Hank, Maddie and Steve put on their own show in the window at the Cajun Creole Mardi Gras Party at the Edge on Feb. 6.

Two days before Mardi Gras, the Krewe de Kinque hosted a crackalackin’ Cajun Creole cook-off at the Edge bar, complete with typical purple, green, and gold decorations everywhere. The Krewe is a social and fundraising group with a festive Mardi Gras party theme that formed about a year ago in the tradition of the famous krewes of New Orleans—social/charitable organizations that started back in 1857.The cook-off, benefiting Pets Are Wonderful Support [PAWS], was a prelude to the motorized cable car party the Krewe hosted on Fat Tuesday, “Bal Masque & Traveling Tableaux,” touring the gay bars, drinking hurricane cocktails, and tossing beads whenever anyone said, “Throw me somethin’, Mistah” and showed their privates. Everyone upheld the official Mardi Gras slogan: “Laissez les bon temps roulez,” which translates to “Let the good times roll!” The night rivaled some of the best parties in the Big Easy, where the beneficiaries were Positive Resource Center and the SF AIDS/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.

At the cook-off, candidate for Empress Chika was dressed in a flaming red and black dress and flaming red glitter lips syncing Tina Turner’s “Good To Me.” Then the reigning SF Miss Gay, Galilea, got all ABBA on us with her pink halter dress doing “Dancing Queen.” KDKer Deana Dawn, hostess of the fabulous Spurs ‘n Fur nights at the Edge and Ms. Golden State Gay Rodeo 2002, was very country western in a pink, green, and purple faux fur ten gallon hat, singing how it’s “Saturday Night and the mood is right.” Candidate for Empress Tiger Lily was lookin’ very Cher and lippin’ “Strong Enough” in a tight zebra dress and thigh high leather boots. KDKer Don Ho roamed about in a crocodile suit and challenged men to crock fights. Usually he won.

The raffle ticket sellers always have more fun when their customers order the crotch to floor special—holding a string of tickets tightly to the groin area and proceeding down the pants, measuring to the shoes, usually lingering at the crotch and occasionally blessing it with a smooch. Raffle winners could pick a bag of prizes at random or turn the bag in for a chance to bob for crawdads—little plastic crustaceans with numbers floating in a crawdad pool of water decorated with a genuine “Acme Oyster House, Louisiana, since 1910” net bag.

From the balcony, King Gary Virginia and Empress Donna Sachet threw beads to anyone who showed his dick a la Mardi Gras. Empress Alexis Miranda showed us her tits, pulling them out from her bodice and frantically waving the falsies about. Grand Duchess Tiger Lily pulled down her top to reveal 
gasp
 boy titties.

Imperial Emperor Brian Benamati and Tony, a court member from the Seattle Imperials, were judges of the cook-off. Dan Alexander won the event with his famous pecan pie. One judge said it was “orgasmic!” Entrants had submitted their alligator stews, pecan pies, apple/pear crisps, and red beans & rice with andouille sausage. Ending the celebration, Donna lowered herself from the balcony onto the bar counter to sing and dance to “Xanadu” by Olivia Newton John as the crowd tossed cocktail napkins in the air and prepared for the Mardi Gras zaniness to come. Booyaaaah!