
I saw several schools marching in the parades during the day.
Ball Golden Tornado Band. I would suggest different calligraphy and color of lettering in their banner because it’s hard to read.
Hitchcock High School.
The earliest reference to Mardi Gras “Carnival” appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans.
A First Responder’s float. Very popular with the crowd.
She has little star pasties on her nipples so it’s not nudity. I’m sure the people there wouldn’t mind.
By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras. Dazzling gaslight torches, or “flambeaux” lit the way for the krewe’s members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity.
Milby High School Marching Thunder Band.
Everybody loves the Flag Corp.
Mardi Gras is traditionally celebrated on “Fat Tuesday,” the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. In many areas, however, Mardi Gras has evolved into a week-long festival.
Take note of this next bus. It’s The Dancing Queen.
They were a fun group.
Now here is a bigger, newer bus called The Dancing King.
This group also participates in the Houston Art Car Parade each year. And they are always a hit.
They even have a caboose.
Mardi Gras is a tradition that dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of Spring and fertility.
Action 5 News has a nice vehicle for parades.
This was a favorite bus of mine. The paint and graphics are awesome.
They spent a lot of time creating this vehicle.
And the yellow wigs added to the theme.
There were several Pirates at the celebration.
This is the coolest name that I’ve ever seen for a tanning salon.
Westbury High School Marching Band.
The excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of fasting and penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
Mardi is the French word for Tuesday, and gras means “fat.” In France, the day before Ash Wednesday came to be known as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.”
More Pirates.
Many Pirates wore an eyepatch so that one eye was adjusted to the dark. And when they went below deck, they just lifted the eyepatch and could see well in the darkness.
This bus looks like something out of the Road Warrior.
Traditionally, in the days leading up to Lent, merrymakers would binge on all the rich, fatty foods – meat, eggs, milk, lard and cheese – that remained in their homes, in anticipation of several weeks of eating only fish and different types of fasting.
The word carnival, another common name for the pre-Lenten festivities, also derives from this feasting tradition: in Medieval Latin, carnelevarium means to take away or remove meat, from the Latin carnem for meat.
This next bus has a great paint scheme for the Texans. Maybe some day the team will play as good as this bus looks.
Some Trump supporters made an appearance.
These next cars are really cool. Great for parades.
New Orleans and other French settlements began marking the holiday of Mardi Gras with street parties, masked balls and lavish dinners. When the Spanish took control of New Orleans, however, they abolished these rowdy rituals, and the bans remained in force until Louisiana became a U.S. state in 1812.
Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday. However, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well, including Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. Each region has its’ own events and traditions.
To this day, Mobile, Alabama claims to have the oldest annual Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.
A few Pirates walking the parade route.
Everybody loves mermaids.
Available only during the Mardi Gras season, king cake is typically made with brioche dough. Braided and laced with cinnamon, the dough is then glazed with purple, green and gold sugar or covered in icing in those same Mardi Gras colors.
What really sets king cake apart from other desserts, however, is the small plastic baby hidden inside. Whoever finds the baby in his or her slice must buy the next cake or perhaps host the next party.
Notice that this fire truck had engine problems and had to be towed the parade route. It’s a beautiful truck.
I ran into my friend Naji at the celebration. Here’s his food stand.
Almost all of the food stands have their food on display to make it easier to make a decision.
I love to see the food options at different events.
Naji told me that he went through 11 cases of Turkey legs in one day while at Dickens on the Strand.
Mardi Gras, as a celebration of life before the more-somber occasion of Ash Wednesday, nearly always involves the use of masks and costumes by its participants, and the most popular celebratory colors are purple, green, and gold.
Women exposing their breasts during Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been documented since 1889.
This girl had a great Mardi Gras outfit on.
Fun pic.
In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, generally avoided by locals on Mardi Gras Day, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets.
Another Mardi Gras beauty.
In the last decades of the 20th century, the rise in producing commercial videotapes catering to voyeurs helped encourage a tradition of women baring their breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets.
Social scientists studying “ritual disrobement” found, at Mardi Gras 1991, 1,200 instances of body-baring in exchange for beads or other favors.
It’s believed that the bead-throwing tradition started in the 1880s when a man dressed as Santa became popular with the crowd for tossing them. Other krewes took notice and adopted it.
The beads used to be made of glass but are now primarily made of plastic. I saw several people with boob beads like this guy. Funny.
Elsik High School Mighty Ram Band.
