Mardi Gras made its way into the halls of a Mobile nursing home this week, as Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill joined an Order of Doves Mardi Gras king on a visit that brought beads, music and a burst of Carnival spirit to residents who might otherwise have missed the celebration entirely.
Merrill, joined by his wife and the reigning Order of Doves Lundi Gras king, toured Sea Breeze Health Care Center on Congress Street, greeting residents in dining halls and hallways throughout the building. Merrill was in Mobile serving as grand marshal for the Order of Doves’ Mardi Gras ceremonies, and the nursing home visit became part of a broader schedule that included the Joe Cain Day parade and a meet-and-greet at a local bead shop.
Staff at Sea Breeze said the home’s roughly 106 residents had already held their own Mardi Gras ball weeks earlier, complete with a crowned king, queen and runners-up chosen from among the residents. The visit from Merrill’s group added another layer to the season’s festivities, with a brass band from the Mobile Mystics Mardi Gras Association playing loudly enough, staff said, to shake the building as it moved through the halls handing out beads.
Facility staff described the response from residents as overwhelming, noting that many had no advance notice a sitting statewide official would be stopping by. For residents with limited mobility or few opportunities to take part in Mobile’s outdoor parades and street celebrations, the visit offered a direct connection to a tradition deeply woven into the city’s identity.
For Merrill and the Order of Doves king, both of whom were experiencing Mobile’s Mardi Gras traditions for the first time, the stop offered a different vantage point on a celebration usually associated with parade routes and packed downtown streets. Organizers noted that Mardi Gras carries real economic weight for Mobile, drawing visitors and revenue to the city each year, but stops like the one at Sea Breeze reflect the community and civic side of the season as well.
The visit capped a busy stretch of Mardi Gras appearances for Merrill in Mobile, which included watching the Joe Cain Day parade the day before. Later that evening, the Order of Doves’ Great Gatsby-themed ball was scheduled to close out his time in the city, part of the packed calendar of balls and parades that mark Mobile’s Carnival season each year.