Inside Washington Mardi Gras 2026

JANUARY 28TH, 2026

MARDI GRAS WASHINGTON

King Gray Stream reigns over 77th celebration

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Queen Sarah Heebe ready to represent Louisiana

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Scene and be seen, but bring some style to the parties

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WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Louisiana takes over nation’s capital

Washington Mardi Gras has returned for 77th pomp and circumstance

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON – As an 11-year-old, Russell Mosely didn’t really notice all the bigwigs surrounding his grandfather, U.S. Sen. Russell Long, at the Washington Mardi Gras. He was all about catching beads and doubloons.

But this year, Mosely attends the 77th edition of the four-day carnival event, which officially begins Wednesday, as a senior lieutenant in the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians. Long had created the krewe to organize and handle the finances of the annual event.

More than anyone else, Long helped turn an ad-hoc celebration by homesick congressional staffers into a more organized Carnival event attended by highlevel politicos, such as Vice President Richard Nixon (twice), Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (multiple times) and Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren.

The event has morphed into an annual retreat for local, state and federal politicians to socialize casually with Louisiana business moguls, university presidents, charity leaders and trade association executives. This year, the Louisiana Ethics Board is allowing elected officials to pay for their expenses out of campaign funds.

Paid for by dues, tickets and donations, public access to Washington Mardi Gras is restricted and media coverage limited to foster unguarded conversations that gets business done, participants say.

“I think to have the opportunity to visit with the congressional delegation and other political office holders in an environment that is relaxed and festive allows a lot of folks access needed to work in a way that it’s really difficult to do at home,” Mosely said.

For instance, Mosely is a real estate developer who needed a new traffic signal and road built in a project. That required the approval and coordination of the Baton Rouge mayor and city council along with the governor’s office and the state Department of Transportation and Development, plus the Federal Highway Commission.

Vice President George H.W. Bush with U.S. Sen. Russell Long at the Washington Mardi Gras ball.

Former U.S. Sen. John Breaux and Bryan Jones prepare to join the festivities at Washington Mardi Gras in 2024.

“That would have taken me months and months and perhaps years of meetings to get that done,” Mosely said.

“When I was at Washington Mardi Gras, I was able to have all my meetings there.”

“Washington Mardi Gras is a tremendous opportunity for members of Congress to visit with Louisiana stakeholders, build relationships, and listen to ideas from folks back home,” said Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge. “It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year, and makes Washington feel a little more like home.”

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, said: “As a taxpayer, what you get is

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, center, shows off his Louisiana flag-themed cape at the 2024 Washington Mardi Gras Ball.

stronger representation, greater visibility for Louisiana, and opportunities that help bring federal resources, jobs, and investment back home. When Louisiana shows up together, we are better positioned to deliver results for our communities.”

Each office of Louisiana’s eight-member congressional delegation holds open houses during the week, welcoming folks from home who have arrived for carnival festivities — and are hoping to persuade officials to help them accomplish a local need.

“The people looking to leverage the week for their business development and their advocacy need to start early,” said Marie DesOrmeaux Centanni, a member of the Mystick krewe and head of Centanni Communications, a Lafayette-based lobbying and consult-

ing firm. “And so it’s not just the visitors who come up for the ball and the Mardi Gras related activities. It’s a whole contingent of leaders who understand that doors are open that week and they make the most of it.”

The official Washington Mardi Gras events take place at the Washington Hilton. But a number of private organizations hold their own parties.

Cheniere Energy is taking over the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday for its annual party.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry, who already will be in Washington for a national conference, has invited fellow secretaries of state to a soirée Thursday afternoon at the Hilton.

“Secretary Landry is taking advantage of the calendars aligning and looks forward to sharing a piece of Louisiana’s unique culture with several of her fellow Secretaries of State,” her office said in a statement.

Thursday night is the “Louisiana Alive” party that features Louisiana bands and chefs preparing a variety of dishes unavailable in Washington.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is using the occasion to sign Friday morning a memorandum of understanding with universities in the Sultanate of Oman to work together on research and make student exchanges easier.

Friday’s main event is the Washington Mardi Gras Economic Development Luncheon & Reception, which gathers more than 300 business, civic and government leaders. It is usually closed to the public.

As chair, Scalise also chose the king and queen.

For king, Scalise tapped W. Gray Stream, a Lake Charles investor with a long resume of public service activities.

As queen, he chose Sarah Heebe, a sophomore at Yale, where she is majoring in environmental studies with a certificate in energy studies. She is on the executive board of the Yale Student Energy Association, is co-president of the Renewable Future Alliance and worked in a lab creating catalysts to reduce carbon emissions.

Scalise was in the state legislature with her mom, Jennifer Sneed Heebe. Her father, Fred Heebe, the New Orleans businessman who owns the River Birch landfill, was king of Washington Mardi Gras in 2023.

“So, she’s got royalty in the blood already,” Scalise said. “I’ve known the

family for a long time, and obviously, they’ve gotten into Washington Mardi Gras for a long time.”

King Stream will greet Queen Heebe with a toast upon her arrival Wednesday afternoon.

During the event, various businesses and trade associations hold panels.

For instance, Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association is holding a discussion on handling energy demand for huge data centers like the one being built near Monroe by Meta. The panelists include Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Member David LeCerte, Louisiana Public Service Commission Member Davante Lewis, and Millard Mulé of the governor’s office.

