A Mardi Gras parade on Royal Street in Mobile during the 2006 season. Mobile, founded by Bienville in 1702, is known for having the oldest organized Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States, beginning in 1703. [9] It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the United States in 1830. [9] Mardi Gras (UK: / ˌ m ɑːr d i ˈ ɡ r ɑː /, US: / ˈ m ɑːr d i ɡ r ɑː /; [1] [2] also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. [3] When is Mardi Gras 2025? This year, Mardi Gras, which translates from French to "Fat Tuesday," is on March 4. Ash Wednesday is on March 5, the day marking the start of the 40-day Lenten season Mardi Gras goes back much further than New Orleans’ first Carnival in 1837. In fact, New Orleans wasn’t even the first Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S. Originally a pagan celebration associated with the coming of spring, the Romans adapted the festival tradition as a prelude to Lent and the 40 days of penance and fasting leading up to In many areas, however, Mardi Gras has evolved into a week-long festival. Mardi Gras 2025 will fall on Tuesday, March 4. Mardi Gras in New Orleans Came from a Secret Society Mardi Gras 2025 falls on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Mardi Gras Day is March 4, 2025. Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The official start of Carnival Season is Twelfth Night, January 6. Book your hotel room now and Reserve your Mardi Gras package 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 Everything you need to know about Mardi Gras, including updated parade routes, traditions, the best places to get Mardi Gras beads, masks, king cakes and more! In the United States the principal Carnival celebration is in New Orleans, Louisiana.The Carnival season there opens on Twelfth Night (also called Epiphany, which is observed on January 6) and climaxes with the Mardi Gras festivities commencing 10 days before Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, is the oldest Carnival celebration in the U.S.—even older than the one in New Orleans. The first known Mardi Gras celebration in the United States took place in this coastal Alabama town in 1703, and the town prides itself on being the birthplace of the American Mardi Gras tradition. Mardi Gras stands alone as one of the few nationally celebrated cultural events that is only an official holiday in one state. Halloween and Valentine’s Day are still commercial holidays, and even Massachusetts, the epicenter of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, hasn’t made its hallmark festivity a state holiday (though, technically, March 17th in Suffolk County is officially Evacuation Downtown Hollywood Mardi Gras Festival happening at 1945 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL 33020-4508, United States on Sun Feb 23 2025 at 01:00 pm to 07:00 pm The practice of exposing female breasts in exchange for Mardi Gras beads, however, was mostly limited to tourists in the upper Bourbon Street area. [5] [62] In the crowded streets of the French Quarter, generally avoided by locals on Mardi Gras Day, flashers on balconies cause crowds to form on the streets. The 12th Annual Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival - featuring live music, art, fashion, and food held in North Boulevard Town Square on the same day as the Krewe of Spanish Town. Website When: Kutztown Folk Festival is celebrated in the month of July every year. 2. New Orleans Mardi Gras. Of all the festivals celebrated in America, there’s nothing more colourful and thrilling than a Mardi Gras festival, which is marked by a lot of parades and events, all over the city. Find tickets & information for 15th Annual Mardi Gras Columbia parade & festival. happening at City Roots, Columbia, SC on Sat, 01 Mar, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST. Register or Buy Tickets, Price information. We’re bringing the party to Shipgarten with a Mardi Gras Festival on Saturday March 1st! Think beads, masks, king cake, and enough festive energy to keep the good times rolling all day long. Get ready for an unforgettable celebration filled with music, dancing, delicious food, and—of course—plenty of drinks to toast to the season! This annual Carnival ball/music festival at Mardi Gras World follows the Krewe of Freret parade. The festivities include performances by Ja Rule, Soul Rebels, New Breed Brass Band, special guest Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday,” has roots dating back to medieval Europe. The celebration made its way to North America in the late 17th century. In the United States, New Orleans became the epicenter of Mardi Gras festivities. Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |