Early February mornings in Baton Rouge mean dew, chilly weather and pink flamingos to celebrate Mardi Gras.
The Spanish Town parade krewe annually decorates plywood flamingos and places them in the University Lakes to announce the Spanish Town parade ball, which will be held on Saturday.
Though the birds themselves are a tradition, taking them from the lakes has become more commonplace each year.
University alumna and Baton Rouge resident Chelsea Bennett grew up in Baton Rouge and said the pink wooden birds have always been a part of her life.
Bennett said her favorite memory of the flamingos was in high school, when she and her friends went to the lake at midnight to fetch their flamingos. When they got to the lakes, they were frightened at the sight of a police car, but scored their carnival tokens without harm.
Some birds can be seen year-round in bars, restaurants or in front of people’s homes as they have become part of Baton Rouge culture and mascots of Spanish Town.
When Bennett was at the University, she said her flamingo was hung up near Atkinson Hall, but after a while, the bird disappeared.
Over the years, Bennett said she has seen the flamingos disappear more quickly from the lakes as people anticipate the hunt for the Baton Rouge birds.
“They pop up one night and it’s interesting because they are gone in a day or two,” Bennett said.
This year, the birds, put up late Monday night, disappeared by early Tuesday afternoon.
“They pop up one night and it’s interesting because they are gone in a day or two.”