With umbrellas open and covered up in raincoats, ready spectators huddled under balconies of downtown shops Saturday to view the fifth annual Vicksburg Mardi Gras Parade.

&#8220It’s a shame we couldn’t reschedule, but it’s Mardi Gras, and we can’t do it after Ash Wednesday,” said Erin Hern, assistant director of Main Street, the downtown organization that organized the parade. &#8220It would have been sacrilegious.”

About 1,000 people watched the parade that rolled north on Washington Street beginning at 1 p.m., Hern said.

Mardi Gras, which literally translates to &#8220Fat Tuesday,” ends the festival season before the Roman Catholic Lent, which marks the period of fasting before Easter.

Hern said 48 groups had signed up for the parade, but 25 showed up after the rain began Friday night and continued throughout Saturday. The National Weather Service forecast called for sunny skies a day late, today.

Last year’s parade brought out about 6,000 spectators and included 39 floats and other groups.

&#8220Considering the weather, we’re just glad everybody came out to support the people who worked on the floats,” Hern said.

The rain didn’t stop Bobbie O’Brian of Starke, Fla., from seeing her first Mardi Gras parade.

&#8220We’re traveling in our motor home and we just ended up here by the (Mississippi) Welcome Center and found out about the parade,” said O’Brian, who watched the parade with her family in front of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau office at 1221 Washington St. &#8220We had a terrific time. We don’t know what we’re going to do with all of these beads now.”

Michael Buchanan Sr. of Vicksburg was at the parade with three children, including his 3-year-old son.

&#8220I caught a bead,” said Michael Buchanan Jr.

Kayanna Perkins, 7, and Deanna Tolliver, 6, left the parade with buckets full of beads and miscellaneous items they caught during the event.

&#8220I liked catching the candy,” Tolliver said.

Perkins said she enjoyed watching her sister on the Good Shepherd Community Center float.

Perkins and Tolliver are the daughters of Linda Perkins.

Main Street awarded participants in several categories.

The Best in Show award went to Danny Hearn Trucking.

The award for Best Non-Profit Float went to Brew Krewe, while Keltic Tater Krewe received the second. The Best Business Awards went to Horizon Casino, first, and McDonald’s, second.

The award for the Most Original Float went to two organizations, the Vicksburg Bed and Breakfast Association and Vicksburg Heritage Inc. Second place went to the City of Vicksburg.

The award for the Most Enthusiastic float went to Riverfest, with St. Michael Catholic Church receiving second.