Photo by Justin Criado

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All of Northside celebrated Fat Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Deutschtown Mardi Gras event at the Allegheny Elks Lodge #339. The event sponsored by the Northside Leadership Conference benefited the Deutschtown Music Festival, which will be July 11 this year.

Dixie Doc and the Pittsburgh Dixieland Allstars provided the New Orleans-style jazz for night, while Legends of the North Shore and James St. Gastropub & Speakeasy brought the Cajun cuisine. Of course, there was king cake, too.

New Orleans’ own Abita Purple Haze beer was on tap, and a king was crowned. Jack “Johnny Angel” Hunt of Johnny Angel & the Halos fame was named the first Northside Mardi Gras king, and proceeded to lead the band for a few songs.

As it was pointed out at the beginning of the night, like New Orleans, Northside is also north of a river, and Northsiders planned to party like the Louisianans.