This weekend saw the dazzling sights and sounds of Mardi Gras return to Alton Towers Resort, as the second event of the year got underway, bringing with it a variety of entertainment and special food options.
Once again at the centre of the event are the colourful ‘Krewes’, which each take inspiration from an area of the theme park. New for 2022 is the Towers Street Krewe who are based at the bottom of Towers Street, opposite the Front Lawns. This Krewe has an impressive static parade float which features the Resort’s iconic colours of purple, gold and red, with each Krewe member dressed in bright neon costumes that could be said to call-back to past attraction Toyland Tours.
A surprise addition, having not been advertised ahead of the event, is the Walliams Krewe, which features features Beefeaters, royal guards, ballroom dancers and royalists. The unexpected inclusion of this Krewe suggests they may have been a late, but obviously welcome, expansion of the event’s entertainments line-up.
The rest of the Krewes, including the Walliams Krewe, can firstly be found on Towers Street in the morning, before moving on to their home areas during the day, and once again include the Katanga Krewe, Mutiny Bay Krewe, Forbidden Valley Krewe, X-Sector Krewe, and Voodoo Krewe. The static parade floats for these returning Krewes are as seen during 2021, with just some minor enhancements and a relocation in the case of the Katanga Krewe. However, it does seem as though each Krewe has a few more members than last year, helping to give them more of a presence, especially when they each perform their dance show. The shows are timed for approximately every hour, starting either at 11:00am or 11:30am in order to stagger performances – all show times are listed on the Resort’s app. This gives guests a better opportunity to catch the entertainment as they enjoy their day in the theme park. Having still had to consider social distancing guidelines last year, the opportunity for more guest interaction with the Krewes this year has been a further benefit to the event’s atmosphere.
At the end of the day, all Krewes join a walking parade around the lake, ending back on Towers Street – a great new addition for 2022, that provides an energy-filled final moment to round-off guests’ days.
The other key element of the event is the additional food options. Food Street has taken up residence in front of the Towers once more, with a range of treats from around the world. This year, savoury options include Po’Boy sandwiches, fried chicken, Tex Mex street food (nachos, burritos and tacos), pulled pork and ribs, and ‘Dirty Dogs’ hotdogs. For a sweet treat, there is a choice of loaded doughnuts, crepes and traditional Mardi Gras King Cake. Although it doesn’t feel as though there are quite as many food stalls and trucks as last year, there is still a good range of choice and prices seem more reasonable. As in 2021, musical acts roam this area, helping to enhance the atmosphere.
New for this year is a floating seating area on the lake itself, where guests can sit down to eat what they have purchased on Food Street or from the nearby ‘Mardi Bar’. This two-storey bar is also new to Mardi Gras for 2022, having first made an appearance during last year’s Oktoberfest. Picnic benches can also be found on the surrounding grassy areas, along with a small entertainment stage that hosts live vocalists and musicians. The main stage on the Front Lawns remains out of use whilst the Resort give the returfed area the chance to bed in, following its intensive use during the last few months of the 2021 season.
Decorations have been added around the theme park to transform it for Mardi Gras. Like in 2021, the super-size cake sits on Towers Street, items featuring the Mardi Gras Fleur de Lis adorn the lampposts, and there is bunting throughout Towers Street, the Front Lawns, Food Street and up around the Towers. Banners for each of the Krewes have again been hung on the front of the Towers themselves, with an additional banner for the Towers Street Krewe. Photo opportunity locations in the form of benches adorned by beads have also been set up around the theme park this year.
There is a small range of Mardi Gras merchandise available, including T shirts, lanyards, mugs and a pin badge. There are also some non-branded (but event appropriate) items on sale, such as feather boas, glittery hats and bead necklaces.
Mardi Gras is running every day through to Sunday 19th June. The theme park is currently due to open until 5pm at weekends and during half term week (30th May – 3rd June), and until 4pm on all other weekdays. However, with the event having seen later closes in 2021, and there being 6pm closures during weekends and the preceding event, Festival of Thrills, this season, the planned closing times do appear early in comparison. Nonetheless, the event itself has built on its 2021 debut, with an expanded cast that are central to bringing the energy to the event and the enhancement of the Food Street area, through the addition of the Mardi Bar and the unique pontoon seating.
Have you got a visit planned to experience all that Mardi Gras has to offer? Is there a food option you’re looking forward to trying? Which Krewe is your favourite this year? Let us know on our social media channels!