More Pirates. What has 4 legs and 4 eyes?
4 Pirates.
I’ve seen this car in the Houston Art Car parade also.
A fun conveyance.
The crowd grew as the day went on.
Right before a parade started.
This is a cool vehicle.
Bands played throughout the day. 3 Doors Down was the headliner.
These girls were shooting a short 8 second video that was made into a slow-motion 30 second video. The video came out great and only cost $20.
This was one of the best things offered at Galveston’s Mardi Gras celebration.
Here are the 3 girls. Their video looked fantastic.
This young lady was wearing a necklace that said, “Wild Party Girls.” When I asked for her photo holding up her necklace, she told me that was also her last name.
Getting a caricature is always fun.
Here’s another food stand.
In New Orleans, the city estimates around 25 million pounds of beads get thrown into the streets each year.
After clogged storm drains caused excess flooding, the city of NOLA cleared the drains of 45 million tons of beads.
An estimated 500,000 king cakes are sold each year during carnival season.
The word carnival comes from Latin “carne vale,” which means “farewell to meat.”
Places like Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada refer to Mardi Gras as Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove is rooted in the word shrive, which means to absolve, and people often go to church to confess their sins.
This tall guy asked me what the STORM Factory was, so I explained, then got their group shot. I’m sure he’s glad he asked. It’s a great shot of him and his friends having a fun time.
Check out the photo-bomber.
And you’ll even see vampires during Mardi Gras.
When 3 Doors Down started playing at 5:30pm, it was shoulder to shoulder in the stage area.
These next pics are of the best decorated jeeps in the parades.
When it comes to beads, everybody loves catching them. The most popular colors of beads are gold, green and purple.
These colors mean something in Christianity.
Gold – Power. Green – Faith. Purple – Justice.
I’ve never ridden in a parade nor thrown beads, but I know how it should be done.
This next lady would hold her hand to her ear as if to say, “I can’t hear you.” Then, she would throw her beads to the other side of the street. I won’t say what people called her, but it ain’t nice. This is not how to throw beads.
Mardi Gras has many sayings but the most famous one is “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” “Laissez les bons temps rouler” is a Cajun French saying that means “let the good times roll.”
In New Orleans, float riders are required by law to wear masks or face paint.
The first year that Mardi Gras was celebrated on a grand scale in Galveston was 1871 with the emergence of two rival Mardi Gras societies, or “Krewes” called the Knights of Momus (known only by the initials “K.O.M.”) and the Knights of Myth, both of which devised night parades, masked balls, exquisite costumes and elaborate invitations.
In 1985, native Galvestonian George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia, launched the revival of a citywide Mardi Gras celebration. The Mitchells had long dreamed of restoring the Island’s splendid tradition, and the grand opening of their elegant Tremont House hotel in the historic Strand District provided the spark to do so.
These next pics are of my favorite golf carts from the golf cart parade.
Bubbles always make things more fun.
Mardi Gras in Galveston now annually attracts as many as 250,000 revelers throughout the island, which provides a significant boost to the island’s midwinter economy.
In Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, people celebrate Mardi Gras by eating pancakes and participating in pancake themed activities.
If gold symbolizes power, then this is one powerful golf cart and crew.
I’ve seen these guys in the Houston Art Car parade as well.
They look like a fun bunch.
One of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. is held in Galveston, Texas.
Rio de Janeiro hosts one of the world’s largest Mardi Gras celebrations.
This is one great looking cart.
Myself and Naji.
With one decked out dude.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading about Mardi Gras and looking at some pics.
If you want to see all of my pics from the event, go to the link below and click on Photos. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay.
This past December, I attended the Dickens on the Strand festival in Galveston, TX. It’s a great festival and I’ll show you that in this post.
If you follow me on social media, you know I like to arrive early when attending special events. It’s easier to park and I like to capture the beginning of the event with photos to add to the story of a day in attendance.
Here is a shot of the Strand. It’s a perfect place for a festival. They host a Mardi Gras celebration here also and you can read about that in another post of mine. I love how clean the street is. Nice job.
Here is the write up about the festival…
Dickens on the Strand is an annual Christmas festival organized by the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas occurring the first weekend in December. Established in 1974 and set against the historical backdrop of Galveston’s Strand, participants come to witness and relive the Charles Dickens era.
Here’s another write up…
For several years, Galveston’s Christmas festival Dickens on the Strand has been a big hit during the holiday season, drawing crowds of more than 35,000, according to Galveston Historical Foundation.
