Mardi Gras 2025


30th Mardi Gras

SOLD OUT!
Saturday, March 1, 2025
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

(Doors open at 5 pm, Dinner served from 6-8 pm, Cash Bar)

St. Ann Arts & Cultural Center
84 Cumberland Street, Woonsocket, RI

Menu | Sponsors | Queen Contestants | Previous Queens & Kings | Mardi Gras Committee | Short History of Mardi Gras

30 years of Mardi Gras Memories -- click to see video!

Live music by

The Squeezebox Stompers
(Zydeco, Blues & Soul, Cajun Waltzes)



 

FULL BUFFET

with Cajun, Creole, and French Canadian food


                          



The Hall ... awaiting Mardi Gras revelers

St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center (available for rentals)

 

MARDI GRAS QUEEN'S CORONATION

Sunday, February 23, 2025, 5 pm

at the Italian Workingmen's Club

947 Diamond Hill Road, Woonsocket, RI

Full Italian Buffet

 



2025 Mardi Gras Court (left to right)
2nd Princess Trudy Lamoureux

, 1st Princess Jeanne Michon, Queen Desiree Archambault


THE FULL COURT

Pictured (left to right): Prince Denni Loux and Princess Trudy Lamoureux,
Prince Robert Michon and Princess Jeanne Michon,

Queen Desiree Archambault and King Robert Beauchesne

 

 

Mardi Gras Queen Contestants

 


Desiree Archambault, has been a lifelong resident of the community of Woonsocket and is a graduate of Woonsocket High School. She has strong ties to the Woonsocket and Blackstone Valley communities as a 23+-year employee of Chelo’s. She was a parishioner of the former St. Ann’s Church, where she participated in the children’s choir and remembers the beauty of the art work that covers the ceiling and walls. She remembers the stories of the parishioners and members of the community of Woonsocket who posed as models for the artist, and remembers the story of how a community came together for a common goal.  Desiree was crowned as the Mardi Gras Queen in 2022 and marched proudly in the Woonsocket AutumnFest Parade in 2022 and 2023 representing NRICA, her community, her family and Chelo’s of Woonsocket. She has continued to support Mardi Gras and events such as Fresco Italiano A Night of the Arts, when NRICA award scholarships and holds an arts contest for Woonsocket and Cumberland, all done in the very church she sang and admired the arts as a child. She is one of seven siblings that all still reside in the city of Woonsocket, she is the daughter of Linda Archambault and late Maurice Beaudreault. Desiree is the mother of four children, and proud grandmother of 4 grandchildren and one foster child. Desiree has decided to run for 2025 Mardi Gras Queen once again as the 30th year is celebrated. She wants to help one more time before she moves on to the next new chapter of her life and it would be an honor once again to represent her community, NRICA, her family and Chelos while raising funds for Scholarships and the Arts as the 30th Mardi Gras Queen 2025.


Mardi Gras Queen
Jeanne R. Michon is the Executive Director & Chef at New Beginnings, a local kitchen “to feed the whole person from mind, body, soul, heart, to stomach.” She volunteers for several organizations, including the Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative, Autumnfest, the Rotary Club (former Board Member) and Woonsocket Tots (also as a former Board Member). She was honored in 2022 with the Autumnfest Grand Marshall Award and was also a Rotary Club Vocational Award winner. Jeanne has entered the Mardi Gras Queen contest to help raise money for scholarships to give back to students in the city. She has many interests, including cooking, gardening, swimming, going to the movies, shopping, couponing and rescuing animals. Jeanne is married to Robert P. Michon and has a daughter, Aubrey R. Michon.


Mardi Gras 1st Princess


Mardi Gras 2nd Princess

  
Trudy Lamoureux is a retired freelance writer. She has been a member and officer of the Richelieu Club for over 40 years. Among her accomplishments, she has spearheaded the Jubilee Franco-Americaine, was named Business and Professional Woman of the Year in 1997 and was a Precious Blood Church rectory assistant. Among her hobbies, she notes that she is an expert crocheter. She has traveled through all 50 states in a motor home for one year through Camperama Magazine. She is currently writing a book about Precious Blood Church. Trudy is running for Mardi Gras Queen to help support the students interested in applying for NRICA Arts Scholarships. She has two daughters, Lenore and Yvette, and grandchildren Emile, Eddie and Evan.
  

   


The crowns and sashes await their regal wearers at the Coronation.

QUEEN CONTEST RAFFLE PRIZES

1st prize  $500 cash (won by Scott Brazenor, Woonsocket)


2nd prize  $300 cash (won by Allison Higgins, Woonsocket)


3rd prize  $100 cash (won by Gil Desrosiers, Woonsocket)

 

4th prize $50 gift card (won by Tom Egan, Woonsocket)

Previous Kings & Queens

(click on links to see Mardi Gras page from that year)

