HCR50 - Designating Galveston as the official Mardi Gras Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

      H.C.R. No. 50       HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The celebration of Mardi Gras has a rich and   colorful history in Galveston, where it has become one of the city's   most anticipated annual events; and          WHEREAS, The first documented Mardi Gras festivities took   place in Galveston in 1867; revelers observed the holiday with   events that included a masquerade ball and a performance of William   Shakespeare's Henry IV , and over the ensuing decades, parades and   other larger gatherings began to be introduced; by the 1870s, Mardi   Gras in Galveston had evolved into a grander and more organized   affair, with krewes such as the Knights of Momus and the Knights of   Myth overseeing the planning of parades and balls; and          WHEREAS, During the early decades of the 1900s, various local   groups assumed responsibility for coordinating Mardi Gras events,   including the Galveston Booster Club, which merged with the   Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce in 1937, beginning the   chamber's oversight of the celebration; after festivities went   dormant with the onset of World War II, private Mardi Gras   gatherings were held by churches, social clubs, and local families,   and that practice continued for more than four decades; in 1985,   businessman and developer George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia   Woods Mitchell, led the effort to restore the tradition to its   former glory and reinstate Mardi Gras as a citywide extravaganza;   and          WHEREAS, Today, Galveston boasts one of the largest Mardi   Gras festivals in the country; the celebration spans the two weeks   preceding Lent and ends on Fat Tuesday; activities are concentrated   in Galveston's historic downtown area, along the beachfront, and on   Seawall Boulevard; the observance continues to encompass parades,   balcony parties, balls, and other timeless attractions, creating an   atmosphere of joy and revelry for those of all ages; and          WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Galveston has nurtured a   rich Mardi Gras culture that is distinctly Texan in spirit, and the   enduring popularity of the event attests to the pride and   enthusiasm shared by area residents for an institution that is such   a vital part of the community's heritage; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby designate Galveston as the official Mardi Gras Capital of   Texas; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section   391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect   until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally   passed by the legislature.     Leo Wilson   Ward Johnson   Allen   Morales Shaw       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.C.R. No. 50 was adopted by the House on May   1, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 137, Nays 2, 4 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House                 I certify that H.C.R. No. 50 was adopted by the Senate on May   9, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate      APPROVED: __________________                   Date                       __________________                 Governor