Mardi Gras comes to a close on Tuesday night, and soon, those who celebrate will exclaim “Laissez les bons temps rouler,” or “Let the good times roll” for the last time this Carnival season. Creating a Mardi Gras party for your family can turn your home into a carnival. You can bake a king cake, make masks, or have a backyard parade. It’s all about having fun and sharing special moments with your loved ones. You don’t need a big party to celebrate Mardi Gras. Simple things like using purple, green, and gold decorations can make The season, which represents a time of celebration before Christian Lent, lasts until Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is March 4, 2025. Between January 6 and March 4, enjoy parades, king cake, community celebrations, and more. For a list of future Mardi Gras Day dates, see here. Where in New Orleans can I experience Mardi Gras? From practical advice about comfortable footwear to insider secrets (including one award-winning chef's sage advice about what you should never drink before 9 a.m. on Mardi Gras Day), these locals share their hard-earned tips to help you celebrate like a true New Orleanian. New Orleans Mardi Gras traditions. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is more than just a party—it’s an unforgettable experience that draws a staggering 1.4 million visitors each year. In 2025, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. Mardi Gras—just one of the festival’s many names—is marked by raucous parties and parades, revelers wearing elaborate costumes, and delicious This Mardi Gras bar crawl on March 1 turns Austin into a New Orleans-style party. Participants get beads, a color-changing cup and a mask (for the first 100 people), along with no cover and drink Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. It's most famously celebrated with parades in New Orleans 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. The earliest Mardi Gras in the US may have taken place in Mobile, Alabama, but it's New Orleans that has become synonymous with the celebration. Since the Louisiana city first hosted the event in Leading up to Fat Tuesday, Ina Mae Tavern is celebrating Mardi Gras with various pop-ups, complimentary beignets and decor galore. On Friday, there’ll be a 4-6 p.m. happy hour with half-off Mardi Gras cocktails and 6 p.m. live music. On Saturday, the restaurant will serve up a $40 Jackson Square Jamboree, shareable drinks served in a disco ball. Mardi Gras, the pre-Lent celebration of extravagance and excess, is next Tuesday, March 4. Even if a trip to New Orleans isn't in the cards for you, you can still celebrate in style with our list of places to get king cake, paçzki, and other specials from local businesses like Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack and Bakery Nouveau, plus events like Fremont's charming Petit Troll Parade. How to celebrate Mardi Gras in style with kids . Enjoy a family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration in Champaign-Urbana . We might not have parade floats or a French Quarter in Champaign-Urbana, but we can still celebrate Mardi Gras in style! In 2025, celebration of Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday” falls on March 4. WANT A FUN MARDI GRAS MEAL FOR On March 4, customers who wear Mardi Gras beads into a Krispy Kreme shop or drive-thru can receive one free Original Glazed Doughnut without any purchase necessary. Logan's Roadhouse Mardi Gras is a festival known by many names around the world, including Carnival, Fasching, and Fat Tuesday. Among Christians, this joyful holiday is an occasion to cut loose and celebrate before the more somber season of Lent begins. The 507 Mardi Gras Party is open to all ages with free entry to the first 100 guests and anyone 12 years old or younger. After that, $10 per person. There’s a cash bar –or get the unlimited Mardi Gras drink package! Details and tickets here The mile-long Mardi Gras Parade at The Wharf is the largest in the District. Photo: Courtesy The Wharf Mardi Gras is not just for humans; New Orleans hosts a "Krewe of Barkus" parade, where dogs don costumes and join the fun. The largest Mardi Gras float ever built was over 330 feet long and carried more than 200 riders. Mardi Gras in Popular Culture. Mardi Gras has made its mark in popular culture, appearing in movies, music, and literature. New Orleans may be 925 miles away, but you can still celebrate Mardi Gras in Chicago in 2025. Some places aren’t waiting until March 4 and have events planned for the weekend leading up to it. Find food and drink specials, plus live NOLA music in the list below and laissez les bon temps rouler! Ina Mae’s Tavern & Packaged Goods The 31st annual Mardi Gras Festival and Parade in the Kingwood area is a family-friendly, free event taking place at 8 North Main St. in Houston. Here’s where you can celebrate Mardi Gras Celebrate Mardi Gras with the best flavors of New Orleans! From classic red beans and rice to rich crawfish étouffée, spicy boudin, and sweet treats like pralines and beignets, these Mardi Gras food ideas bring the party to your kitchen during Carnival and Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras has pagan roots and it is no wonder that we see a lot of its negative consequences. If it is of God, it should edify us more. But as you have already observed, Mardi Gras brings us farther from God. The Bible gave us a stern warning if we still choose to celebrate Mardi Gras after knowing the truth. We read in Galatians 5:19-21:
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