New Toulouse

Everyone knows kraken don’t exist, but New Toulouse was full of grateful citizens waving kraken-shaped balloons on Saturday during the annual Founder’s Day celebration.

Six years after Carricre Wind rezzed the first prim of what would become Lafitte’s Old Primsmith Bar, Taloosters gathered under Mayor Henri Godenot’s balcony. After a speech honoring Mama Cree and her successor, Gabrielle “Miz Gabi” Riel, His Honor leapt from the balcony into a tiny bucket of water to cheers from the impressed crowd.

Then it was off to Lafitte’s, where Mayor Godenot paid the meter—a Founder’s Day tradition. (The bar, whose original structure has been replaced with a mesh build, was the first building in New Toulouse. )

The revelry continued with a picnic in the square. Miss Francesca Alva’s cheery decorations included a portrait of Mama Cree, and the festive atmosphere was rounded out by a fantastic set by DJ Cadence Carolina.

Residents told stories about the community’s early days and strange roads that lead to New Toulouse; e.g., “I came here to buy a machete and ended up owning a bar and dance club.”

More Founder’s Day photos can be found here: New Toulouse Founder’s Day on Flickr

Jane Moreaux is eternally grateful to the founders of our fair city and doesn’t believe in kraken, but can’t explain this.