BY FRANK WILKES LESNEFSKY
New Orleans is coming to the Peckville section of Blakely next month.
The Blakely/Peckville Crime Watch will host its annual Mardi Gras Celebration on Feb. 21 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Fiorelli Catering, 1501 Main St. Tickets are $45 and will be available until Feb. 14, said Mayor Jeanette Acciare-Mariani.
The informal event will feature a blend of New Orleans and Italian dishes, including gumbo, crayfish, shrimp, Italian-seasoned chicken and pasta, the mayor said. The event will also have a variety of desserts.
Acciare-Mariani expects about 400 people to attend. She came up with the idea for a Mardi Gras event about five years ago as a way of bringing the community together.
“Blakely was basically one of the only boroughs … that did not have a yearly event of any kind,” she said.
Since then, residents have fallen in love with the celebration, she said.
The event will also include beer, wine, soda and a cash bar, in addition to live music and entertainment.
Although the crime watch doesn’t make much from the celebration, proceeds go to the borough’s Police Department, the mayor said.
To purchase a ticket, call 570-383-9946 or 570-383-0196.
