As Mardi Gras celebrations rage throughout the country today in well-known party hubs like Mobile and New Orleans, the 60 residents of Boardtown Village in Starkville are throwing their own smaller, but no less enthusiastic, party.
In the central building of the community of senior residences, the tables are covered in purple tablecloths and glittery beads, and other decorations in purple, green and gold fill the room. A tree in the corner is covered in Mardi Gras masks.
At the center of the celebration are the Mardi Gras king and queen.
Starkville native Arthur Tate and Tennessee transfer Geneva Ayers, both draped in beads, look even more festive than the rest of the building. Tate sports glittery armbands and Ayers wears a feathery boa and wields a scepter topped with a Mardi Gras jester. They both wear crowns, though Ayers’ keeps falling off.
“She’s got too many brains in that head!” Tate said after the crown slipped off about the third or fourth time.
Tate and Ayers have known each other for nearly three years, ever since Ayers moved to Starkville to be closer to her daughter. Ayers described Tate as a good neighbor who is nice to everybody. Tate said Ayers is “a nice lady with a good smile every time you see her.”
Tate and Ayers are both active participants in the activities at the residences, and they both live in Building 3 — a building Tate decided was lucky when he and Ayers learned they had been voted king and queen of Boardtown’s Mardi Gras celebration.
“I felt really honored (to be made queen),” said Ayers.
Tate was born and raised in Starkville and still has a son and daughter living in Oktibbeha County. He worked for Texaco before retiring. He has been living in Boardtown Village for 17 years. Ayers was born in McNairy County, Tennessee and lived most of her life in Tennessee, where she worked for Belk. Neither of them have ever been to one of the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, though they both said they loved the holiday. Boardtown’s party is good enough for them. Not the least because it’s good to be king, Arthur said.
This is the second year Boardtown Village has had its own Mardi Gras party according to the community’s service coordinator, Kimberly Shields. The residents all credited Shields and the other staff for the celebration.
“We couldn’t ask for a better manager and a better coordinator,” said King Hall, Boardtown resident and last year’s Mardi Gras king.
The Mardi Gras celebration began Monday morning with king cake and coffee. Tate and Ayers ended up with the traditional naked baby in the king cake. Ayers took it to her room and put it somewhere her dachshund Brutus could not find it.
The celebration continues today at Boardtown Village. The residents and staff will come together to enjoy a Mardi Gras feast. Tate says he looks forward to the red beans and rice in particular.
It is important to appreciate the fun of such a festive holiday while it lasts, Tate added.
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