By Sean Sullivan Lagniappe columnist

I hope you are already preparing for Mardi Gras.

I fear many of us don’t realize the change that is about to take place in our Mardi Gras celebration. Since Aug. 29, many of us have discussed how Katrina has changed so much along the northern Gulf Coast. We have seen refugees from the hardest hit areas come to Mobile and Baldwin counties in search of shelter, jobs and schools for their children, and these people I welcome with open arms. But there is another wave of Katrina-displaced people coming that I’m not so excited about. That would be the “Party Gras Diaspora.”

Mobilians, be ready for an onslaught of tacky revelers the likes of which Panama City Beach has never even seen. With New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration hobbled, legions of celebrants who usually flock to the Crescent City to “party hearty” will be headed to the Port City instead. These followers of “Party Gras” have been around many years with even a small presence in Mobile, but their numbers have been low enough that they have been controllable with barricades, tasers and the banning of Coors Light Party Balls.

This year, they’re coming back and they are going to bring a few hundred thousand of their friends, and they are ready to PAARTY!!!!! The Mardi Gras infrastructure was large enough in New Orleans that it could control this mass, but I fear this same horde will bring down the walls of our fair city.

I guess to prepare ourselves for the arrival of the “Party Gras” contingent, we need to learn about who we’re up against. First, let’s talk about what they sound like. You’ll know when one of these mobs is heading your way by their shrill call “PAAARTY GRAS…2006!” Which will usually be followed by a choral voluntary “Hell yeah” or “You got that right.” The first time I heard this call was early on a Lundi Gras, New Orleans afternoon, and it sent chills down my spine and the feeling is the same every time I hear their rallying call.

Another part of their call to pay attention to is the year date stamp they put on the given celebration. They do this for all “Party” celebrations. Whether Mardi Gras, Spring Break or Talladega. I’ve never figured out the importance of the year stamp on their shouts of glee, but I know when I hear them what I’m up against.

Now to the visual, what to look for when the tide of migratory revelers hits our city. The best way to find the “Party Gras-ers” visually is to look for them at the corner of Denim and Airbrush Street. At this intersection of bad clothing choices, “Party Gras” soldiers are made. The females of the species may be the most exemplary of the airbrush on denim phenomenon and seem to prefer a painted motif of masks on top of crossed challises.

The jackets aren’t the only outward sign of the “Party Gras” contingent, as they don a mean headwear as well. Jester’s hats and “Cat in the Hat” hats are favorites, but the headgear does include airbrushed and bedazzled ball caps as well.

Now that we know what to look and listen for, what should we expect when this horde of New Orleans Mardi Grasers descends on us? We should expect more party goers than ever before and we should expect more of these revelers to follow the way of the “Party Gras” and in turn wear rhinestone encrusted Stevie Ray Vaughn hats and airbrushed tails jackets with a beer company t-shirt underneath.

I warn you fair city beware.

Sean Sullivan is Lagniappe lagniappe columnist. Contact him at ssullivan@lagniappemobile.com.

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