Travelogue: Mobile for Mardi Gras, Part 2

February/March 2025
Where We Stayed: The Admiral

This post will focus on Joe Cain Day!
Joe Cain was an American Confederate military veteran who is largely credited with initiating the modern way of observing Mardi Gras in Mobile, following the Civil War [thanks, Wikipedia, for that summary sentence!]
There is an entire day dedicated to Joe Cain during Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebrations. Visits to his grave, a gathering of his widows, and an entire parade.
The Joe Cain Day parade is one that everyone needs to experience once (or so I was told). My goal for the parade was to get a citation for wearing GREEN!
- One of the major differences between New Orleans vs. Mobile Mardi Gras celebrations are the colors. Mobile is just purple and gold/yellow, while New Orleans adds green. With all things Mardi Gras, this is a DEEPLY important rule that absolutely everyone ignores. Well, everyone except the Nevergreens.
- The Nevergreens are a group that will walk the parade routes and hand out citations to those wearing green in Mobile. Getting a citation is coveted thing. And I was going to do my best to trigger the Nevergreens into giving me one!
- Green is my favorite color and my eye color, so, let’s gooooooooooo! Check the pics below to see if I was successful ;-)
Back to Joe Cain. Joe had one wife, but in true Mardi Gras fashion another secret society was born: Joe Cain’s Merry Widows. An exclusive club of women who dress in all black, visiting his grave and his home on Joe Cain Day, mourning deeply.
We went to his house and waiting for the Widows to arrive on their coach bus. Probably 50+ widows showed up, dressed entirely in black with veils covering their faces. Clutching black beads… a COVETED throw.
The Widows line up on Joe’s porch and give a speech about their grieving — and then walk down the street and throw beads. I am proud to say that I fought a b*tch for them, but I got some black beads and a black rose! SCORE.
(I swear to god, you REALLY get into this stuff when you’re there and in the moment… it is beyond fun)
Also. Each Widow has a personal “Man Servant” — and they take their jobs very seriously.
Onto the pics!

King Cake for breakfast. Again.
Ready to go in GREEN.

Sashaying ourselves to Joe’s house.
A quick stop at the cemetery. People were lined up.
We have arrived.
Waiting for the widows to arrive.

Here we go!
See those black beads? I got ’em!
Waiting to hear the Widows’ speeches.
Gregory living his best life.
The Widows all lined up on the porch.