From the Annals of Hard Partying – In 1985, under the leadership of native son George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia, Galveston revived its long dormant Mardi Gras celebration.  Mardi Gras had been publicly celebrated on a sporadic basis on the Island since 1867.  The first major parades were held in 1871.  Since 1941, however, Mardi Gras had been privately celebrated.  The new Mardi Gras festival’s inaugural run included a mile-long parade with a theme of the “Age of Mythology.”  The parade featured nine floats created by New Orleans float-builder Blaine Kern and several marching bands.  The featured performer was jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain.  Crowds along the Strand were estimated at 75,000 persons. That same year the 1871 Knights of Momus Krewe was revived by several Galvestonians.