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From Friday all the way through Tuesday, Cajun Field becomes an excellent place to catch the parades like the Queen Evangeline Parade and the Lafayette Mardi Gras Parade. Though it also provides a solid place to meet, greet, and enjoy other activities along the route. Notable acts such as Wayne Toups and Corey Ledet have entertained in past years. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, was originally a French Catholic celebration which has a long-lasting history in the formerly French-owned territory of Louisiana. The first Mardi Gras parade in the United States was believed to be in 1837 in New Orleans, but the tradition quickly spread throughout the southern regions of the state and beyond. St. Louis holds the No. 1 spot as the best place to celebrate Mardi Gras outside New Orleans, even though it has only been doing so since 1980. St. Louis has a strong French heritage, having been Lafayette, Louisiana, is the perfect place to celebrate Mardi Gras, Cajun-style. While Lafayette hosts traditional Mardi Gras parades and masked balls, what sets the city apart is the Courir de Mardi Gras across Cajun and Creole communities. Youngsville Mardi Gras Parade. March 1 at 11 a.m. Youngsville. Queen Evangeline’s Parade. March 3 at 6 p.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. King Gabriel’s Parade. March 4 at 10 a.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade. March 4 at 1 p.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. Lafourche Parish parades The best-costumed pets win prizes, and the entire event raises money for Northwest Louisiana animal rescues. In fact, the Krewe has expanded their scope beyond Mardi Gras and are now raising money (Flickr user Dave Herholz). Outside of New Orleans, St. Louis claims to host the United State's largest Mardi Gras party. Founded by the French some 250 years ago, the Soulard district—a Mardi Gras in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. LOUISIANA'S CAJUN BAYOU. If you would happily hand over all of your Mardi Gras beads in exchange for a sugary-sweet king cake, you won't want to miss the Louisiana King Cake Festival in Lafourche Parish on Feb. 15. For $10 (or $5 for kids ages 3-11), you can sample and vote on the best king cakes in The largest and most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the USA is in New Orleans, where Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday. NOLA has been celebrating Mardi Gras since the early 18th century and the Of the hundreds of Louisiana festivals, none tops Mardi Gras. Spectacular parades, unbelievable costumes, music, dancing, food, drink — take your pick of places to indulge and enjoy. The biggest celebration occurs in New Orleans, but nearly every community in the state has its own version of the annual party. Wherever you go, you can find the “Meeting some locals is your best bet to really experiencing Cajun Mardi Gras properly,” says Stephen Ortego, who owns the boutique, nine-room Hotel Klaus, opened in 2024 in Washington, Louisiana. “Our best gatherings are on porches and in backyards,” he continues, “where locals embrace inviting newcomers.” The Mardi Gras tradition of Bogalusa is relatively new, dating back to 1981. It's now one of the largest parades held by a town of its size. Today, the parade features nearly 20 marching bands, 38 floats, and more than 100 motorcyclists. St. Louis, MO. The St. Louis Mardi Gras is one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations north of Louisiana. One of the first events of the Mardi Gras season is a Cajun cook-off, for those wanting to put their southern-style cooking to the test or even learn how to cook Cajun-style meals. Note: For Mardi Gras Events and Festivals, we considered all Mardi Gras-related events, including parades and other types of publicly listed celebrations. Partying. Mardi Gras Events and Festivals. Weight: 3; Party Supply Stores per Square Mile. Weight: 1; Metaphysical Stores per Square Mile. Weight: 1; Eating and Drinking Mardi Gras began spreading among Europe and made it to the U.S. The Best Places to Celebrate Mardi Gras: A Countdown So, now that you know why you’d be partaking in all the excitement, you may be wondering where you can find it, right? Well, here’s a countdown of the top five best places to celebrate Mardi Gras. 5. Port of Spain, Trinidad Orpheus (Monday before Mardi Gras): Known for creative floats and sought-after throws like four-foot stuffed dragons and custom-decorated tambourines. Zulu (Mardi Gras Day): Beloved for its unique throws, including the iconic hand-decorated coconuts. Rex (Mardi Gras Day): One of the oldest and most traditional parades, featuring a regal Here are four other U.S. cities that celebrate Mardi Gras in style. Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama. Enjoy the spectacle of a nighttime parade in Mobile, Alabama — Photo courtesy of Visit Mobile. Home of the first Mardi Gras celebration in America, Mobile proudly continues to honor long established traditions with parties, masked balls, and On Mardi Gras Children’s Day (February 19), kids can make their own Mardi Gras souvenirs, learn about Carnival history, and attend a parade that includes children of Mardi Gras krewe members Here are the eight best places in the world to celebrate Mardi Gras in 2025. There is not just one New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, the city celebrates in the lead up to "Fat Tuesday". Bob Sacha/Getty Images 1. New Orleans, USA Lafayette, Louisiana, is the place to celebrate Mardi Gras, with a packed five-day itinerary from February 28 to March 4, 2025. Highlights include lively parades, Zydeco breakfasts, swamp tours
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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