Archives for February 2017

Barefoot Mardi Gras 2017

February 20, 2017 By

We are proud to be a significant sponsor of Barefoot Mardi Gras for the 5th Year in a row!!

Barefoot Mardi Gras
February 24 – 26, 2017
Padre Island, Texas

Add a little cayenne to your weekend & leave the shoes at home!

The Barefoot Mardi Gras returns on February 25, 2017 for a 8th year in a row on Padre Island raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters and now the Island Foundation Schools.

A Family Parade takes place along the beach off Park Road 22 between Whitecap Blvd and Bob Hall Pier. Parade starts at 11am. The Parade Judges Float will open the parade followed a few minutes later by color guard and Mardi Gras themed floats in different divisions like Float, Jeep and Golf Cart. Many colorful characters enter the parade making it a unique activity for friends and family.

New this year is the Barefoot Mardi Gras Festival, a fun filled family event with Cajun music, food, drink, displays, exhibits, artists, children’s area, children’s stage and more! Admission is $5 with Kids 8 years old and younger FREE!

An adult-themed Party, The King & Queens Ball, will let the good times roll on the evening of the 25th from 7pm – 11pm at the Veranda Restaurant & Bar at Schlitterbahn. Miss Neesie and the Earfood Orchestra will perform and a special menu of Cajun style food will be served. Signature Barefoot Mardi Gras drinks will also be available. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes. Dancing and a live video stream from Bourbon Street in New Orleans will be part of the merriment. Attendees must be 21 years old and above. Tickets are $30 and available at various locations.

Events:

Barefoot Mardi Gras Parade

February 25, 2017
Begins at 11:00 am

Floats and fun for the whole family! The parade starts at Whitecap Beach and runs along Padre Island to the Briscoe King Pavilion near Bob Hall Pier.

2017 Barefoot Parade Registration & Rules

View the parade route map

Barefoot Mardi Gras Festival

February 25, 2017
11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Cajun Music, food & fun for all ages! The festival is located at the Briscoe King Pavillion in Bali Park on Padre Island and features live music, artists, car displays, exhibitors, a children’s area, food, drink and more!
Admission is $5.00 paid at the door. Cash Only.

King & Queens Ball

February 25, 2017
7:00 pm – 12:00 am

Patrons must be 21 years of age or older to attend. The ball is located at the Veranda Restaurant & Bar inside the Schlitterbahn Waterpark on Padre Island. Includes a cajun style dinner and dancing to the live New Orleans style music from Miss Nessie & the Ear Food Orchestra. Costumes encouraged!
Tickets are $25 pre-sale and $35 at the door. Tickets are available at Padres Island Properties Owners Association and Schlitterbahn at the Veranda Restaurant.

Kick Off Party
February 7, 2017
Begins at 5:30 pm

The 2017 Barefoot Mardi Gras Kick Off Party will be at Doc’s Seafood & Steak Restaurant at 13309 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418.
Includes food, music and a silent auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Island Foundation Schools. Admission: $8.

Fat Friday Party
February 17, 2017
Begins at 6:00 pm

The 2017 Fat Friday Party will be at the Boathouse Bar & Grill at 15241 Leeward Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78418.
Includes food, band and a live auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Island Foundation Schools. Admission $5.00. Reserve a table in advance for up to (4) four people for $30.00.

Our Cause:

The event was founded as a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters by Denise and Duane Ebert and has grown into a signature event for Padre Island. The Eberts asked the Padre Island Business Association to take on the management of the event and the two groups worked together in 2015.

Added into the mix by 2016 was an Island charity that will also serve as a beneficiary, The Island Foundation (Seashore Charter Schools).  EM Marketing Company located on Padre Island, along with the Barefoot Mardi Gras Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, numerous Committee Members and volunteers will all work together on producing the events.

Buy T-Shirts:

Exclusive 2017 Barefoot Mardi Gras T-shirts will be available starting on Tuesday, February 7 at the Kick Off Party at Doc’s. They will also be available on Friday, February 17 at the Fat Friday Party at the Boathouse. Available at participating Island businesses up to February 25 and then during the parade and festival.

Further Information:

Barefoot Mardi Gras Information:
barefootmardigras@yahoo.com

Padre Island Business Association:
info@padrebusiness.org

Exerpted from BarefootMardiGras.com

 

Filed Under: corpus christi, North Padre Island, North Padre Island Beaches, Padre Island Business Association, padre island events, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi, Upper Padre

New Corpus Christi water director: Eager to raise the standards!

February 9, 2017 By

water-blue-cleanCorpus Christi’s newly appointed water director knows a few things about fixing water system woes.

Clarence Wittwer’s career in utilities began more than 25 years ago in Seabrook, Texas, where his first professional memory was climbing into a hole in the street to fix a leaking pipe.

Now he’s been tasked by City Manager Margie Rose to repair a water department that’s become a punchline for Corpus Christi residents and visitors after multiple water quality scares in recent years.

Just don’t tell that to Wittwer. He applied for the job days after the city’s chemical contamination scare in December and considers the city to be home to “some of the best water in the state.”

The city’s recent streak of water quality issues “didn’t deter me too much,” Wittwer said. “Corpus Christi is not alone in that, because it’s an older city with older infrastructure.” Rose announced Wittwer’s appointment Monday, which was also his first day on the job.

While there are infrastructure needs with decades-old pipes in some parts of the city, Wittwer said the city’s system is better off than most.  He pointed to the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant as one of the finest of its kind in Texas and planned improvements like the four elevated storage tanks — two of which are under construction now — as beacons of promise moving forward.

He said a public information campaign is one of his top priorities as the new director to educate residents and visitors on what issues the city is facing and how he plans to address them.

“A boil water notice doesn’t mean there’s a problem. It means there’s a potential issue, but you’re being proactive in protecting the public,” Wittwer said.  That campaign will likely include public meetings, social media outreach and talking directly to the public and in some cases using Facebook Live.  “We’ve got to rebuild the public trust,” he said.

He praised city staff and the City Council for recent efforts to update the city’s backflow prevention rules, and said capital improvement budgets have reflected a coordinated effort to improve the system.

One of his longer-term priorities will be developing an internship program with local high schools, Del Mar College and Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. The program’s goal would be to train qualified workers to replace a rapidly aging group of workers licensed to work in certain water department roles.

But for now, his focus is fully on the public’s perception of his department.  “My biggest goal is to get this back to not being a joke (to the public),” Wittwer said. “Because I do believe Corpus has some of the best water in the state, and I want the public to see that.”

Matt Woolbright (@reportermatt) 

Filed Under: corpus christi, North Padre Island, spring cleaning