IWAKUNI, Japan - Marines and sailors danced, ate and laughed as they celebrated Fat Tuesday with Mardi Gras Night, hosted by the Single Marine Program at the Hornet’s Nest here, Feb. 12, 2013.

“This is the first time we did a Mardi Gras night,” said Pamela Young, SMP Hornet’s Nest administrative assistant. “We planned this back in May and decided a Mardi Gras Night would be a good idea. It was a coincidence that we planned it on Fat Tuesday.”

Participants were able to chow down on free food, register in games for prizes and dance to the music.

“I’ve never been to a Mardi Gras or anything like it before,” said Lance Cpl. Michael Bowyer, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 intermediate-level technician. “I’m from Virginia, so it was a new experience for me. The food was great and the music was good too.”

In addition to the food, there was a pool tournament as part of the games, where Seaman Corey Evans, Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic 11th Dental Company dental technician, won the overall tournament.

The second competition involved king cake, which is a Mardi Gras tradition.

King cake is a cylindrical cinnamon-type cake topped with icing and covered in the colors of Mardi Gras: yellow, green and purple. Inside every cake is a small baby figurine.

“My fiancé lives around the New Orleans area and gave us information about the king cake,” said Young. “We then decided that whoever found the baby in the cake would win a prize.”

Once the tournaments and games concluded, Marines and sailors continued to party.

“We had really good turnout,” said Cherielyn Detimmerman, SMP Hornet’s Nest operations assistant. “We plan on doing this again. Next time, we’re going to advertise it some more and make it a bigger event.”

Connected Media