One of the first things I noticed at DOTS was the trash can covers. It may seem trivial, but having the trash cans covered like this increases the aesthetic value of the festival. If you didn’t notice trash cans everywhere, it worked because they blended in.
I met Scott early in the morning that Saturday. He’s a balloon artist.
When I attend special events, I like to cover the food as well. This is Naji’s food stand.
He serves a variety of food and it all looks good.
He told me that he went through 11 cases of Turkey Legs in one day.
I asked Naji to make me a plate of just a few fried shrimp. He loaded me up and didn’t charge me.
The breakfast of champions.
The event has several street vendors and that gives it a great feel for a street festival.
Captain America. Very cool look.
On this Saturday, I saw this gentleman walking towards me and I stopped him for a pic. Take note of this because it will come up later in this post.
Lovely ladies.
These two guys had some really nice uniforms on. Thumbs up.
In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from June 20th, 1837 until her death on January 22nd, 1901.
A beautiful young lady in a beautiful dress.
Here is a write up about Dickens…
Charles Dickens, Charles John Huffam Dickens, (born February 7, 1812, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England – died June 9, 1870, Gad’s Hill, near Chatham, Kent), English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era.
Even though DOTS is about the Dickens / Victorian era, you will see almost anything by way of costumes, outfits and garb.
Great dresses with matching hats. Very nice.
This woman is a Pony Express rider. I said I thought she was Calamity Jane. She said she gets that a lot. I think it’s the hat.
Here is the write up about Steampunk’s era…
The most common historical steampunk settings are the Victorian and Edwardian eras, though some in this “Victorian steampunk” category are set as early as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and as late as the end of World War I.
This guy did stunts like lie on a bed of nails. Interesting street performers help create a fun environment at DOTS.
This gentleman would give you a ride on the back of his conveyance. Notice how I didn’t say bicycle. That’s because I’m not sure what to call what he is riding.
And you will see Pirates at the festival.
Lots of Bobbies at DOTS.
Here is the write up about Bobbies…
Bobby, slang term for a member of London’s Metropolitan Police derived from the name of Sir Robert “Bob” Peel, who established the force in 1829. Police officers in London are also known as “peelers” for the same reason.
I came across a few Santas.
Notice her Steampunk goggles and corset. Cute girl, good look.
There was even a place to play a game of Cricket.
Here’s another gentleman offering rides.
Creative uses for the same material.
The Queen and her Court.
The beggars are a favorite of mine to photograph. The baby with black marks on his face is cute.
The festival has several groups that sing throughout the day. Great voices and great outfits.
I came across the Queen talking with Charles Dickens. She was giving him what for because he missed her party. Funny exchange.
He then read a selection for the audience. This guy looks a lot like Charles Dickens.
Here is the real Dickens for your comparison.
Father Christmas.
Great outfits and pith helmets. With Steampunk goggles as well.
My favorite Steampunk couple.
Completely awesome.
Charles Dickens wrote fifteen novels. He also wrote short stories, essays, articles and novellas.
Bobbies on this stand gave helpful info and offered great photos.
The girl in the shades struck a great pose.
Steampunk goggles.
Great beggar pose.
Steampunk is a favorite of mine and I love how creative people get with it.
One cute Pirate.
Beautiful dresses and parasols.
Attending DOTS is like Time Traveling. I love walking down the Strand and seeing all kinds of people. Pirates may be my favorite.
Another favorite beggar family.
I took several photos of the different choirs. One mother saw a photo on my site where I had captured her 2 daughters with their choir. She then donated to our charity foundation because she was so pleased.
I met Tony at the Texas Renaissance Festival and then again at DOTS. Great Steampunk look.
A stand sold these mugs and then you could fill up the rest of the day for free.
Three lovely ladies having a fun time.
“Get your damned dirty hands off of my wine.”
Bobbies are always unarmed and only carry a Night Stick. When they were created, it was decided to try and differentiate them from the British Military, which was viewed with some hostility.
Another parasol in this next pic.
What is the difference between an umbrella and a parasol?
Generally, an umbrella has a curved handle to allow for easy grip and storage. A parasol, however, (in Latin para for “shelter or shield” and sol “sun”) is typically constructed from more delicate fabrics such as lace, cotton, silk, linen, canvas and plastic.
The steam from his jet pack is really awesome. Great pic of a cool couple.
