The Mardi Gras Store in Port Arthur has caught the fever.

The shop, located at 3830 FM 365, behind Retail Merchants Association, has this year’s logo “Island Fever” featured on T-shirts as well as beads in the full range of tropical colors to match.

Those beads, store volunteer Ann Marceaux said, are sold in cases only and supplies are limited.

The store offers everything from single beads to cases of beads, hats, shirts, decorations, jewelry and more — just about anything Mardi Gras revelers need costume-wise to get their party on.

Local krewes are taking possession of their cases of beads which they will toss out during the four day Mardi Gras festival  which begins Thursday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 2 in downtown Port Arthur.

The beads arrived a tad bit later than usual this year, delayed by distance and by inclement winter weather.

“The beads made it all the way to California via a cargo ship from China, then a train to Dallas,” Marceaux said. “Then we had to wait for a truck to bring them here.”

Ice and snowy weather kept the cases of trinkets from their destination.

But not to worry, they have arrived, and just in time to enhance the festive spirit catching on all over Southeast Texas.

The Mardi Gras Store opened in January and will close in the afternoon on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

E-mail: mmeaux@panews.com

Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews