As Mardi Gras historian Emily Hearin wrote it: “On the evening of the 1939 Mardi Gras celebration, a merry group of six friends, along with their wives and dates, left (a reception) at the Elk’s Lodge … and decided it was too early to abandon Mardi Gras for the Lenten season.
“One of the group was a part owner of the Imperial Laundry. He suggested they make use of some convict suits from the Atmore Prison Farm that had just been washed and cleaned. There were no hats or masks with the suits, so they purchased Chinese coolie hats and masks from a street vendor and proceded to parade on foot …” That little group led to the formation in 1940 of the Mystic Stripers Society – a reference to the prison stripes they wore a year earlier. The group first paraded in 1948 with an emblem float portraying two striped animals, a zebra and a tiger.
This year’s theme is “Livin’ the Dream!” Expect 17 floats, designed by Mark Calametti’s Gumbo Specialties and built by Craig Stephens’ Carnival Artists. Costumes are by Bienville Costumes.
In 2025, the Stripers paraded on February 27 at 6:30 p.m. Their theme was “Voodoo.” The parade included 17 floats, designed by Mark Calametti and built by Craig Stephens’s Carnival Artists. Costumes were by Bienville Costumes.