A good looking and sounding choir.
A fun-loving girl here.
I’ve photographed this couple at the TexRenFest also.
A beautiful woman in a great hat and outfit.
Choirs add to the great atmosphere of the festival.
Lovely hats and great sashes.
Pirates make any party better.
Plenty of food options at the festival.
Everyone has a great time at DOTS. Great parasol in the background.
Street performers are a great addition and they entertain a lot of people.
How do you make a Pirate mad?
Take away the P.
A Steampunk Santa and Mrs. Claus. Very cool indeed.
Another great pic of a beautiful woman.
It takes a lot of talent to walk on stilts. My hat is off to her.
A Bobby told me that I had a ‘Get out of Jail’ card for the day. I never needed it.
A fun pic.
This is one stylish couple.
The phrase “what the dickens,” first mentioned in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, was a euphemism for conjuring the devil.
Charles Dickens first wrote under the name of Boz because he didn’t want any negative references to the devil.
Once his work became known by the public, he used his real name.
Dickens owned a beloved raven he named Grip, and it even appears as a character in his novel Barnaby Rudge.
Following the bird’s death from eating lead paint chips later that year, Dickens replaced it with another raven, also called Grip, which was allegedly the inspiration behind Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.”
A great looking group of friends enjoying the festival.
Edgar Allan Poe made an appearance at the festival. Here is the write up about Poe…
Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature.
This guy did a a great job with his recitation of Poe’s work.
These next pics are from the Sunday of the festival.
Naji hooked me up with something for breakfast.
Beefeaters out in full-force.
A favorite of mine from the event.
My favorite beggar family.
Pirates and vampires. Ya gotta love DOTS.
What do you call a Pirate with both eyes and both legs?
A rookie.
Another write up about Dickens…
Early in 1843, as a response to a government report on the abuse of child laborers in mines and factories, Dickens vowed he would strike a “sledge-hammer blow… on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child.”
That sledge-hammer was ‘A Christmas Carol’.
I happen to catch the Queen and her procession heading down the Strand. Great pic.
This gentleman on the left said he didn’t care for Pirates, so I told him I was a Privateer. All good Pirates know how to lie.
Another great performer at the festival.
I ran into this couple again on Sunday.
He’ll always get a close-up. He looks that good.
In addition to ravens, Dickens loved cats.
When his cat, Bob, died in 1862, he had its’ paw stuffed and mounted to an ivory letter opener and engraved with “C.D., In memory of Bob, 1862.” The letter opener is now on display at the Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the New York Public Library.
The Ghost of Christmas Past.
A beautiful family in great clothes.
Very stylish.
A Pirate and the cutest little dog.
Okay, now for an explanation. That gentleman that I photographed on Saturday turned out to be the great, great, great grandson of Charles Dickens.
Here’s Ollie Dickens on the left and the gentleman playing Charles Dickens.
The little dog steals the show.
Talent abounds at DOTS.
Lazy slackers, lol.
This guy played a great Edgar Allan Poe. Hat’s off to him as well.
Now for my pics from Sunday.
Here I am with Scott. He made a lot of money making balloon figures.
Father Christmas.
With the Queen.
One of my favorite pics from the weekend.
Chuck and I.
Another fav of mine with Ollie DIckens.
Well, that’s it for Dickens on the Strand – 2021. To see all of my photos, go to the link below and click on Photos. Enjoy.
And remember…
Always be yourself… unless you can be a Pirate, then always be a Pirate.
Galveston, Texas has a lot of events throughout the year. One of the last events is Dickens on the Strand.
It’s a great event. There are so many people that get in the spirit and dress up for the Victorian era.
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from June 20, 1837 until her death, on January 22, 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence for Britain.
A lot of costumes are represented at Dickens on the Strand that were from the Victorian era. You’ll see women in their beautiful dresses, pirates, cowboys and now Steampunk has started to make an appearance.
The weather was perfect for the event; a cool 60 degrees. Here are some lovely ladies wearing their beautiful dresses.
Here are some carolers singing for tips. They looked very sharp in their outfits.
I took a picture of this group and one of the ladies wanted a pic with me because she and I were both dressed in our Steampunk outfits.
These old guys were cool and were happy to pose for a pic.
I thought this was a great photo opportunity. You don’t usually see a walking Christmas tree.
Santa was there also and wearing a cool get up.
I asked this girl for a photo and she posed nicely for me.
