Mardi Gras is one of the biggest parties of the year in St. Louis and the second largest of such celebration in the nation. The St. Louis Building Arts Foundation headquarters is conveniently located in Soulard, where all of the Mardi Gras celebrations take place. For the first time in the Foundation's history a fund raiser was held at their soon to be retired headquarters.  The St. Louis Building Arts Foundation, curates the largest collection of architectural artifacts in the world.  All proceeds from the event are helping to renovate the Foundation's foundry complex.  For more information about the Foundation check out buildingmuseum.org.

     Their headquarters is located in the historic Cabanne/Stahl Livery Stable, Carriage & Wagon Shop (1851-1925) which later became the Laciny Brothers shop (1926-1971), who were coppersmiths, tinsmiths and sheet iron workers.  The building is on Menard in the heart of Soulard, St. Louis, Missouri; just blocks away from the parade route on Broadway.  Having moved everything out to a new bigger location in Sauget, Illinois, Larry Giles, founder, and event organizer Leigh Ragsdale, along with event planning members; Brandon Sowers, Ray Brewer, Adam Deckard, Lindsey Derrington, Lynn Josse, and Michael Allen, all utilized the vacant warehouse space to have a much needed fundraiser before the building is sold. What better time to hold a fundraiser and party than Mardi Gras, especially if your located in Soulard.

     The party was open to all who wanted to attend. Once out of the frigid temperatures that lurked outside, the heated building found a number of Mardi Gras favorites and a few unique twists. Along with the all important private restrooms, there was a great variety of entertainment, including pianist from The Jive and Wail (a dueling piano bar in Maplewood), a solo performance from John Chiecsek and Red Ass Jones and the Gold Bondsmen, as well as entertainment from Lola Van Ella and the Bon Bons Burlesque Troupe. Some of the available items for consumption at the event included hurricanes, beer, soda, red beans and rice, brats, hotdogs and popcorn.

     Antique Warehouse volunteers were on the scene to benefit the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation’s Mardi Gras Party.   Antique Warehouse & Nu Way Rents donated some of the necessary convenience items such as, a portable furnace, Kawasaki personal carriers (for personal shuttle service, due to the restricted parking and transportation closed to automobile traffic in the area) Cretors Popcorn machine and the necessary items for food & beverage service, as well as volunteers to set up and work as needed.

     If you were there than you would know that Lola Van Ella has “the derriere beyond compare”. If you weren’t there, let me tell you that Lola is a talented singer, aerial performer and the queen of the lost art of burlesque.  In attendance were a diverse crowd of twenty some-things to the wealthy senior benefactors of the foundation, all with beads on.  The event was sponsored and supported by Summit Distributing, the St. Louis distributor of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, and Orlando Gardens provided the fabulous Red Beans & Rice.  Fun was had by all.

Click here to view some of the images from the days festivities