As we get into the thick of the 2023 Mardi Gras season, one of our favorite hometown videographers is capturing all of the local parade action.

For years, John Weatherall III has taken his love for video documentation and delivered exciting recaps of some of our favorite Acadiana parades. While big-city Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans may come to mind for anyone outside of Louisiana, Weatherall made a name for himself by putting precious time and energy into capturing what made the smaller-town Mardi Gras parades so unique.

Through social media, he showcased the sights, sounds, and special flavors of Mardi Gras in small towns like Carencro, Scott, Grand Marais, and more. It was something that outsiders weren't familiar with; and soon, getting in Weatherall's recap videos became a mission for paradegoers all over the state.

Even when it came to the bigger parades in Lafayette, Weatherall had an eye for capturing the moments that had the potential to go viral. One of the best examples of this would be the infamous clip of Steven Barbosa vibing to Kevin Gates' 2013 hit, "Thinking With My..."; a song that actually saw revitalized chart success due to how viral the clip went on TikTok, Instagram, and just about any other social media platform that supported video.

He even got his own song; recorded by local artists Young Hub City to celebrate the way people get active the minute they see his cameras come out.

 

I've had the privilege to work with Weatherall at a few Mardi Gras balls this season, and it's fascinating to see how people react when they find themselves in front of his lens, completely lost in their own carnival element.

JD Mosely
JD Mosely
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While there are plenty of clips to see on his social media pages, Weatherall dropped recaps from both the Carencro and the Scott Mardi Gras parades—two of his most highly-anticipated videos of the season.

 

 

 

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A post shared by John Weatherall III (@johneweatherall)

One of my favorite things about the way Weatherall captures our Mardi Gras celebrations is how he highlights the things that bring us together as a community. People from every background, regardless of the color of their skin or what side of town they've traveled from to get there, come together and enjoy the things that make our culture unique.

Although some people get a little "canailles," it's all in good fun and people always love to see who they know in Weatherall's famous recap videos.


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A post shared by John Weatherall III (@johneweatherall)

2023 is already off to a good start with the Scott and Carencro recaps and with Youngsville, Lafayette, and others still to come, it already looks like it's shaping up to be an amazing carnival season.

Click through to check out his profile for more videos and share this with your friends (especially the out-of-town ones) to give them a small taste of what we call Mardi Gras in south Louisiana.

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