Mardi Gras Brawl

If you’re looking to attract nostalgic millennials still yearning for the Hollister-clad class warfare of early-aughts teen soap-opera The O.C., you won’t find a better event name than “Brawl on the Beach.” But for Mid City Gras’ upcoming fundraiser, it’s a bit of a misnomer. There will be no sand at Baton Rouge’s Varsity Theatre on August 17. Five adult dance crews will tussle only spiritually, not physically. And the theatrics will stem from which dance crew raises the most money for its chosen charity, not who kissed Marissa Cooper on the boardwalk. (I realize my O.C. metaphor might be niche, so please insert Gidget or Pamela Anderson where appropriate for your beach damsel, and let us continue.)

What Mid City Gras seeks to evoke with this theme is summer fun—something out of reach by the time the fledgling Baton Rouge parade rolls in the dead of winter—and they’ll have it in spades when dance crews including the Baton Rouge BeignYAYs, the Dazzling Divas of Essence, the Golden Guys, the Mystic Vixens, and the Prancing Babycakes bring their moves to the boot-beaten Varsity floorboards. (Their charities, respectively, are Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center [STAR], Susan G. Komen, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, Northshore Humane Society, and Girls on the Run South Louisiana.) In addition to winning crowd approval, dancers must impress the judges, who include Jay Ducote, Whitney Vann, and Twanda Lewis. “Enthusiasm will go a long way,” said organizer and Mid City Gras co-founder Timothy Boone. 

[Read this: Gras-Roots: The story behind Mid City Gras, Baton Rouge's newest walking parade.]

Enthusiasm has already taken the Little Walking Parade That Could into a third year. With two successes under their belt, Boone and his compatriots at Mid City Gras are thrilled to expand into hosting charitable events; it’s been part of the plan since the beginning. “Now we know what to anticipate, and we can spread our wings,” said Boone. But an older, wiser Mid City Gras will keep its North Boulevard parade route, its squirrel mascot, and its nutty ingenuity. (Boone’s wife, Leanne, will make the trophies for Brawl on the Beach.) “We want creative groups for the parade,” said Boone. “Unique, expressive people.”

Come out on August 17 for a good time, a good cause, and a good idea of what to expect at the third annual Mid City Gras. They’ll announce the theme and date of the upcoming parade during the dance-off. 6 pm–10 pm at the Varsity Theatre. $25; $50 garners a VIP package, including a pre-party with the dancers, free food, and a gift bag. crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/brawl-on-the-beach.