Okay, we know Asheville isn’t as warm as New Orleans, but this was ridiculous. Asheville's Mardi Gras parade was set to start on Sunday afternoon, March 6. The morning began with a formidable wintry mix of snow, freezing rain, and rain. Parade organizers, however, said the parade would go on, rain (or apparently snow) or shine.

In a Mardi Gras miracle, the precipitation stopped right before 3 p.m., just as parade participants were lining up at Pack Square. By the time the parade got underway, the sun actually peeked out a few times from behind the thick, gray clouds that hung over Western North Carolina for most of the weekend.

A carnival-like atmosphere filled Pack Square in the minutes leading up to the launch of the parade. Participants dressed in an array of outrageous outfits gathered to the beat of drums. Cameras—and smiles—flashed as people met each other and checked out the creative costumes.

Attendance for the parade suffered due to the weather, but the Mardi Gras spirit never wavered. Rather than standing still and watching the parade pass by, many in the crowd followed the parade along its route.

The event was organized by the Mystic Mountain Krewe, and other krewes joined in as did an array of characters such as a leprechaun, a jaunty steampunk fellow, a woman with avocados creatively affixed to her dress, a couple of skateboarders, a Day-Glo couple on a tandem bike, a mummy, and plenty of others with masks and hats and beads, lots of beads. Candy and beads were tossed to onlookers—all in a family-friendly environment. With a theme of "Homegrown, Fancy, and Free," it apparently gave participants lots of leeway as to what fit that description.

Leading the parade was Zabumba!, a drum corps and dance troupe that entertained before, during, and after the parade. The drummers are a year-round group, but the dancers form primarily for Mardi Gras. Dance troupe members said they hoped the dance aspect of Zabumba! would become year-round as well.

After the parade arrived back at Pack Square, Zabumba! once again led parade goers and participants to the Century Room of Pack's Tavern where the group performed for about another half hour. Next up was Asheville's own Sirius.B, a band self-described as absurdist gypsy folk funk punk that helped the Mardi Gras celebration bridge afternoon to evening, with revelers enjoying the music, drinks, and camaraderie.