Coronation parade cut short because of weather

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The arrival of King Felix III marked the first change we saw for the Lundi Gras festivities.  Instead of docking at Cooper Riverside Park, the royal boat headed to the Mobile Convention Center where the ladies of the court and others took shelter from the rain under the parking garage.

The switch didn't delay the Floral parade, or dampen the Mardi Gras spirit. 

With children out of school, City Hall closed, and a hoard of visitors in Mobile for Mardi Gras the crowds were still noticeably smaller Monday.

That didn't seem to bother the die-hard revelers who braved the rain to catch moon pies and beads.

Lynn Kirkendall and her husband came in from Atlanta. She said despite the rain, they're not disappointed.

"Oh, I love it. Even though the rain came we still wanted to be out here to enjoy it," Kirkendall said.

And Carla Cordy said fewer people are not so bad for those on the sidelines.

"I was thinking many people would be out today so, but it just gives us more to catch," Cordy said

But, Mardi Gras is not only about having a good time, it's big business for the city and businesses like Buck's Pizza. 

"This past weekend was really good for us, but today the weather has really been bad.  That's putting a damper on things. People are not coming out like they normally would.  The ones that are here are coming down to see the parade and then they're leaving.  They're obviously not going out to eat with their families like they do most Monday's before Mardi Gras,” restaurant manager Steve Smith said.

Smith has his fingers crossed for Tuesday. He said that's a make or break day for business.

"I am very concerned about tomorrow because I would hate for it to be a washout because there's no time to make up the parades for tomorrow, and you know for the downtown people this is our tourist season Mardi Gras. This is where we make the most of our money over time, and we really look forward to this each year,” he said

The Infant Mystics Parade was the last to roll Monday.