Mardi Gras, Manitou Springs-style
MANITOU SPRINGS, Co. — New Orleans may have Bourbon Street, but does it have a 17-foot tall papier-mâché puppet of Manitou Springs art legend Charles H. Rockey?
The mountainous puppet, alongside a chameleon-faced bicycle, a motorized La-Z-Boy and much more, rolled down a sunny Manitou Avenue for the town’s Carnivale parade, an annual gathering of the arts and artists of Manitou Springs in celebration of Mardi Gras.
The parade, the third part of the “Carniball Masquerade” dance and the “Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off” trio of Mardi Gras events, was postponed due to inclement weather.
It returned March 2 in full force with thousands of excited spectators cheering to the near-constant beats of passing marching bands, DJs, and a banjo-pickin’ buccaneer.
The Banjo Buccaneer serenaded audiences at the Manitou Springs Carnivale.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
“It’s just a celebration of what makes Manitou, Manitou,” said Katie Orr (“K8 ORR” as she is known in the Manitou art community), the founder and artist behind the Manitou Springs-based Jibwa Studio.
While Orr has only participated in seven events in the parade’s 31-year history, she and her “Krewe of Jib-Wa” have taken home at least one of the titles “Best Krewe,” “Best Flair,” or “Best Theme” each year.
“But I don’t care too much about winning,” said Orr. “I care more about those special, little, magical moments with my friends and people in my krewe.”
A “krewe” refers to the teams of parade-marchers, each of which coordinate around a theme or back specific causes or organizations, Orr said.
Carnivale 2024’s theme was “ARTtopia,” and krewes were suggested (though not required) to choose a related subject.
The parade included therapy dogs, cowboys, and a high school french class. Surrounding them were crowds of spectators, many of whom wore bits of purple-and-green flair, masks and Mardi Gras beads.
In anticipation of the big day, Orr helped coordinate a number of community craft nights. Hosted at the Manitou Springs Art Center (where Jibwa Studio is located), krewes were welcomed to use the Art Center’s extensive workshop space to construct their Carnivale creations.
This was the fourth crafting meet-up for Orr’s “Krewe of Jib-Wa.” Not only was she busy preparing their steampunk-inspired costumes, but Orr was tasked with building the Mardi Gras monster.
“Each year a different community artist builds one, so we have about 30 years of puppets,” said Orr. “And each year we do Puppet Rehab where different community members and volunteers come together, work on the puppets, have fun, listen to music…”
“Mardi” (they/them), the 2024 Mardi Gras monster, is a four-foot, gold, cylindrical, papier-mâché head. They have two golden horns wrapped in Mardi Gras beads, a large purple smile, and a single eye accentuated by a striped, multicolored unibrow.
In the shared arts space where Orr and others prepared their steampunk designs, puppet heads of years past rested on the floor: a large feathery owl, a blue-eyed boy, two goblins, and a slightly menacing-looking hare.
Katie Orr, Emily Linder, and other krewe members crafted at the Manitou Springs Art Center.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
Between Orr and the box of red wine and music setting the mood of the crafty evening, stood Emily Linder, the owner and manager of LeGrande Accents and Boutiques, a local boutique clothing store.
Linder is a long-time creative partner of Orr’s, and the duo’s shared artistic talents have made them a Carnivale tour de force.
Linder, who owns a small business, said events such as Carnivale have a positive impact on not only her boutique, but Manitou Springs as a whole.
“It’s a fun way to get involved, get people outside of the community to get excited and check out the local art scene,” said Linder. “Everything is very fantastical, and everybody is kind of giddy with excitement.”
Manitou Springs prides itself in offering an eclectic array of community art displays and events, and for multiple years it has been named one of the country’s “Best Small Town Arts Scene”, by USA Today.
“So many of us stop making art when we’re kids, and I think that it’s such a gift to get to an adult age and still get to play everyday,” said Orr.
“Krewe of Jib-Wa” was named 2024’s “Best Le Grande Krewe,” while “Krewe Khameleon” took home “Best Flair” and “Rockey’s Krewe” took home “Best Use of Theme.”
Rockeye’s Krewe featured an enormous papier-mâché homage to the late Manitou Springs artist Charles H. Rockey who passed away in 2019.
Rockey’s Krewe’s 17-foot homage to Manitou Springs artist Charles H. Rockey rolled down the street in an enormous chair.
Photo: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
Orr hopes to participate in Carnivale for as long as she is able, not to retain her win-streak, but more so to continue enjoying her town with the people she loves.
“From the hugs, to the love, to the smiles, to the spectators, it’s just this amazing, magical… it’s just the spirit of Manitou in a little parade,” said Orr.
Chase McCleary is a multimedia journalist for Rocky Mountain PBS. Chasemccleary@rmpbs.org.