The Biggest Little City becomes the Biggest Little Party as New Orleans and Mardi Gras descend upon downtown Reno. Bona Fide Zydeco, Cajun and Delta Blues will mix deliciously with traditional N'awlins cuisine.

A Roman Fertility Love Party? Nobody's sure when Mardi Gras began. Some trace it back to ancient Rome when pagans held orgies honoring Spring. Today, Mardi Gras occurs the day before the start of the solemn Christian season of Lent. Reno's Big Easy is an unabashed celebration of Mardi Gras for one very good read: Party! Laissez les bon temps rouler, in Reno!

Last year's Big Easy gave locals and visitors from as far away as Vancouver, B.C. a Mardi Gras sampler. This year organizers are raising the bar: more authentic flavors of the Bayou country, more bands steeped in the sounds of the region, and plenty of Mardi Gras bead-tossing meriment.

Time & Place

From First Street north on Virginia Street to the Biggest Little City arch; and from West Street east on Second to Center Street.

Bayou Ballet:*

JOHN MOONEY & BLUESIANA - An apprentice of Edward "Son" House, master slide guitarist Mooney is performing a special concert at the Flamingo Hilton showroom. Unlike the Big Easy street concerts, tickets are required. Purchase them at Flamingo Hilton box office. (Fri.)

THOMAS "BIG HAT" FIELDS - Hailing from Church Point, Louisiana, Big Hat and his five-piece band (accordion, washboard, drum, bass and guitar) have a devoted West Coast following. Thomas ran away with last year's Big Easy. (Sun.)

ZYDECO FLAMES - The Flames are a No. California staple. They've performed at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival, Bill Graham's New Orleans by the Bay, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and the Marin County Blues Festival. (Sat.)

TOM RIGNEY & THE SUN DOGS - Veritable locals, the Bay Area's Sun Dogs put on a party sure enough to bring a tear to any Cajun's bloodshot eye. (Sun.)

LARRY YATES & THE BLUES MONSTERS - Northern Nevada's home grown LY&TBM whips up r&b, funk, jazz and Chicago blues in a tightly woven tapestry. Seamless, seasoned, relentless. (Sat.)

...And the music goes on

• HENRY CLEMENT AND THE GUMBO BAND
• LOUISIANA SUE'S MARDI GRAS ZYDECO BAND
• CRAWDADDY
• FROG LEGS
• JOHN EARL AND THE BOOGIE MAN BAND
• CAJUN COYOTES
• THE LLOYD JONES STRUGGLE
• MADISON AVENUE
• BLUE DAWG

Beat the Christmas rush: At least 50 vendors are converging upon Big Easy '98.

Kudos: Reno couldn't offer this caliber of entertainment without the support and sponsorship of the Reno Gazette-Journal's Calendar, Harrah's, Club Cal-Neva, Flamingo Hilton, Fitzgeralds, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo Bank, KRNV, TCI, KTHX, Southern Comfort, the Riverboat and Comstock.

Make Us Happy! The Big Easy is produced by Crowd Pleasers, a Reno-based special event production institution.

* A minor caveat: Considering the capricious nature of the entertainment industry, bands may change without notice. But rest assured, each Big Easy attendee will receive the USRDA of good-times, crazy feet dance music.