BOISE, Idaho — The Mardi Gras event space in downtown Boise will soon host its last event. The owner of the building, Lydia Merrill, passed away from complications related to COVID-19 in November of 2021.
What lies beyond the walls of the building are more than 95 years of memories, including more than six decades as The Mardi Gras. In 1958, Orson and Lydia Merrill purchased the building for $1,000. The building originally had no roof, but they quickly turned it into a roller skating rink. After several remodels and upgrades, it became a place to be entertained by well-known bands and jazz players.
“The only time I have really fallen off a stage was here,” said Bob Kohnke, a performer who frequented The Mardi Gras. Duo Bob Kohnke and Rob Minegar have been playing as the Blues Brothers in Idaho for 29 years.
“We didn't have her at hello. Let's just say that we came in and said, 'we want to do a gig here.' It's a special occasion, and we thought it was going to be a big crowd, and she kind of had a look like, 'yeah I have heard this before,'” Minegar said.
The popular venue brought people together for decades, which is something family members say the Merrills were proud of. Lydia Merrill died from complications related to COVID-19 in November 2021. She was 106 years old. People who knew her said she will be greatly missed.
Lydia's grandson, Matt Wilson, said she was visiting and working at the event space up until her last days.
“She was very outspoken, and she was very active. She would come down here a lot just to check on things. I have a video where she wanted to just vacuum,” Wilson said.
Wilson said both Lydia and his grandfather, Orson, spent a lot of time taking care of their dance floor.
"My grandma always talked about the dance floor,” Wilson said. “My grandfather would always be waxing the dance floor.”
The dance floor had been worked on several times during their ownership, to become 3,000 square feet of hard rock maple.
While many are sad to see the event space go, they look back on the memories it created.
“You think of all of the wonderful people that have played here and you say, yeah, I'm going to miss that, but there's always an end and I know that's for all of us,” Kohnke said.
The last farewell event will take place at The Mardi Gras on April 9th. For more information, click here.
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