(Friday, March 13th) Mother Nature was determined to stop the Downtown Franklin Association's Mardi Gras celebration - Fat Friday at Fred's - but the party finally took place on March 13, after the February snows had melted. Candles, beads, masks, balloons and miniature Tabasco bottles decorated the tables, all appropriately dressed with purple, green and gold linens. The King's Court and all of the revelers enjoyed a New Orleans-style dinner of crawfish tail scampi, pasta jambalaya, shrimp creole and rice. Dessert was, of course, the King's Cake and beignets.