“One of the biggest economic development problems facing Louisiana is energy demand and load generation for artificial intelligence and its data centers. This event puts all the people with solutions in the same room at the same time,” said Mary-Patricia Wray, of Top Drawer Strategies, a Baton Rouge lobbying and consulting firm.

In between the toasts, cocktail par-

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Vice President Richard Nixon at the Washington Mardi Gras.

ties and panel discussions, revelers can stroll down the halls of the Hilton visiting a series of hospitality suites sponsored by corporations, charities, universities, trade associations, politicians and their fundraising arms. The drinks are

free — it’s hard to find anything nonalcoholic — and food is always available.

The penultimate event is Saturday’s formal ball, hosted by the king and queen, with entourages that include many of the festival queens.

The black-tie ball is open to ticketholders, many of whom wear masks and traditional costumes.

The room is large, with seating around an oval-shaped floor. Members of the krewe, including members of Congress, floats and marching bands circulate, tossing beads.

After the parade, dancing begins in front of the stage.

The krewe has a tradition, the callout dance, in which women members ask five men to dance and the men ask five women. Upon the completion of the callout dance, a gift — bracelets, earrings, etc. — is given.

Sunday is when everyone heads home, though a few organizations will host breakfasts.

“Washington Mardi Gras is an opportunity to showcase Louisiana and create meaningful exchanges,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. “While it recognizes our Louisiana culture and the history of Mardi Gras, it also teaches people about our state and allows our local government officials to get face time for discussions about funding, programs, and future federal opportunities.”

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WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Steve Scalise ready to get fun, business going

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — This week will be busy for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

On Capitol Hill, he’s distributing king cakes and meeting with Louisiana dignitaries while shepherding through Congress the last of a dozen budget bills that need to be passed this month to avoid a partial federal government shutdown.

About 5 miles away, Scalise, R-Jefferson, also is chairing the 77th edition of the annual Washington Mardi Gras, which begins Wednesday and ends Feb. 1.

The event features a formal ball and parties, breakfasts and dinners, speeches and hospitality suites in the Washington Hilton, along with dozens of other gatherings around the city.

Hundreds of Louisiana’s leading executives from businesses, trade associations and charities descend on Washington each year to meet with local and national politicians.

“It’s grown into such a large event, an amazing event, and a great celebration of Louisiana culture that combines with a lot of work to promote Louisiana’s future,” Scalise said in an interview. He grew up in Metairie and lives in Jefferson. Scalise was elected to Congress in May 2008 and is now number two in House leadership behind Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton.

We asked Scalise about what Washington Mardi Gras means for him and other Louisiana leaders.

What kind of business gets done?

Scalise views the timing of Washington Mardi Gras as fortuitous because, as soon as the 12 spending bills pass, Congress turns to appropriations

today’s members of Congress.

Scalise: “You can’t bring food in the House Chamber, but I’ve got that room right next door where we can do some good entertaining. We’ll have New Orleans chicory coffee and some king cake. And then we’ll bring everybody onto the House floor.”

“Like probably 8 years ago, I started doing almost like an open town hall meeting on the House floor. We get over 200 people that have come to that

running around in between meetings, you’re going past buildings and rooms that so much history happened in.”

Where do you get your king cakes?

“I’ll go either Randazzo’s or Haydel’s or both,” Scalise said.

for the next fiscal year.

“A lot of these officials want to talk about some of the projects that are their most important priorities that need federal funding,” he said.

For example, he pointed to the recent passage of a bill that set aside $137.5 million for construction and maintenance for the Morganza to the Gulf hurricane protection system in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

“Those conversations happened during Washington Mardi Gras, where you’re meeting with not only parish presidents and local leaders, state reps, but you’re also meeting with the flood protection authority heads,” Scalise said. “We want to make sure we’re all on the same page so that I’m fighting for their top priorities when we have limited federal dollars.

“Those meetings are really important, especially at the beginning of an appropriations process, which usually coincides, coincidentally, with the beginning of Washington Mardi Gras,” he said.

Why does this work have to be done so far from home?

Scalise noted that no federal

appropriation is decided by a single person at a single agency. Bringing together the various government and private participants at one time streamlines the effort.

Scalise: “We get a little policy over there, but it’s also a great, great sharing of our culture. I’ve got members of Congress, cabinet secretaries who I’ve brought to Washington Mardi Gras with me, and they are just blown away.

“It is not New Orleans Mardi Gras. It’s still something so different than what most people in Washington have ever seen before.

“You just got this great influx of leaders from the state of Louisiana to Washington. So, inevitably, a lot of other work gets done in between a lot of the formal events.”

How will your week kick off?

“I’ll start with a little reception in the Lincoln Room,” Scalise said.

When Abraham Lincoln represented southern Illinois from 1847 to 1849, he often sat by the fireplace in a small room just off Statuary Hall, where the House of Representatives sat at the time. Scalise led a bipartisan effort to restore the room for use by

“I’ll tell them a little bit about the history of the House, the Capitol, of course, but especially the House floor, and then just take questions. And it’s really a great experience for people that have never been to the Capitol …

“They’ll always bring up the student body presidents. I’ll say, you know, let’s have our student body presidents stand up because they’re the future of our state. And you’ve got state legislators and business leaders.

“You want them to know how important it is to see this great elected institution, the House of Representatives, where we get our work done as they’re hopefully getting inspired to maybe get involved in government.”

What kind questions do they ask?

Scalise said one of the first questions usually is: “Where are the voting machines?”

Representatives have special cards that are inserted to count votes from locations around the chamber.

“‘What is the State of the Union like?’ ‘What is it like working with the president?’ People are just curious.

“Some of it is asking about some of the hot-button issues of the day. But most of it is just curiosity about the institution …

“While it might seem mundane some days, you’re just

The two bakeries are in his 1st Congressional District, which includes a bit of Uptown New Orleans and the city’s suburbs, as well as parts of the bayou communities and the southeastern coastal parishes.

“We give away over 300 of them up here. They’re the most sought-after commodity up here in Washington when they come out, because it’s not like it’s something that’s here year-round.

“And believe me, I have members, Republican and Democrat alike, who are already starting to ask me, ‘When are you giving out the king cakes?’

“Literally, I had the chairman of the House Budget Committee (U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, a Republican from the plains of west Texas) yesterday was like, ‘I can’t wait, I can’t wait.’ ”

Which event is the most fun?

We asked Scalise which of the major Washington Mardi Gras events is more fun:

Thursday night’s Louisiana Alive party that features live music and food prepared by chefs from home? Or the formal ball on Saturday night?

Scalise: “Saturday night is just special. Everybody’s in black tie. It’s a true, kind of a dress up, celebrating what’s great about our culture in Louisiana when all the festival queens is paraded around.

“And then you’ve got the princesses and then you’ve got the king and the queen come out and then the floats and the whole krewe and everybody from the governor on down is going to be a part of that. It’s a lot of fun.”

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WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

ALL HAIL, KING GRAY STREAM!

Reigning over Washington Mardi Gras, Lake Charles businessman focuses on the economy

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Lake Charles investor and philanthropist W. Gray Stream is from a storied family.

His mother is the late country singer Lynn Anderson. A portrait of his grandmother by celebrated Mexican artist Diego Rivera hangs in his father’s house.

Now, as king of the 77th Washington Mardi Gras, Stream himself joins illustrious company. His predecessors include Drew Brees, Richard Lipsey, Todd Graves and Roy O. Martin III, among other Louisiana titans.

Washington Mardi Gras is an annual event that draws thousands of Louisiana business and community leaders into a four-day retreat with local, state and federal politicians at the Washington Hilton, which dubs its bar the 65th parish.

Socializing around parties, hospitality suites and a formal ball lubricates business deals, Stream said.

He has an impressive résumé of volunteer work on the boards of a vast array of community organizations, from the Louisiana Innovation Council, which fosters growth for startups, to The National WWII Museum, which has become the top tourist attraction in New Orleans.

But Stream said one of the biggest reasons for accepting the kingship is his present position chairing the Louisiana Economic Development Partnership Board, a panel of private sector advisers developing a strategic plan for economic development.

“I’ve been to a lot of Washington Mardi Gras,” Stream said. “I feel like it just continues the focus on improving the brand of the state and leveraging the opportunity to get so many of our state’s business leaders, civic leaders, political leaders, investors — whether they are Louisiana-based investors or they’re investors that are putting their capital to work here — and getting them all in one place.”

Gray Stream is king of the 77th Washington Mardi Gras.

As chair of the Washington Mardi Gras this year, it fell upon House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, to choose the event’s queen and king — the public faces of the event.

“I’m sure everybody has their own formula. I look for somebody who, number one, is going to really enjoy and celebrate the culture of Mardi Gras and bring that to Washington,” Scalise said.

“It’s probably a nine-month process

from when I asked and he accepted, to what’s going to happen this week. We talk a lot and you can feel the energy and the growth of kind of how he’s grown into this role.”

Additionally, Washington Mardi Gras is an expensive endeavor for the participants paying dues, ticket prices, hotel rooms and airline tickets.

For the king, who sponsors and attends numerous events over the year,

the cost in coin is much higher and time away from business much longer.

“It’s got to be somebody who’s got the ability to do it. You know, it costs a lot of money to put this event on,” Scalise said. “This is not your normal event you’re in charge of.”

Stream wouldn’t say how much he has spent, other than to note being king is “very” expensive.

“You play an important role in enhanc-

ing everyone’s experience and making sure that, you know, it’s memorable,” he said.

Stream has made $475,954 in political donations over the years, mostly to Republican candidates and political action committees, according to the Louisiana Board of Ethics and the Federal Election Commission.

After Scalise asked, Stream said he first spoke to his wife. Once she was on board, he went to his siblings, cousins and others in his extended family.

“I work in a family company, so I wanted to talk with my family and just make sure that everybody was comfortable with the fact that there’d be a lot of exposure and a lot of distraction, candidly,” Stream said. “I got everyone’s support.”

Since 2013, Stream has led his family’s Stream Companies and Matilda Stream Management, which oversees companies and administers holdings involving land, agriculture and natural resources, along with a sizable investment portfolio.

“For instance,” Stream said, “either in

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

“ “

KING GRAY STREAM

the early stage investing that we do or some of the operating companies that we’ve started, Stream Wetland Services, one of our companies, we just built and restored and rehabilitated tens of thousands of acres of coastal wetlands and done a lot of various environmental improvement projects.”

The Stream company attracting the most attention is Gulf Coast Sequestration, which Stream founded to handle industry’s carbon emissions.

Lake Charles and east Texas are home to a number of petrochemical plants, refineries, electricity-generating facilities, and other industries whose processes release large amounts carbon into the atmosphere. Companies are offered tax breaks for reducing carbon emissions.

The waste CO2 is shipped to Gulf Coast Sequestration in pipelines and pumped under pressure into geologic formations deep underground, where it turns to liquid and mixes with salt water in the rock.

The Washington Mardi Gras King’s Hospitality Suite will include landscape photos of the 30,000-acre Gray Ranch in Calcasieu Parish that his family has operated since 1896.

“That’s a big part of our family culture,” Stream said. “I mean, my catchphrase to our team is ‘Dedicated stewards, responsible pioneers’.”

His family has long been involved in public service, including contributions of art and money to the New Orleans Museum of Art. But Stream credits Chris John, who was a congressman

representing southwest Louisiana in the late 1990s and early 2000s, for inspiring an interest in public service along with business.

Stream joined John in Washington as an aide after graduating from Vanderbilt University and receiving his MBA in management and finance from Rice University.

“It was a great kind of formative experience for me in getting my career started,” Stream said. “It really lit a spark of service for me to the state of Louisiana, for sure.”

He’s hoping to reconnect with the friends he made during those years in D.C. on John’s staff.

“We’re going to reminisce about how we were at the Washington Mardi Gras back then. How we worked the congressman’s suite. How we handed out tickets and did all the work necessary to make Washington Mardi Gras go smoothly. How much fun we had,” Stream said. “And, now I’m the king.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@ theadvocate.com.

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Ready for a ‘magical experience’

Sarah Heebe is a Washington Mardi Gras queen who talks quantum computing

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

New Orleans native Sarah Heebe does not fit neatly into the traditional idea of a Mardi Gras queen — unless that idea includes conversations about quantum computing, a National Merit Scholarship and a deep interest in energy and climate policy.

At 20, she’s also an accomplished trumpet player. She speaks Spanish. She’s a voracious reader who loves museums.

Her varied interests make complete sense to her.

“It’s very New Orleans of me,” she said, laughing.

This year, Heebe will reign as queen of Washington Mardi Gras while juggling life as a sophomore at Yale University, where she is majoring in environmental studies.

“It was a very easy decision,” Heebe said. “I have such varied interests, and this felt like it was always going to be a magical experience.”

Heebe was on summer break, taking classes through the London School of Economics, when she received the call naming her queen. She remembers being in a museum in Germany when she found out.

She is bringing 24 fellow Yale students with her to the nation’s capital, many of whom had never heard of Washington Mardi Gras before receiving her invitation.

“I didn’t expect so many people would want to come,” she said. “It’s been a challenge trying to explain what Washington Mardi Gras is. There’s no real way to convey the sense of it. At first, I think I did a poor job. Then they started Googling it — that’s when the questions started.”

Her friends, many coming by train from Yale, are from across the country and around the world. Together, they will experience a Louisiana tradition that Heebe herself is still getting to know. She’s attended once before in 2024, when her father, Fred Heebe, served as king.

She says she didn’t approach her role as queen with a lot of expectations and has enjoyed the process thus far.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting people from

“ “

It’s been a challenge trying to explain what Washington Mardi Gras is. There’s no real way to convey the sense of it.

QUEEN SARAH HEEBE

the help of New Orleans designer Suzanne Perrone, she’s ready to go.

For Sarah Heebe, the wardrobe and the pageantry fit naturally alongside her academic life. She has a long history of taking things that seem intimidating and making them approachable — including her award-winning capstone paper at Metairie Park Country Day School: “Quantum Armageddon or Elysium?: How Quantum Computing Might Change the World.”

“Once I learn how not to be intimidated by something, I can help other people learn the same,” she said. “Even with things people might think are frivolous.”

That instinct shows up in the details of her reign. Her breakfast theme is “Night at the Museum,” a nod to her love of museums and storytelling. The movie tie-in, she says, makes it more accessible for her generation.

At Yale, Sarah Heebe says she is known among her friends for how often she talks about Louisiana.

“I never thought of myself as a classic Louisianan,” she said. “But the more I’ve grown, the more I want to represent my state — and do it in a positive way.”

Being away from home has sharpened that feeling. She misses the warm weather, oak-lined streets and po-boys. College, she said, gave her the distance to see Louisiana with fresh eyes.

all over — the princesses and festival queens,” she said. “That’s been one of my favorite parts.”

Behind the scenes, the logistics of Washington Mardi Gras brought some surprises, but with the help of her mother, Jennifer Heebe, Sarah Heebe has been able to balance a rigorous school schedule and the required prep for her reign as queen.

Meanwhile, her mom was back home

in New Orleans with a kitchen table covered in index cards, trying to figure out charts for events — and enjoying the process. Jennifer Heebe was herself a Washington Mardi Gras princess in 1986.

Sarah Heebe says she didn’t realize “how many little things were involved.” Even so, her wardrobe planning has been stress-free. She built a spreadsheet for her necessary outfits, and with

“I’d certainly like to return,” she said. “Not just because the food is amazing, but because of the culture. It’s home.” Her mother sees that same pull.

“She’s a smart girl,” Jennifer Heebe said. “But much more important than that, she has a heart of gold. She’s said all along that she wants to come home to New Orleans to work. She’s a Louisiana girl through and through.”

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

Louisianans make best of 2017 winter nor’easter

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

Washington Mardi Gras usually has a clear ending. Meetings wrap. Balls end. People scatter back home.

In February 2017, the weather had other ideas.

When word came that a “strong and historic nor’easter” was headed for the nation’s capital, members of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians took action. They met late into the night with hotel management, according to Tyron Picard of Lafayette, securing extra food, lots of alchohol and cots so hotel staff could stay on-site.

The giant storm shut the city down. Flights were canceled. Roads were impassable.

The Washington Hilton was full of people who had nowhere to go — and no idea when they’d be leaving.

So, they did what Louisianans do best when plans fall apart — they adjusted and made the best of it.

As the weekend stretched, the go-go deadlines shifted. People lingered. Conversations continued.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The snow that hit during 2017 Washington Mardi Gras was deep enough to block the Washington Hilton sign and cover cars. The storm stranded many Louisianans who ended up spending a few extra days in Washington, D.C.

There were snowball fights in the streets with congressmen. There was sledding in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There were long walks on snowy streets.

These photographs capture that unexpected pause: a Washington Mardi Gras frozen in place, a hotel full of people waiting it out together and finding ways to keep the good times going.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Lucy Centanni, 8 years old at the time, used a cookie sheet to sled down the snowy steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 2017 snowstorm.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

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Enterg yLouisiana has been heavilyinvolvedin some of thestate’s largesteconomic development announcements,includingthe upcoming Meta data centerinRichlandParishand HyundaiSteel mill in Ascension Parish.Withthose projects well under way, Maysaidthe focusisnow on ensuring they can operate effectively andbenefitall Louisianaresidents

“Theseinvestments create jobs andopportunities forLouisiana communities, andwedon’t take our role in thoselightly,” he said.“As theseprojects move forward, we will continue to upgradeour systemand modernize ourgridwithstate-of-the-art technology Most importantly, we’vestructureditsothatour customerswon’t shoulder thefinancialburden,but will reap thebenefits.”

As Enterg yLouisiana improves itsreliability with stronger,moreresilient infrastructure,May said the companyisdoing so in more targeted andstrategic ways

“We’re able to useamodelingsystemwith100 yearsofdataonweather events, whichgives us incredible informationabout what gridsweneed to upgrade,”hesaid. “We’re also able to useAIto seehow oursystemisperformingona momentby-momentbasis.That helpsustobeproactive and ultimately create amoreresilientand robust grid.”

EntergyLouisiana serves approximately1.1 million electric customersin58parishes. Entergycompanies employ about4,500 people in Louisiana. Visit www.entergylouisiana.com to learnmore.

Meet Melanie —she’s aLouisiana native and a job creator.

As amemberofEntergy Louisiana’s economic development team, Melanie is working to build opportunity for all Louisianans by helping recruit new industryand jobs to ourstate

Melanie and herteamhelpedrecruit Meta’s $10billiondatacenter to Louisiana, which will create morethan 1,500direct and indirectjobs, 5,000additional construction jobs and customerbenefits across Louisiana.

We’ve been poweringLouisiana for 100 years, and we’re100%committed to making the next centuryevenbetter than the last through Louisiana100 Plan. Our goalover the next decade is to help recruit $100 billion in new projects and create 100,000 new,high-paying jobs–becausethis is our home,too

Learnmore at entergy-louisiana.com/100-plan/.

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Festival queens represent state’s industries

Dinners, dances, meet and greets are just a few of the events to attend

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

When Louisiana festival queens descend upon the nation’s capital each year for Washington Mardi Gras, they fasten their crowns, unfurl their trains, adjust their mantles and ready themselves for a jam-packed schedule.

Over three days, the goal for many of the festival queens is to advocate for their respective industries with leaders and stakeholders who gather in the spirit of Mardi Gras.

“We’re not just these girls who wear these shiny crowns and smile and look pretty,” said Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen Aubrey Brumfield. “It’s not all about the ballgown and the heels.”

Each year, the number of festival queens in D.C. differs. While the event was established in 1944, it wasn’t until 1948 that seven festival queens attended for the first time: Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, Maine White Potato Festival, International Rice Festival, Louisiana Yambilee Festival, Louisiana Strawberry Festival, Plaquemines Parish Orange Festival and City of New Orleans Festival.

This year, 24 Louisiana festivals send queens to Washington, along with queens from other Mardi Gras krewes and associations, according to Mary Jane “Cookie” Brittain Richardson, a senior lieutenant with Washington Mardi Gras.

In 1990, Richardson was the Washington Mardi Gras Queen.

Being a festival queen and attending Washington Mardi Gras can have a lasting impact. Dana Topham, of Lafayette, first attended Washington Mardi Gras as the 1988 Yambilee Festival Queen.

“It was the first time I traveled out of the state in a plane, and I went solo. My parents couldn’t afford to come,” Topham said. “We were treated like royalty with full access, including walking in the Oval Office. I even climbed a tree in the White House front lawn — times have changed since then.”

Topham says the trip opened up the way she saw the world, gave her a more global perspective and an understand-

was there as

for St.

Parish. This year, she’ll attend the festivities as Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen.

ing of government that she just didn’t have before.

In 2025, Topham’s daughter, Olivia Topham, was one of 25 festival queens. Olivia Topham presented as a representative of the Order of the Troubadours from Lafayette.

For Brumfield, this year’s Washington Mardi Gras is not her first rodeo.

In 2023, she was there as Miss Andouille for St. John the Baptist Parish. Only 17 at the time, she was one of the youngest in the group, but she says the experience taught her how to travel independently.

She adds that Washington Mardi Gras can bring young festival queens out of their comfort zones, putting them in positions to speak to elected leaders and captains of industry.

Brumfield says the festival queens “pour our hearts and souls” into representing and promoting their festivals and organizations.

