Mardi Gras Royal Gala, Lake Charles, LA This gala held in southwest Louisiana is an extravagant event in which over 60 krewes royalty attend. All clad in their finest the guests pour into the Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum as the royalty strut in their finest glittering costumes and the celebrations ensue. 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 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. To compile a list of the best places to celebrate Mardi Gras aren’t New Orleans, Perhaps not surprisingly, the No. 2 and 3 spots go to the Louisiana cities of Baton Rouge and Metairie, with The best places to celebrate Mardi Gras in the USA this is one of the most unique Mardi Gras celebrations outside Louisiana. Mardi Gras is March 1–4, 2025. Panama City Beach Mardi Gras The first recorded celebration of Lafayette Mardi Gras was on February 14, 1869, but the first citywide Mardi Gras observance wasn't until 1897. All parades end at Cajun Field, where the annual Festival de Mardi Gras takes place with carnival rides, live music and more. If you're a master costume crafter, you may want to partake in the Grand 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 New Roads is one of the oldest towns in Louisiana and also home to one of the oldest Mardi Gras festivals, dating back to 1881. The town features beautiful 19th-century creole and Victorian homes which serve as a wonderful historic backdrop for the parades. Humans aren't the only ones that get in on the Mardi Gras fun in St. Louis—the city hosts a pet parade that boasts hundreds of animals and over 70,000 two-legged participants. St. St. 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 Our sample of 200 cities includes 196 of the biggest, plus four cities that are significant to U.S. Mardi Gras due to the large size of their celebrations: Biloxi, Mississippi; Galveston, Texas; Lafayette, Louisiana; and Pensacola, Florida. 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. The Twin Cities’ Krewe of Janus Mardi Gras parade will celebrate its 42nd year of Mardi Gras tradition and flavor in the Twin Cities in 2025. The Twin Cities' Krewe of Janus Parade has entertained revelers since 1984 who eagerly gather along the 3.8-mile route through West Monroe and Monroe. Another city with French influence, Quebec City in Canada is home to one of the largest winter Mardi Gras festivals. Due to the northern location of Quebec (and the freezing temperatures of February and March) these Mardi Gras festivities are not home to scantily-clad dancers, but are rather a celebration of ice and snow with cross-country skiing, ice skating and husky rides the order of the day. 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 Whether you celebrate Mardi Gras for its connection to Christian traditions, its cultural significance, or simply for the fun and revelry, it remains an enduring and beloved festival. In places like New Orleans, Mardi Gras has become a symbol of the city’s identity, representing unity, diversity, and the joy of living life to the fullest. As You don't have to visit the Big Easy to go big for Mardi Gras. From Alabama to Washington, D.C., check out these 14 places to join the fun outside of New Orleans. Photo/Blue Bayou via Facebook. The Blue Bayou is bringing “The Big Easy” to Chicago this Mardi Gras weekend with crawfish, cocktails, and cabaret!. The party kicks off on Saturday, March 1 with a crawfish boil in the afternoon, followed by an official Mardi Gras party and burlesque show in the evening. History of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Mardi Gras’ roots trace back to Louisiana’s Spanish and French influences and have evolved over the centuries. Here are just a few lesser-known traditions and customs celebrated in the different regions. Cajun Mardi Gras. Cajun Mardi Gras, also called Courir de Mardi Gras, is a celebration on Fat Tuesday 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
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |