Mardi Gras II Tea Dance, February 10

Get your sparkle and join the fun.

Traditional New Orleans Jazz with Cajun food for sale. Cash Bar.
Featuring the Southside Aces.

Reserve early.
Last year's Tea Dance sold out!
Tickets $15.00 -
Reservations 651 297-9000
Email:  mardigras@sokolmn.org

See flyer for details.

Mardi Gras II, and counting
Laissez les bons temps rouler—encore!
Translating the Cajun French: Let the good times roll—again!

Mardi Gras II (MG II) is well underway with a fantastic band, good food and you—with your beads, masks and alter egos!  We are building on last year’s Mardi Gras that celebrated St. Paul’s CSPS Hall’s 125^th anniversary, and we had so much fun we are doing it again! Proceeds benefit its capital projects:  heating and air conditioning, plumbing, and fire suppression sprinkling systems.

Southside Aces: Steve Sandberg, Zack Lozier, Dave Michael, Robert Bell, Erik Jacobson, Tony Balluff . Photo by Claudia Hankin

Our band this year is the Southside Aces. Tony Balluff is the band founder and leader, and played clarinet with Butch Thompson at last year’s Mardi Gras. The Southside Aces have been playing New Orleans jazz since 2003, and have released three CDs:All Aboard!! on Mardi Gras, 2005; Bucktown Bounce in September of 2006; and A Big Fine Thing in June of 2011. Their music garnered the declaration, “A true authentic New Orleans dance-hall style band” from the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Quarterly. They are also known around the cities as a swing band so bring your dancing shoes.

A New Orleans traditional Cajun meal of jambalaya (chicken and Andouille sausage, gluten free), red beans and rice (vegetarian, gluten free), and jalapeno cornbread will be prepared for sale by Chef Tim Glover of Cajun2Geaux.  Chef Tim grew up in the Deep South - Houma, Louisiana. Food was a big part of that culture and is still a big part of his life today. He graduated from St. Paul College’s Culinary Arts program and has received two Army commendations for his food preparation for his National Guard Unit, not to mention very favorable reviews in local press.  His food truck and catering business allows Chef Tim the ability to express his creativity through food and to serve others. A cash bar will also be available.

Of course you will play a big role at our MG II New Orleans Tea Dance! Dress for the occasion! Join us on Sunday, February 10 from 1 – 5 p.m. For entry tickets ($15) and information, call 651 297 9000 or email mardigras@sokolmn.org. Be prepared to dance, and laissez les bons temps rouler—encore!

Many thanks to these supporting neighbors:

About Sokol Minnesota and the CSPS Hall:

Sokol Minnesota has called the CSPS Hall home since 1882!  As a fitness society, it has organized gymnastics and fitness programming for its membership since its founding, and currently for “Healthy West Seventh”.  It also organizes culturally-themed dinners, language and cooking classes, and theatric productions and festivals. 

Built in 1887 by Czech and Slovak immigrants to St. Paul, this historic building is home and event venue for a diversity of non-profit organizations. These include not only Czech and Slovak dances and dinners, but also the Ethnic Dance Theater weekend, an Irish Cieli, German Fasching, Scandinavian Nordic Ball, Perkonitis Latvian Folk Dancers, and Mexican Quinceañera.  This historic building is the oldest national hall and theater in Minnesota, and longest serving Czech and Slovak Hall in the United States. It was declared a National and State Historic Site and placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1977.