Confetti

1954 •

Pauline (Nadeau) Miller

1955 •

Maureen (Mazzarella) Kennedy

1956 •

Beverly (DiCesare) Russell*

1957 •

Pauline (Gagnon) Riendeau

1958 •

Rita (Laliberte) Nadeau

1959 •

Claire (Paul) Lafrance

1988 •

Michelle (Lefort) Wheeler

Owen Bebeau

•1995 •

Gloria Jean Roy

Roger Nault

• 1996 •

Paula Rezendes

Al Auclair

• 1997 •

Roxanne Menard

Leo Fontaine

• 1998 •

Dianna Glassey

Roger Jalette

• 1999 •

Donna Gallant

Ken Bianchi

• 2000 •

Nancy (Melvin) Beauregard

Noel Pincince

• 2001 •

Suzanne Beaulieu

Dave Richards

• 2002 •

Lorraine Jacob

Roger Petit

• 2003 •

Stacey (McCutcheon) Fitzsimmons

Roger Bouchard

• 2004 •

Roberta Baillargeon

Tom Ward

• 2005 •

Joyce LaPerle

Brian Blais

• 2006 •

Lorraine Guilbault

Marcel Desroches

• 2007 •

Nancy Phillips

• 2008 •

• 2009 •

• 2010 •
• 2011 •
• 2012 •
• 2013 •
Bob Phillips • 2014 • Sheylon Lawson
Paul Shatraw • 2015 • Tracey Parenteau
Edward Hunt • 2016 • Tammy Lamberto Roy
Joe Nadeau • 2017 • Nicole Riendeau
Bob Billington • 2018 • Joyce LaPerle
Garrett Mancieri • 2019 • Ann Jalette
Dominique Doiron • 2020 • Lori Paul Thuot
Dan Gendron • 2022 • Desiree Archambault
Adam Brunetti • 2023 • Tabitha Westerhuis
Leon Fagnant • 2024 • Lauren Fagnant

 

Mardi Gras Committee

Suzanne Beaulieu

Irene Blais

Sharon Charette
Paul Collette

Mary Concannon
Dominique Doiron

Nancy Fafard 

Marlene Gagnon*

Bob Guernon

Denise Guernon

Tammy Irwin#

Ann Jalette

Barbara Ozanian#

Wally Rathbun*
Madeleine Riendeau

Angela Rondeau

Marianne Valentin


*Committee Co-Chairs
#Queen's Contest Co-Chairs

   

NRICA Members and Volunteers
       
             
           


2025 Donors and Sponsors

(click on logo or link to visit our sponsors' websites)

 


Athena's Home Novelties
North Smithfield, RI  



Sue Beaulieu
Mardi Gras Queen, 2001

North Smithfield, RI

 

 

The Call & Times

 

Irene Blais
Mardi Gras Queen, 2009

Woonsocket, RI




Cardi's Furniture
with locations in Rhode Island (South Kingstown, West Warwick),
Massachusetts (Braintree, Hyannis, South Attleboro, Swansea)



165 East School Street | Woonsocket, RI
 

Sharon Charette
North Smithfield, RI



490 Clinton Street | Woonsocket, RI | (401) 769-6622


Club Lafayette
Club Lafayette
289 Aylsworth Avenue | Woonsocket, RI

 

 

Paul and Jeannette Collette

Prudence Island, RI

 

Dominique Doiron
Woonsocket, RI

 

Nancy Fafard
Woonsocket, RI

 

Ann M. Fay

Canton, MA

 

Marlene Gagnon
North Smithfield, RI


Peggy Ganim

Pawtucket, RI

 

285 Main Street | Woonsocket, RI
401-488-4182 | BluffingBoutique@gmail.com

 

Brenda Glode

North Smithfield, RI


Bob and Denise Guernon
North Smithfield, RI

Clara Holding
"Life's Little Extras"
Narragansett, RI

 


Hunter Insurance
389 Old River Road, Manville, RI

 

 


947 Diamond Hill Road Woonsocket, RI | 401-762-9842 (Hall Rental)



Ann Jalette

2019 Mardi Gras Queen

Cumberland, RI

 

L'il General

547 Cumberland Hill Road | Woonsocket, RI




Manville Sportsmen's Rod and Gun Club
250 High Street | Manville, RI

 

 

127 Carrington Avenue, Woonsocket, RI and 71 Central Street, Manville, RI | 401-762-1825

 

 

 

Milford Federal Savings & Loan
246 Main Street | Milford, MA

 


801 Clinton Street | Woonsocket, RI

Judy & Roland Beauchemin

 

Pine Swamp Place
70 Pine Swamp Road | Cumberland, RI | (401) 658-1100

 

Wally Rathbun

Woonsocket, RI

 

Angela Rondeau

Woonsocket, RI




84 Cumberland Street | Woonsocket, RI

 

Stadium Theatre
Stadium Theatre
28 Monument Square, Woonsocket, RI

 

Timeless Antiques & Collectibles

Tammy Irwin, Mardi Gras Princess, 2017

91 Main Street | Woonsocket, RI | (401) 257-5796



Vose True Value Hardware

849 Cumberland Hill Road | Woonsocket, RI


 

 

42 South Main Street, Garden Level Around Back | Woonsocket, RI

 

200 Woonsocket Hill Road | North Smithfield, RI

 


A SHORT HISTORY OF MARDI GRAS

Robert Graves Leonard of Slippery Sneakers
Many of the traditions of Mardi Gras have their roots in a Roman festival called the Saturnalia which celebrated the end of winter and the coming of spring. Over time, and with the spread of Christianity, the festival became a final binge of feasting and self-indulgence before the sacrifice of Lent. In 17th century Paris, the celebration came to be known as Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday – a way for Christians to fatten up before the long Lenten season.
 

Mardi Gras 2007French settlers brought their traditions to Louisiana in 1766. By 1857, New Orleans began to develop its own traditions of masked balls, organized parades, and “throws” (favors such as beads, doubloons, and cups thrown from parade floats). In 1872, the King of Mardi Gras selected the celebration’s official colors of purple, green, and gold. The colors’ meanings were defined as justice (purple), faith (green), and power (gold) in 1892.
 

In 1954, the Mardi Gras tradition was started in Woonsocket by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. The four days of festivities earned the celebration the title of “Mardi Gras of the North.”  

Since 1995, the NRICA and the Mardi Gras Committee, with the invaluable help of our sponsors, have worked hard to bring the authentic feel and the fun of a traditional Mardi Gras celebration to Woonsocket.