Krewe of Gemini rolls for 54th year in downtown Gulfport

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The Krewe of Gemini put all the beads in one basket on Saturday in Gulfport. The krewe and the city went all-out for the day parade after deciding to drop the night parade on Fat Tuesday.

And when you have once chance to celebrate, you make it special.

“We lost one parade, this is true,” said long-time krewe member Kenny Study. “But hopefully we’re trying to make - as you said, all of our beads in one basket, and make the day parade be just as enormous as we can.”

And they did.

The benefits at the 54th annual Krewe of Gemini parade were bountiful, either coming from one of the 58 units or from people who share their loot.

It takes some work, but after awhile, you learn a few tricks.

“If you, like, dance and stuff, and like show out, they’ll throw you stuff,” said Stone County resident Hailey Davis, who was celebrating with her frined Misha Watts of Ocean Springs.

Kathye Butler of Gulfport and friends have found the sweet spot - the cash corner - near the start of the parade.

“We’ve done this corner before,” she said. “We like to be at the beginning and everybody’s excited to start throwing and we just rack up.”

Gemini is a great parade to cash in with the Mardi Gras manna.

“Oh, I like Gemini,” Butler said. “It’s easy, family fun. It’s not hectic or crazy. Easy in, easy out. Just lots of throws and we see a lot of people that we know.”

The prizes don’t have to be anything special for Abbey Schuhmann.

“I’m a traditionalist,” she said. “I love the beads. The pretty beads, the long beads, colorful ones. I’m here for the great beads.”

This is a birthday parade for Carly Williamson, celebrating with her best friend Miranda Whittington.

“This is 45 years of greatness I’m celebrating,” Williamson said. “Yeah!”

And this parade is a party with benefits beyond a bag of goodies.

“The people that you meet from all around the United States and even the world,” Whittington said. “I mean a lot of people come to these parades because it’s exciting and and you do meet a lot of different people.”

King Jupiter was Walt Hack and Queen Lena was Marsha Hack.

The theme this year was “Gift of the Gods.”

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