By Alexandra Minella
McNicholas High School will celebrate its annual Mardi Gras Pageant and Ball on February 15, 2026. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the school gymnasium with the presentation of the sophomore and junior honor guards and senior court, followed by the announcement of the king and queen. After the ceremony ends, the event will transition into a dance.
The structure of Mardi Gras remains consistent today, and teachers say the purpose of the tradition has stayed the same too. Theology Teacher Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann, who graduated McNicholas in 1979, said the ceremony continues to reflect the school. “The students on that stage resemble the McNicholas community,” Sandmann said.
The tradition began in 1953, when the Sisters of St. Joseph along with other faculty members organized the first organized the first Mardi Gras to recognize students for their service to the school. The Sisters of St. Joseph decided to make it Mardi Gras to celebrate their roots in New Orleans. Theology teacher Mr. Sam Roflow, Class of 1974, said Mardi Gras today remains “how the sisters intended it to be” and emphasized that it is “about service, not popularity.”
History Teacher Mr. Shawn Young, Class of 1982, who was a member of the Mardi Gras court as a student, said the tradition has changed very little over time. “It is very similar to what it was when I was in high school,” Young said. Roflow also described Mardi Gras as “a unique McNicholas tradition.”
Mardi Gras continues to reflect both its history and its purpose at McNicholas. As Sandmann said, the celebration represents a lasting “spirit of generosity” that has remained the tradition for more than 70 years.
The McNicholas Milestone 