Credit APR's Guy Busby Mobilians don’t need much excuse to celebrate. Locals claim that Mardi Gras in the United States began here more than 300 years ago. But, COVID-19 canceled the parades for the first time since World War II. Now, the christening of a Navy ship in the city, named the USS Mobile at that, is a good enough excuse. Mobile will hold a Mardi Gras style parade on May twenty second to welcome dignitaries, celebrate the event, and give residents and visitors a taste of the way the port city parties during Fat Tuesday. “The wheels started in motion, brainstorming, how can we make this really special?” asked Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who said plans for the festivities actually predate the pandemic.