Forget New Orleans—Mardi Gras is at St. James Place
When people think of Mardi Gras, the first thing that comes to mind is New Orleans. But at St. James Place, an independent retirement community in Baton Rouge, LA, the residents had their own Mardi Gras festival going on for more years than anyone can count. And what would Mardi Gras be without a king and queen? This year we kneel before St. James Place’s newly crowned Mardi Gras King, Jerry Schreurs, and Mardi Gras Queen, Sissy Bateman.
How It Started
According to Jerry, “Nobody knows how long it’s been going on. The gentleman who started the event here was from New Orleans. He somehow arranged to have small floats they had from the original parades brought to St. James Place. It’s been going on a while, but unfortunately, those original floats are no longer around.”
The floats may have been the focal point initially, but the collaboration that emerged between the Baton Rouge community members and St. James Place residents truly stole the show. According to Jerry, “The parade was just awesome. We rode in a ‘69 Mustang convertible that was just gorgeous. And the parade included the ROTC Corps from the high school next door and a police unit with motorcycles and sirens. All this just to go a mile around St. James Place. We had quite an entourage.”
According to Sissy and Jerry, the parade also included several important local dignitaries, including Louisiana State University’s revered coaches, D-D Breaux and Paul Mainieri, both now retired.
How It’s Going
But who comes to watch the parade? According to Sissy, “All of ‘em! People were all along the streets. We not only had residents; they also invited their kids, grandkids and great grandkids to come. We had a lot of people watching, and we were throwing beads every which way — it was a lot of fun.”
The St. James Place Mardi Gras celebration doesn’t simply end with the parade, though. Afterwards, there was a celebratory Ball, with a special buffet menu, and a live band with dancing.
“After the parade was a wonderful meal prepared by the chefs here at St. James, with six different serving stations where you could get any kind of food you wanted,” Jerry says, beaming at the memory. “We had the band, Na Na Sha. They were the best. They knew the music we wanted. We had a big dance floor set up over in the main room, and we had people line dancing. You can just imagine me with an umbrella running around, going through the crowd and leading the parade. It was fantastic!”
Adds Sissy, “Jerry line dances, I don’t. I was supposed to learn before the Ball, but we were so busy I never had the chance to do it.”
The excitement generated by Mardi Gras brings up the question: Is it always this much fun at St. James Place? “It is,” Sissy responds, “and if you don’t have fun, it’s because you’re not really trying. You need to be out there doing it because there’s so much available whenever you want it.”
And the Fun Continues
“We do have a lot of different entertainers that come almost on a weekly basis,” Jerry adds. “Some type of strummer who’ll come and perform for us. The symphony came and performed, right? And we’re going to have a crawfish boil real soon. Next week we have bagpipers, and we have soloists that come often. We really are very, very well entertained and educated. We have fabulous programs.”
“We have people that come out to do a lecture series,” Sissy continues. “And the gentleman that teaches classes in opera is excellent. The lessons are not on how to sing, just how to appreciate the opera.”
Not one to let the mention of music go by, Jerry reminds us, “Well, I’m in our Snazzy Singers’ choir here, too. About 25 of us residents sing for birthday parties, and sometimes off campus. We sing for different groups, and we’re pretty darn good. I’m one of their lead tenors.”
There’s one other social opportunity at St. James Place that everyone seems to agree on: happy hour. “Not on Mondays and Tuesdays. I guess they think we need a couple of days rest. But come 4:00 in the afternoon Wednesday through Sunday. Wow.”
Out and About in Baton Rouge
With all this going on at St. James Place, the residents don’t necessarily need to leave the campus to stay active. But both Sissy and Jerry assure us that participating in community events throughout Baton Rouge is encouraged, too. “I still belong to several clubs,” Sissy says, “including a book and lunch club where we meet and go to local restaurants. And starting in July, I will be president of the Capital City Rotary Club.”
Jerry’s calendar also includes plenty of off-campus activities, with options that align more with his interests. “I go to Baton Rouge area Mustang shows on the weekends. I’m very blessed that my son lives about a mile and a quarter from here. So I take my Mazda over to his house, park it, open the garage door and go cruising in my ‘66 Fastback. I put 300 miles on that Fastback just cruising during the weekend.”
So why would someone choose to live in a retirement community like St. James Place? Jerry has an answer to that one as well. “I had lived for 20 years on three acres on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The problem was the maintenance started killing me, and I just couldn’t keep up with all of the demands. Quite frankly, I was super happy when I came here because all those thoughts go away. You don’t have to worry about anything. And if I want to fly and see my daughters in Denver, Colorado, and Greensboro, North Carolina, I just go and there’s no worry. You’re gone for a week or two, you come back, open the door and everything’s okay.”
In talking with Jerry and Sissy, one thing becomes exceptionally clear — Mardi Gras, while certainly a highlight of the year, is just one of the numerous social activities available to the residents of St. James Place. With all the fun events at their fingertips, both on and off campus, great food and security, it’s no wonder retirees are flocking to St. James Place.
