Stephen Toomey has operated Toomey’s Mardi Gras since the mid-1990s when he took over the Carnival supply store from his parents. Toomey’s is one of the largest Mardi Gras suppliers in the region and operates from a 70,000-square-foot flagship store on McRae Drive off of Government Street.

Here, Toomey discusses how Mardi Gras has changed since his time operating the store, how the coronavirus pandemic increased people’s appreciation for Carnival and some of the most popular items at Toomey’s this year.