Featured Photograph: Queen Lily IV, Ledricka Thierry and King Imperial IV, Jacob Jarrell rulled over the 2023 Opelousas Imperial Mardi Gras Ball. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
It almost seemed appropriate that brightness from a full moon shone unmistakably Saturday night as Hollywood visited Mardi Gras at the Delta Grand.
Women entered the building dressed in stunning sleeveless and full length evening wear, while many of the males wore tuxedos and fashionable hats, as they danced and celebrated amid a sold-out fourth annual ballroom pre-Lenten event sponsored by the Opelousas Imperial Mardi Gras Association.
Johnathian and Robbie Sebasiten, who helped conceive of the yearly Mardi Gras event, said tables reserved for the occasion billed as “Imperial Goes To The Movies,” sold out almost immediately after tickets were announced for sale.
There was indeed little room for social maneuvering, as crowd estimates ranged from 250 to 300.
Participants glided through the foyer front doors and continued buying general admission tickets until the presentations of Imperial Royal Majesties Jacob Jarrell and Ledricka Thierry.
Glitter was prominent everywhere, as faces were voluntarily decorated for revelers upon entry and many gowns and Mardi Gras masks shimmered brightly as the floor party rocked to the FT. Hotline Band.
Robbie Sebastien, vice-president of the Opelousas Imperial Mardi Gras Association, estimated the average age of a primarily younger crowd as 30-40 years of age.
Many of those attending appeared even younger however, which Sebastien saw as perhaps a sustaining factor for the continued hosting of the venue.
“It’s a young crowd, but that’s understandable, since this is one event where they are able to dress up and socialize without having to leave Opelousas. It’s also one reason why we have tried to keep this downtown,” Sebastien said.
The Hollywood theme remained prevalent atop the reserved tables.
Dinnerware on some tables was displayed thematically, with authentically-sized, Oscar-award replicas resting on plates.
Jarrell, a civil engineer, joked that his introduction to perceived royalty might eventually carry weight with parish politicians when he appears before them at public meetings.
Thierry was elected to the State Third Circuit Court of Appeals in November.
“It is a real honor to be selected as queen. This is really a fabulous event and I am looking forward to having a good time,” said Thierry before she began her official promenade in front of her mythical subjects.
One decision confronting Association members Sebastien said, is the possibility of finding a larger ballroom, as the event continues to expand.
That didn’t appear as a concern on Saturday night.
Purple, green and gold umbrellas twirled and swayed as the crowd danced to the band’s version of the “Mardi Gras Mambo,” signaling the start of a Hollywood fantasy occasion.
Enjoying the 2023 Opelousas Imperial Mardi Gras Ball. (Photographs by Freddie Herpin.)
