The good times are certainly rolling through Lower Alabama.

Being from Ohio, Mardi Gras is something I only heard about on the news or saw photos of in my hometown paper while growing up.

But in my first Mardi Gras season in Lower Alabama, I have seen why the weeks-long celebration is so special here.

My wife and I have watched parades in Fairhope and Mobile already this season, with another coming up this weekend in Foley.

We watched three krewes marching through mobile two weekends ago, and this last weekend we watched the parades of the Mystic Mutts of Revelry and the Knights of Ecor Rouge weave their way through downtown Fairhope.

And last week, I got to photograph an extraordinary moment as the Treasures of the Isles krewe brought Mardi Gras to special needs students at Foley High School.

The smiles and laughs I saw in FHS’s Magnolia Room during that parade were bright and hearty. And that is what the season is all about - coming together to enjoy each other’s company.

The list of parades in Baldwin and Mobile counties is far too long to include in this column, and each one has differences and similarities to the rest.

The floats, costumes, throws and

If I was asked to pick a favorite parade I have seen this season, I doubt that I could.

The floats the Knights of Ecor Rouge brought to Fairhope were simply incredible. As each different float approached, crowd members of all ages commented on their grandeur.

The decorated dogs of the Mystic Mutts parade drew a crowd of dog-lovers from across the region Saturday afternoon. Costumed canines marching through the streets of Fairhope … now I’ve seen it all.

There is much to see throughout the year in Lower Alabama, and that’s certainly true this time of year.

Wherever you are able to catch a Mardi Gras parade before this season ends, let’s let the good times roll in Lower Alabama.

Jay Sowers is photo editor of Gulf Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at jay@gulfcoastmedia.com.