Krewe of Nauga pops the cork for Mardi Gras 2007
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Submitted Photo Anyone in attendance at the Krewe of Nauga Champagne Breakfast Jan. 27 becomes an honorary member of the krewe for the entire day.

The vaunted Krewe of Nauga is no ordinary band of Mardi Gras revelers. Although it hosts an annual champagne breakfast, elects and a queen and has identifiable costume pieces, the krewe has no formal membership and does not sponsor a float in any parade.

"We love Mardi Gras. We go to everything," founding member Danah Gibson explained with a jocular laugh. "Everyone that participates in the Nauga Breakfast is a Nauga for that whole day."

Gibson, owner of Danah's Hair Studio on Pensacola Beach, said their annual Champagne Breakfast is a riotous event that includes door prizes, live entertainment, a champagne fountain, Nauga Ear and Nauga Dawga contests and all revelers are required to be dressed in pajamas. The Nauga Ear contest is a competition to see who can fabricate the best Nauga Ears, which Gibson says are typically made out of construction paper or felt and plenty of glitter. The Nauga Dawga contest is an animal beauty contest where participants donate $5 to enter a picture of their dog. Proceeds from the contest and ticket sales are to benefit the J.P. Morgan Park and the Humane Society of Pensacola.

"I'm an animal lover, can you tell?" Gibson's hair salon is adorned with leopard print barbers' smocks and pictures of her dogs, which made her question more rhetorical than literal. "I read that the humane society is really hurting for money so we decided to help them out. I want to collect as much stuff and money for them as possible."

Gibson added that her krewe will accept dry and wet cat or dog food, blankets, liquid detergent and bleach on behalf of the Humane Society.

The salon owner said the inspiration to form a krewe came to her on a normal day 13 years ago as she spent some time outside covering an old bar stool with Naugahyde, a synthetic leather substitute.

"One of regulars came by and said 'Do you know how many Naugas they had to kill to make that thing?' And I believed him. My naiveté turned into an inside joke for a while and that's where I got the idea," Gibson said with another explosion of infectious laughter.

Her patron's comment was obviously a jest, as it is common knowledge that Naugas shed their hides regularly without harm to themselves, making Naugahyde the cruelty free fabric.

The Nauga Champagne Breakfast is scheduled for Jan. 27, 10:30 a.m. at the Dock on Pensacola Beach. The general public is invited to attend and tickets are $15 at the door. Paid admission includes a breakfast buffet, all the champagne you can drink, one raffle ticket and a guaranteed good time. For more information call the Nauga hotline at 850-932-4323.