Sunday, January 29, 2012

Best Use Of An Old Frostop Mug EVER! The Krewe of Froth

I have always wondered what happened to many of the giant mugs that once adorned Frostops across the country. I got my answer to at least one of the old mugs. Just this week pictures of a Frostop mug that has been incorporated into a St. Patrick's Day float in Mississippi were posted on our LaPlace Frostop Facebook page by Harry Clark. I asked about them and he told me that it is part of the Krewe of Froth and that they even have a Facebook page. I ended up exchanging emails with Jimmy Reid of the Krewe of Froth and found out about how the old mug came to be used on a float.
Loading the Mug on the Trailer

The Mug Dressed Up for the Parade

According to Jimmy Reid, his Dad decided to put a float in the Jackson, Mississippi Mal's St. Paddy's Parade in 1983. In the late 1980's, his Dad was driving down a country road and saw the mug laying on its side on the side of the road. He stopped at the closest farm and asked who owned the mug. The owner of the farm said he got it when they were tearing down the Frostop that was in Jackson, Mississippi. The only thing he had wanted was the motor out of it. Jimmy's Dad bought it from him for $100! His Dad brought it home and beat the dents out of the mug, cut a door in it, and built a second floor with a trap door. They had the their float icon and became the Krewe of Froth! The mug has been repainted over the years and he is not sure when ROOT BEER was painted over, making it easier to paint. A bathroom was added to the mug about 20 years ago. Every year the parade has a different theme and they adjust the mug to fit the theme. The mug has been a garbage can, oil can, coffee mug, and a space ship (twice) just to name a few. This will be the 30th year his family has done the parade. This will mark the first time they also do the Hattiesburg, MS Mardi Gras parade also. You can check out some video of the Krewe of Froth in action on Youtube.

Krewe of Froth in Action

T-Shirt Design for 2010 St. Paddy's Day Parade

T-Shirt Design for 2012 Hattiesburg Mardi Gras Parade

The LaPlace Frostop would like to raise a big frosty mug of Frostop Root Beer to the Krewe of Froth for the best use of an old Frostop mug EVER!

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