March 5th hosted the Mardi Gras Festival in Sydney. There were a lot of posters and advertisements promoting the event around Sydney and on the “What’s On” portion of the New South Wales website. The Mardi Gras Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of gay and lesbian pride in the world! The 2011 theme for the parade was “Say Something.” A group of girls and I decided to go to the festival to see what it was all about.
It was super crowded! The streets were so packed that you could not move! People had been camping out for hours to get front row views of the parade; the people in the front rows also purchased step stools to stand on, so if you were standing on the sidewalk, you would not be able to see anything unless you were over six feet tall.
However, my view from the crowd was quite intriguing: there were couples dressed up in handcrafted coordinating costumes, individuals in crazy masks, people donning colorful hats, and others decked out with outrageous make-up, glitter, platform shoes, and feathered wings. As it became closer to the parade’s showtime, the crowd became more chaotic and mass hubbub ensued. I felt like I was standing in the general admission section of a rock concert. I left the craziness relatively early, but it sure seemed like it was a successful event! If you are in Sydney for next year’s Mardi Gras Festival and you want to enjoy the show, make sure to arrive hours ahead of time to claim your spot!
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