Saturday Snapshot - Mardi Gras

Last weekend in Sydney was Mardi Gras.

To quote Top 10 Sydney's Moments in History section "over 1000 gay right activists took to Sydney's streets demanding equal rights in 1978. Several protesters were arrested but they vowed to return the following year. The parade that followed in 1979 established an annual event that is now a major tourist attraction."

This year marked 35 years of Mardi Gras. A number of my younger friends marched for the first time with their families under the PFALG banner.

However, earlier in the year my husband booked tickets for us to see Empire "The world's most outrageous Spiegletent show - somersaulting, slapsticking, stripteasing"!

At the time he didn't realise it was the same night as Mardi Gras.

And the Entertainment Quarter at Fox Studios was not only hosting Spiegleworld last Saturday night, but also the end of parade Mardi Gras party!

Getting to our dinner and show suddenly turned into a logistical nightmare.

Which streets were open? Where could we park? Which restaurants were open (& not already booked out)? Would the crowds be overwhelming?

But, of course, the whole Mardi Gras extravaganza is so well organised now that it turned out to be a breeze (as long as you were willing to trust the detour signs and took no offense at an excess of sequins, feathers and leather)!

Dinner was rushed, but lovely.

Empire - Spiegleworld was hilarious, sexy and breath-taking.

(These 3 pics are from the opening segment of the show.
I forgot to take any more photos as we were laughing, oooh-ing and ahhh-ing so much during the rest of the show to even think about photography! They're not the best shots I've ever taken, but they did capture some of the colour and movement.)

The post-show Mardi Gras buzz was exciting to wander through as we headed back to our car, so much so that we decided to return to Oxford St the following morning for brunch.

(The rainbow pride crossing at Taylor Square.)

Oxford St was surprising subdued Sunday morning.
But this sign made us chuckle!

(Brunching and reading in Ampersand Bookshop and Cafe.) 

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

This post is also part of my personal Sydney Challenge.