Mardi gras merriment graces Apalachicola

It was quite a downtown scene Saturday as hundreds of people lined Water Street for The Mystic Krewe of Salty Barkers’ annual Mardi Gras Parade and celebration. 

The pirate theme this year brought out plenty of eye patches and skull-and-crossbones flags, and the parade was the lengthiest in memory, complete with the Lofty Pursuits marching band, a second line of dancing “witch wenches,” and scores of folks walking their pirate pooches.

Organizer Caroline Ilardi said the finally tally may indicate that the festivities brought in double the usual take, with monies going to the Franklin County Humane Society and the Florida Wild Mammal Association as well as funding the Apalachicola City Dog Park.