Founded in 2015, the Prichard Carnival Association was created by Prichard City Councilman Derrick N. Griffin, who knows plenty about being a Mardi Gras royal. In 1998, he was king of the Prichard Mardi Gras Association, and in 2006, he was King Elexis I of the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association.

“A lot of kids reached out to me, saying they wanted to participate – be a part of the courts – but there were only so many opportunities for that,” Griffin said. “Once I started this and put the word out, I had to turn kids down, too.”

There’s a total of 12 adults directing the PCA. The Queen is J'Hailah Shamia French, a senior at Blount High School; and the King is Demarkus Boykin Jr., who is a senior at Mary G. Montgomery High School.

The PCA parades behind the Krewe of Goats on Saturday, March 1. The parade will include 16 floats, three built by the group, the others rented from Mobile Mystics.