Louisiana Cattle Queen Isabelle Douet, who started her reign in May, released a children’s book in October titled, “Bubba and the Cattle Queen’s

ä See QUEENS, page 14A

QUEENS

Continued from page 12A

Louisiana Adventure” about two characters who travel the state and learn about the cattle industry.

Douet is going to Washington Mardi Gras for the first time this year. She has gone on six farm tours to meet with cattle producers to learn their concerns to share on her trip to D.C.

Douet said many of the cattle farmers expressed concern with President Donald Trump’s recent push to import beef from Argentina, saying that they would rather “let the industry level itself out” like it always has. She noted that the farmers would rather let supply and demand control the prices, instead of importing foreign beef to make prices cheaper.

One of Douet’s goals is to connect with senators and representatives and remind people of the importance of supporting local dairy and beef producers instead of shopping at big-box retailers.

“A lot of people think this is a vacation for us, but it’s definitely a job,” Douet said. “We are booked and busy the whole time.”

A festival queen’s schedule during Washington Mardi Gras consists of dinners, meet and greets with congress members, lunches, an Arlington Cemetery tour, a captain’s dinner and dance, a grand ball and Louisiana Alive! — one of Brumfield’s favorite events that features Louisiana caterers, tourism groups and favorites like shrimp, boudin and king cake.

“Louisiana Alive is the night that it feels like you’re back home,” she said.

When the women return home after Washington Mardi Gras, they go back to their normal routines — traveling around the state with bejeweled crowns and sashes on the weekends and going to school during the week.

Douet, a senior at LSU, is studying animal science and hopes to attend vet school and become a large farm animal veterinarian. Brumfield, a junior at Mississippi Valley State University, is studying biology and business and hopes to become an orthodontist.

But for one week out of the year, they pack their bags, crowns and sashes to go to Washington, D.C., where they serve as diplomats for Louisiana’s culture and commodities.

Louisiana culture editor Jan Risher contributed to this report.

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren. cheramie@theadvocate.com.

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

DelgadoCommunityCollege builds workforce solutionsfor Louisiana’sfuture

Thisarticle is brought to youby Delgado CommunityCollege

Asdemandgrows forskilled employeesacross multiple industries, DelgadoCommunity Collegeplays acentral role in preparing current andfuturemembers of theworkforce.

“Delgado hasbeenmeeting workforcedevelopment needsfor over acentury,due in part to ourstrategic businessand industry partnerships statewide,” said Chancellor LarissaLittleton Steib. “Delgado continues to seeincreased demandfor skilled workers in thehealthcare, automotive,maritimeand industrial sectors.”

OnerecentprojectisDelgado’s leadership role in theGNO Infrastructure Partnership, in collaboration with GNOInc.and partnerinstitutionswithin theLouisiana Community andTechnicalCollege System. Delgado is implementing a$6.05 million StrengtheningCommunity Colleges Training Grant to expandtrainingcapacity forhigh-demandcareers.

In addition,Delgado is developing Louisiana’sfirst Electric Vehicle Technolog yprogram andenhancing course offerings in diesel technolog y, commercial vehicle andheavy equipmentoperatorand motor vehicle technolog y.

“With $850,000 in community investment fundssecured by CongressmanTroyCarter, weare in theplanning phasefor theAutomotive Center forExcellence –the first facilityofits kind in Louisianafocused on preparingstudents to work with electric vehicles,” Chancellor Littleton Steibsaid. “We are also constructing a newCulinar yArtsand WorkforceBuilding to supporthands-on, career-focused education.

“

TheGreater NewOrleans InfrastructurePartnership shows what’spossible whencommunity colleges, employers, andeconomic development align to turn historic federalinvestment intorealopportunity anda strongerregional workforce ”

Michael Hecht, President andCEO, GreaterNew Orleans, Inc

Additionally, with supportfromstate legislators, Delgado is planninga$3millionMaritimeAquatics Facility that will expandsur vivaland safety training at ourMaritimeand Industrial Training Center.” These programs will add to Delgado’sportfolio of programs that meet workforceneeds.Delgado’s Nursingand AlliedHealthprogramsare thelargest producersofhealthcareprofessionals in Region 1.

Meanwhile, partnerships with Appleand Veolia give Delgadostudents accesstoeducation rooted in technolog yand theenvironment.

“Delgado has an impressive economic impact of $588 million, andour graduatessupport more than 10,000 localjobs–a keyindicator of howweare uniquely positioned to addresscurrent andfuture workforceneeds,”ChancellorLittleton Steibsaid.

Meetingworkforce needs acrosshigh-demand sectors

Healthcare

•#1ProviderofNursing ProfessionalsinRegion1

•98% NursingLicensure Pass Rate

•98% of NursingGraduates Work in Louisiana

Maritime&Industrial

•One of only 26 federallydesignatedCenters of Excellence in the nation

• Planninga$3million Maritime Aquatics Facility to expand survivaland safety training

Automotive&Advanced Technology

•Futurehometothe region’s firstAutomotiveCenterofExcellence

•Focused on advanced automotive technologies,includingelectricvehicle training

Delgado Community College’sEconomicImpact

•Generates a$588 millionannualeconomicimpact

•Supportsmorethan10,000 jobs statewide

•Deliversa $6.80 return forevery $1 of public fundinginvested.

The majority of Delgadograduates remain in Louisiana, streng thening localcommunities andensuring employershaveaccesstoaskilled, prepared workforce.

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Dressing well is part of doing the job

D.C. challenge isn’t extravagance — it’s endurance

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

For some, Washington Mardi Gras is about celebration. For others, it is about business development or even the survival of an organization.

The annual gathering draws hundreds to Washington, D.C., where conversations — often happening in meetings, ballrooms, hallways and the Hilton lobby — can determine the future of nonprofits and institutions back home.

Dressing for the moment is not optional.

“In D.C., with a captain of industry or a member of the legislative delegation, you don’t want to be worried about what you’re wearing,” said Beverly Brooks Thompson, a longtime fundraiser who lives in Baton Rouge.

Endurance, not extravagance

Washington Mardi Gras is political, social and economic all at once.

“It’s an economic development week for me,” she said. “It’s a business development week for other people.”

Stylists who work Washington Mardi Gras say the challenge isn’t extravagance — it’s endurance.

Wardrobe budgets run across the board.

“You can spend $200 for a gown or you can spend upwards of $2,500 for a single event,” said Aimee Gowland, founder of ALG Style in New Orleans.

What matters, she said, is planning for long days and constant movement. Comfortable shoes are essential, leading on occasion to tennis shoes under ballgowns.

“My clients typically are moving or on the go,” she said.

Looking the part

Since Thompson’s early days working at LSU in the late 1990s, she has spent decades representing institutions in rooms where perception matters.

“You know, we have to be in big fancy rooms all the time with big fancy clothes, but we don’t make big fancy money,” said Thompson, who now works as managing director with Carter Global.

That tension led her, 20 years ago, to work toward a solution for women who, like her, need to look the part but don’t

have the budget required to do so.

“I started a closet that women I work with could recycle their dresses,” she said.

Over time, Thompson’s closet has grown.

For the dresses and gowns more than three or four years old, Thompson allows alterations, which, combined with different body shapes, often change the look of the dress — creating in one instance what she calls “Sisterhood of the Traveling Mardi Gras Dress.”

“I can show you the same ballgown worn by four different women in four different years — and it doesn’t look like the same dress,” she said. “I have several racks of clothes, and people, by invitation, come ‘shopping’ every year.”

The closet functions because of reciprocity.

Participants contribute back, sometimes in large numbers — including one person who moved out of state and donated her 30 ballgowns.

Still, Thompson is certain that she doesn’t want to operate a consignment store.

“I don’t mind loaning stuff to people who will take care of it the way I would

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

Mystick Krewe has been crowning kings and queens since 1944

Washington Mardi Gras

King W. Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Louise Heebe are the latest in a lineage of royalty going back more than 80 years. Their predecessors include business titans, doctors, political leaders, athletes and artists. Here’s the full list of Washington Mardi Gras royalty going back to 1944.

2025

n Roderick “Rico” Alvendia

n Kendall Williams 2024

n Drew Brees

n Camille Morrison 2023

n Fred Heebe

n Virginia Grace Mills 2022

n Richard A. Lipsey

n Madison E. Smith 2021

n NO BALL — COVID-19 2020

n Gregory J. Hamer

n Madeline Michele Noble 2019

n Ray Brandt

n Alexandra Reese Pharr 2018

n Todd Bartlett Graves

n Anna Maeve Reilly 2017

n Warner Lee Thomas

n Eastan Lee Thomas 2016

n James McClendon Williams

n Anna Haspel Aronson 2015

n Charles T. Goodson

n Amelia Grace Zepernick 2014

n Larry Matthew Allen

n Sarah Louise Bicknell 2013

n Martin Svendson

n Laura Elisabeth Kelley 2012

n Tommy S. Cvitanovich

n Jaynen Michon Champagne 2011

n Glen D. Smith

n Lea Elizabeth Aucoin

James Williams, king of 2016 Washington Mardi Gras

2010

n William H. Fenstermaker

n Dayna Elizabeth Haynie 2009

n Roy O. Martin III

n Laura Kathryn Martin 2008

n D. Wayne Elmore

n Autumn Nicole Armentor 2007

n Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger

n Elizabeth Claire Chance 2006

n NO BALL — Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 2005

n Richard Emory Zuschlag

n Nailah Anan Jefferson 2004

n William A. Oliver

n Meredith Frances Allen 2003

n Christopher E. Cenac

n Nancy Alison Lupin 2002

n Arthur Quentin Davis

n Jelani Faizah Jefferson 2001

n James C. Flores

n Heather Michelle Sturlese

2000

n Herschel L. Abbott Jr.

n Erin Elizabeth Zuschlag

1999

n E.R. “Bo” Campbell, Jr.

n Christy Diane Hicks

1998

n James C. Smith

n Jalila Eshe Jefferson

Erin Elizabeth Zuschlag reigns as 2000 queen over the Washington Mardi Gras.

1997

n James Michael “Hutch” Hutchison

n Julia A. Breaux

1996

n Claude “Buddy” Leach

n Amy Elizabeth Chouest

1995

n Theodore “Ted” L. Jones

n Sarah Cenac

1994

n George Rodrigue

n Courtenay Cate Graham 1993

n Tevor George Bryan

n Jamila Efuru Jefferson

1992

n Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger

n Sushan Alida Livingston

1991

n Joseph C. Canizaro

n Julie Kristen Baker

1990

n James M. Cain

n Mary Jane Ann Brittain

1989

n Tom Benson

n Kristie René Tauzin

1988

n Willis W. Noland

n Elizabeth Andre Breaux

1987

n E.R. “Bo” Campbell Jr.

n Caroline Elizabeth Roemer

1986

n William Heard Wright, Jr.

n Jennifer Lee Moore

1985

n Marion D. Edwards

n Michelle Lynn Huckaby

1984

n Crawford A. Bishop

n Nanci Myke Easterling

Sally Johnston was 1983 queen of the Washington Mardi Gras.

