A giant snake is carried down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)
30th annual Mardi Gras parade and gumbo cook-off Saturday Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs
A giant snake is carried down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)U-Turn Brass player Billy Gaechter entertain the crowd at the Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A crowd tastes the gumbo during the Mumbo Jumbo Jumbo Cook-off during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A team makes last minute adjustments to the Indigenous Grandmother of Manitou Springs before the start of the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Beads are thrown to the people below during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Gretchen Vorderlandwehr hands beads to a child in the crowd during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The crowd rushes into the Mumbo Gumbo Jumbo Cook-off Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The Stuffed Bread Box’s Mike Breaux serves his gumbo during the Manitou Springs Carnivale Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. Breaux, who is from New Orleans, has been making gumbo for 45 years. ( The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Ragin Cajuns Niki Freia and her husband, Danny Freia, serve their gumbo during the Manitou Springs Carnivale Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)John Szuper, left, and Paul Haas cook their gumbo at the Bayou Boys Gumbo Shack during the Manitou Springs Carnivale Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Don Apuzzo and the Thursday Drum Circle warm up before the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. The 30th annual celebration featured the parade and gumbo contest in Soda Springs Park. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The Carnival royalty leads the parade down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A character entertains the crowd during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The 17-foot-tall Indigenous Grandmother of Manitou Springs makes her way down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale celebration Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the parade. The gumbo contest preceded the parade in Soda Springs Park. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The Thursday Drum Circle march during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The Thursday Drum Circle march during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A parade participate hands a flower to a young girl in the crowd during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The Levitator Lounge Libation Station peddles down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Jerry Cordova sprays the crowd with bubbles during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Jerry Cordova sprays the crowd with bubbles during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Drag queen Potted Plant marches down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Characters march down Manitou Avenue during the Manitou Springs Carnivale parade Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Manitou Springs. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)