There were also people dressed as chimney sweeps, complete with the soot on their faces. I thought they looked great.
These kids were portraying street beggars. They had black marks on their faces also. I gave them a buck.
This guy came as the Mad Hatter.
Here are some of the pirates that were in attendance. They looked really good and had nice costumes.
This couple was nice enough to pose for me too. That sure is a big pirate hat on him.
This girl looked good in her pirate costume. I liked her hat with the big feather.
These guys were a fun group.
This lady had her kids playing their violins for tips. They were good.
I like this picture. These guys look like they are wearing Civil War uniforms. The American Civil War was between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865, so it occurred during England’s Victorian era.
This group looked good in their clothing. I wonder how much these people spent on their outfits. Those dresses look expensive. And I know those hats can cost a lot too.
I like this picture too. She looks great in her dress.
These two ladies were having fun walking around drinking their drinks.
Scrooge even made an appearance. Nicely done.
Here’s a guy in his Steampunk outfit.
I thought this father / daughter looked great in their Steampunk costumes also.
This girl was the best looking girl at the event. And her hat made her look even better.
I had to get a pic with these ladies because they looked so nice in their pretty dresses.
Here I am with the street beggars.
Admission to the event was $15.00, but if you were in costume you only had to pay $8.00 to get in. Since I had my Steampunk hat and goggles to go with my black, leather jacket and boots, I got in for $8.00.
From my condo in Houston to until I parked in Galveston was about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Parking can be tricky. There are lots with parking spots available for $10, or you could find a spot on the street, but be prepared to walk a ways if you do that because finding a spot on the street is tough with such a large crowd at the event.
I got lucky and found a spot on the curb only about two blocks from the event, so that was nice not having to pay for parking. I used to park in a big lot for the motorcycle rally, but it looks like they are building townhouses on the lot now… bummer.
Although I only stayed at the event for a little less than two hours, I had fun and took about 50 pictures.
I usually take a lot more photos when I cover an event, but I didn’t feel up to it on this day.
I’ll go back next year and take lots more photos and stay out for several more hours.
The Lone Star Rally in Galveston is a short drive from Houston and a fun weekend getaway.
There’s over 400,000 motorcycles from all over that show up for the 4 day weekend event.
The Strand is completely full of bikes and everyone has a great time.
There’s plenty to eat and drink and great ‘People Watching’.
The Sturgis Rally in South Dakota is the largest weeklong motorcycle rally in the world.
The Galveston Lone Star Rally is the largest 4 day rally in North America.
Some people don’t like Event Food but I love it.
It will probably be the cause of a heart attack for me, but I eat the food at every event I go to.
The merchandise stands have some great, unique items. I’ve already got enough rings but I always enjoy looking at what’s for sale.
At any motorcycle rally, you can find just about any patch you want for your jacket.
If you’re in the market for skulls, then a motorcycle rally is where you need to be because they’re everywhere.
Glasses are an important piece of equipment for motorcyclists. Try riding 60 mph and have a bug hit you in your unprotected eye. You’ll wreck pretty quick.
You can get beer or mixed drinks all up and down the Strand during the rally.
And what article about a motorcycle rally would be complete without mentioning the girls.
A lot of companies use sexy girls to market their services or products.
There’s also many cute Biker Girls around.
You’ll see girls selling raffle tickets to win a Harley. I always buy some but have never even come close to winning.
The beer girls always make a lot of cash in tips from the bikers. It’s a good event for them to work.
Although you’ll see a few girls by themselves, most of the women are at the rally with their main man.
Biker Chicks are cool.
I thought this ladies’ outfit was fun and her dog is wearing googles too.
If this guy gets only one date out of this event, he’s still doing pretty good.
I thought it was funny looking to see bikers in leather and bandanas playing a kid’s water squirt gun game.
I bet she made a lot in tips. She definitely looked good in her outfit.
At events I travel to for video and photography, I like to have my hands free so I attach my gear to my belts and stuff my pockets with business cards.
Although I wear my biker boots to the event, I never rode my bike to Galveston for the rally.
I would work all day for 8 – 10 hours shooting video and photos, so by the time I was ready to leave I was too tired to wrestle my bike in the wind on the interstate on the hour plus ride home.
I’d much rather sit in my Tahoe and ride home in comfort.
I’ll be back to the Lone Star Rally again and maybe I’ll see you there one weekend.
You can see all of my photos from the rally and over 25,000 more, plus my videos on my website.
