They are grandmothers dressed like showgirls. They wear black tank tops and shiny purple and gold streamer skirts. They wear elegant masks. Bracelets of feathers and bells jingle on wrists. Audrey Tucker dances the macarena with the Fitness is Fun club at Citrus Park's annual Mardis Gras parade.
Citrus Park is a haven for the young at heart who retire to sunny Florida.
Arms in front of them, palms down, palms up, move to their shoulders, arms crossed over their chests. This is Citrus Park, a retirement community for those over 50 off Bonita Springs' Morton Avenue. This is their Mardis Gras, a day of silliness as sacred as the real thing in the Big Easy. This late February day, the whole park wants a party. The night before, people marked their claim along the parade route with lawn chairs.