Gold, purple and green will adorn the Gaslamp Quarter, from Broadway to Harbor Drive between Fourth and Fifth avenues, on Tuesday, Feb. 20 as downtown celebrates Fat Tuesday with music, food, the traditional parade and a seemingly endless supply of entertainment. The festivities begin at 8 p.m. and wrap up at midnight.
While old traditions stand fast, the Gaslamp Quarter Association has new aspects to bring the event up to date.
“One of the things that is a new added element to Mardi Gras this year is that we’re incorporating a Battle of the Bands contest,” said Jada Thomas, spokeswoman for the Gaslamp Quarter Association.
This consists of three preliminary battles at different non-Gaslamp Quarter locations. The winner of each preliminary round gets a spot at the final battle on Tuesday, Feb. 13, where they will compete for $1,000 and the chance to perform on the Zulu Stage at Sixth Avenue and G Street, one of three stages, during Mardi Gras.
The first battle took place on Jan. 23 at the Typhoon Saloon in Pacific Beach. Bands Big Toe, The Knee Highs and Buddy Akai competed for a place in the final battle. The Knee Highs, an indie hip-hop group, won the coveted spot.
The second, on Jan. 30 at The Boulevard in North County, featured E Dub Poet Band, a blend of rock, surf and country; Stone Senses, a reggae soul band; and Platform 54, a reinvention of old-school dance music.
The third battle will be on Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 9 p.m. until midnight, once again at the Typhoon Saloon, 1165 Garnet Ave. The bands participating in the battle have yet to be announced.
The final battle will take place at Dick’s Last Resort in the Gaslamp Quarter, 345 Fourth Ave.
Revelers are encouraged to come in costume, either elaborate or simple, such as those thrown together with a feather boa and heavy make-up. Partiers arriving not in costume shouldn’t worry “” the beads will find their way across the entire quarter, even without flashing some skin.
“Our queen has a really nice saying: for San Diego’s Mardi Gras, all you have to do is flash a smile,” said Dan Flores, marketing manager for the Gaslamp Quarter Association.
In New Orleans, traditional beads were given in exchange for flashing, typically women flashing their breasts.
“Some people are focused on that part, and that’s what they come down and think they’re going to get, and in a lot of cases I think sometimes they’re disappointed.”
Around 50,000 people are expected at the event to see not only the Masquerade Parade, which features elaborate floats by 101.5 KGB, Bucca di Beppo and Xavier’s Bar & Grill to name a few, but also the impromptu sidewalk performers and roving bands along with the stage performers.
DJ Chris Cutz, DJ Brent Bartel and Scooter & LaVelle will be performing on the Flambeaux Stage at Fifth Avenue and E Street. Lady Dottie & the Diamonds and Royal Crown Review will join the Battle of the Bands winner on the Zulu Stage, and Shane Dwight Blues Band, DJ Joey Jimenez, Reaganomics and DJ Mark Thrasher will perform on the Krewe Stage at Sixth Avenue and K Street.
In addition to music, numerous area bars and restaurants will offer dinner and drink specials. Most nightclubs will forgo a cover charge, while many eateries will offer discounted dinner packages that include Cajun and Creole dishes as well as entrance into the Mardi Gras festivities. Food vendors and retail booths will also be dispersed throughout the streets.
As another first this year, the Gaslamp Quarter Association is offering advance purchasing of tickets online. Tickets will be available the day of the event at the entrance gates: Fifth Avenue and L Street, Third Avenue and Market Street or Seventh Avenue and F Street, for $20 each. Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Gaslamp Quarter Association Web site.
Public transportation is recommended, as parking will be limited. The trolley will run special event service. For schedule and stop information, visit the San Diego Trolley Web site, www.sdcommute.com, and click on the Special Events Services link.
No cameras, video cameras, large backpacks, umbrellas or skateboards will be allowed inside the gates.
For more information and to order tickets in advance, visit www.gaslamp.org or call (619) 233-5227.