Alabama is definitely making an effort to let New Orleanians know that they are not in the city where the “original” Mardi Gras started, at least according to a billboard.
The Alabama Tourism Department retweeted a photo of a billboard spotted in Slidell by Twitter user Brittany Callahan that says “You are 114 miles from America’s original Mardi Gras.”
The billboard also dons the Alabama Tourism Department’s “Sweet Home Alabama” logo on it.
Mobile, Alabama is “the birthplace of America’s original Mardi Gras,” according to the city’s travel website. It states that Mardi Gras started in 1703 when a citizen, Joe Cain, was fed up with “post-Civil War misery, and led an impromptu parade down city streets.” The city’s Mardi Gras season runs from January 26 to February 13.
Additionally, the website notes that Joe Cain Day is observed the Sunday before Fat Tuesday.
In the tweet of the massive billboard, Brittany Callahan wrote, “Kudos to Alabama for the epic troll job in New Orleans.”
Alabama's tourism director said that 10 billboards have been purchased around New Orleans and southern Mississippi to promote Carnival season.