In 1992, Jerry Diaz was president of the Gulf Coast Beach Club, a Parrot Head Club in the Beaumont, TX area. At the time there were only two Parrot Head Clubs in existence: Beaumont and the original club in Atlanta. Jerry decided the two clubs should get together for some fun!

He planned a party in the French Quarter of New Orleans in December 1992. On a whim he called it "Meeting Of The Minds." About 80 people attended the first MOTM, and the event was a success. The party grew quickly over the next few years as other clubs and individuals stepped in to run the event. Parrot Heads in Paradise Inc. was established in 1994 and the organization became the official hosts of MOTM, which moved to Key West in 1998. 

After the move, history repeated itself, and Jerry once again organized a party in the French Quarter. He called this one "Meeting Of The Mindless," a name that lasted a few years before changing to Pardi-Gras in 2003. 

Over the years Pardi-Gras became one of the premier destinations for Parrot Heads and fans of Trop Rock Music. Pardi-Gras was the first tourist event to return to the city following Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 the event was featured on several national news outlets.

In November of 2011, PHIP awarded Jerry Diaz with a special "Tin Cup Chalice" identical to the one that he and Scott Nickerson awarded to Jimmy Buffett at the second MOTM in 1993. Today Jerry's Chalice is on display at the Tropical Isle at the corner of Bourbon & Toulouse. It's location is only a few short steps away from the building that hosted the first MOTM. It serves as a permanent reminder of the French Quarter's place in Trop Rock history.

Known as the "Ultimate French Quarter Party," Pardi-Gras has been awarded "Event Of The Year" by the Trop Rock Music Association in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2021. Since 2021, it is also the longest consecutively held annual event in the Trop Rock genre, surpassing MOTM when that event took a break in November 2020. In 2025, Pardi-Gras marks its 28th annual incarnation.