Mardi Gras Returns to Livermore at New Orleans Bash at Bothwell

Information, photo submitted by Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center:

This stellar Mardi Gras party returns complete with live music featuring Mal Sharpe’s Big Money in Gumbo and the Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, a la carte Louisiana style cuisine, a Pirate’s Corner bar serving hurricanes, and over-the-top decor, at one of the most decked-out and authentic Mardi Gras parties in the East Bay. The Bash is set for Saturday, February 7th, from 5:00-10:00 pm, at the Bothwell Arts Center, located at 2466 8th Street in Livermore.

Details in every corner offer interesting things to explore, from the French Quarter-like Street Art to corners devoted to voodoo, Storyville and more. The Bourbon Street-style souvenir shop allows revelers to purchase masks, beads, boas and trinkets - or even get face-painted by a pro- in order to deck themselves out, Mardi Gras style. And the popular mystic, Madame Francoise Alexander, returns for fortune telling done with her special style.

At 6pm, “Queen of Boogie Woogie” Wendy DeWitt kicks off the show in “Jackson Square”. Big Money in Gumbo will perform two small private concerts at 6pm and 7pmhonoring Preservation Hall, a famous club in New Orleans’ French Quarter that pays tribute to the birthplace of jazz. They are joined by The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, one of the Bay Area’s most riveting performers. Big Money in Gumbo is led by Mal Sharpe of KCSM-FM’s Back to Basin Street fame and his “Man on the Street” comedy routine. Hailed by a reviewer as a “New Orleans-drenched jazz and R&B band that can cover everything from Louis Armstrong to Professor Longhair,” these popular tribute shows sell out each year.

Following the Preservation Hall Experience, Big Money in Gumbo members head to “Jackson Square” for a lively, full-blown “street party”, New Orleans-Style.

With decor that echoes the atmosphere of the French Quarter, to the excess that is Mardi Gras, the Bash offer a chance to step out in style or be Bourbon-Street casual for a night of live music and a great party. More than just another fundraiser, the Bash has become THE place to celebrate.The Bash raises funds for the Bothwell Arts Center, dedicated to growing the arts by providing affordable rehearsal, teaching, meeting and performance space, and is produced by the Bothwell Arts Center, part of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, a not-for-profit corporation.

Party Admission $15 advance, $20 door, Preservation Hall Experience and Party $30. Tickets can be purchased at the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center ticket office, 2400 First Street in downtown Livermore, open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. To purchase tickets call 925-373-6800, or visit www.livermoreperformingarts.org.

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