1983

n Jake L. Netterville

n Sarah Lee Johnston

1982

n John Joseph Graham

n Linda Jean Randall

1981

n Charles E. Brown

n Mary Lyon Johnston

1980

n James H. Boyce Sr.

n Mary Margaret Turner

1979

n Otto B. Candies

n Elizabeth Stafford Boggs 1978

n Dalton J. Woods

n Claire Campbell Seymour 1977

n Charles R. Milam

n Bridget Marianne Edwards

1976

n Doyle G. Berry

n Althea Marie Guste

1975

n William H. LeBlanc, Jr.

n Hollis Earling Bright

1974

n Thomas E. Powell

n Janis Catherine Long

1973

n Gordon H. Lambert

n Melanie Alden Roemer

1972

n Harry J. Batt

n Barbara Batt

1971

n Clarence A. Lorio

n Nancy Jane Riley

PROVIDED PHOTOS

King Charles E. Brown and Queen Mary Lyon Johnston wave to their subjects at the 1981 Washington Mardi Gras Ball.

1970

n J.W. Clark

n Emily Elizabeth Peevey

1969

n Andrew Moresi

n Victoria Elaine Edwards

1968

n Henry Zack Carter

n Rebecca Ann McKeithen

1967

n Jamar William Adcock

n Pamela Rust Long

1966

n George W. DeFranceaux

n Carol Ann Childress

1965

n Edward H. Jackson

n Elise Wheless

1964

n Harvey Peltier

n Elizabeth M. Bolton

1963

n Kevin Patrick Reilly

n Maurine Perez

1962

n Voris King

n Rebekah Jo Hannie

1961

n G.M. “Jake” Anderson

n Rita Katherine Long

1960

n Vertrees Young

n Corinne Claiborne Boggs

1959

n Julian C. Miller

n Linda Guidry

1958

n Solon B. Turman

n Barbara Denechaud

1957

n Parrish Fuller

n Barbara Boggs

1956

n William L. “Buddie” Billups

n Lee Anna Martino

1955

n Harry C. Chalkley

n Alice Gay Soileau

1954

n Lawrence C. Levert Jr.

n Jo Ann Elder

1953

n James A. Noe

n Dawn Marie Hebert

1951-1952

n NO BALL — Korean War

1950

n Otto E. Passman

n Margie Gauthier

1949

n Joseph Robichaus

n Elaine Herring

1948

n Paul Wooten

n Mary Francis Bourg

1947

n NO BALL HELD

1946

n Hale Boggs

n Mrs. deLesseps C. Morrison

1945

n NO BALL HELD

1944

n F. Edward Hebert

n Mollie Gaumer

WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS 2026

PHOTO

Beverly Brooks Thompson, of Baton Rouge, in a red gown prepares for Washington Mardi Gras.

FASHION

Continued from page 16

take care of it,” she said. “I have spent my career breaking down barriers to access. If I can assist a woman in being outfitted and feeling confident to do her work to make Louisiana a better place to live, work and play, I’m going to do so.”

Logistics are daunting

Washington Mardi Gras is not for the faint of heart. It’s also not a one-dress event. Even getting there can be tricky.

“Ballgowns are bulky,” Thompson said. “If you’re going to wear a ballgown, you’ve got to wear two — one on Friday night and one on Saturday night to the floor.”

And then there are cocktail dresses for Thursday night.

Tweed suits for Capitol Hill.

And coats and boots because it’s cold.

A thousand miles from home plus wardrobe changes means a luggage extravaganza for Louisiana travelers headed to D.C.

Six suitcases between two people

Many couples traveling to Washington Mardi Gras take six suitcases — even more for krewe royalty and princesses. Through the years, some Washington Mardi Gras royalty have been known to truck their full wardrobes to the capital rather than attempt to fly with them.

Men attending the events have certain fashion standards to meet, but the packing list is easier to manage than the variety of dresses, suits and gowns required for women.

Buying less — but buying well

Many women who attend Washington Mardi Gras annually have developed a system to build their wardrobe.

“I can’t speak for other people, but I buy one nice dress a year. And I try and recycle other things depending on what I’m doing,” Thompson said. “And I buy one really fantastic dress every year. Everything else is kind of hit or miss.”

Warmth and versatility matter. Reuse is intentional, but social media plays a role in wardrobe curation.

“I might wear them again for something else, but your photographs — all

of those things. Facebook is a beast with this stuff,” Thompson said.

The cost of attending

Tickets alone are a significant expense, costing $400 per person for each event on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians and the hotel work together to create a makeshift hair/makeup salon in the hotel’s meeting space, bringing in around 30 stylists.

“Estimated costs are around $300 a day for hair and makeup, eyelashes — and that’s without the tip,” Thompson said.

Many longtime attendees plan their wardrobes to stand out, but in a way that makes them feel comfortable — and when in doubt, they add more sparkle. However, for Thompson and other attendees, the goal is not excess — it’s assurance.

“I don’t want people to think I’m wealthy,” she said, “because I am not, but I have to look like I am.”

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.