Not Just New Orleans – Celebrate Mardi Gras in the U.S. and Beyond! Chris Osburn February 20, 2020 Arts & History, Destinations To many people, Mardi Gras is synonymous with New Orleans. But the Big Easy isn’t the only place that knows how to put on a party. Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Christian Lent season leading up to Easter. During Lent, people traditionally fast or give up something such as drinking, eating certain foods, or enjoying other indulgences. So that means Mardi Gras is the last chance for Christians to fatten up and enjoy before doing without for the next several weeks. Mardi Gras festivities are strongest in traditionally Catholic countries and parts of the U.S. where the Christianity holds prominence in the local culture. Here’s our take on some of the biggest celebrations…outside New Orleans. Happy Mardi Gras! Mobile, Alabama Turns out America’s oldest Mardi Gras celebrations are not in New Orleans but in Mobile, where locals have been organizing events since 1704. That’s 14 years before New Orleans was founded! Parties, live music, and general merriment rule the day. The celebration in Mobile actually starts at the beginning of February and continues up until Fat Tuesday itself. And there’s a parade nearly every day, featuring all manner of local groups and civic organizations. Lafayette, Louisiana Image via Flickr – CC BY 2.0 – Mobilus in Mobili Louisiana’s second city — and unofficial Cajun HQ — offers more of a down home, intimate approach to Mardi Gras. It’s big fun all right, but also a neighborly pace with more family-oriented activities than how things tend to go a couple of hours south in Nola. There’s even a special children’s parade. The festivities take place over a couple of weekends in February, and each parish within the city has a Mardi Gras schedule of its own. St. Louis Just under 700 miles north up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, the city of St. Louis struts its stuff in Missouri style with what it claims to be the largest Mardi Gras festivities outside of Louisiana. Visitors will find related events all over town, but mostly in the neighborhood of Soulard, known for its nightlife, live music scene, and low key bars and restaurants. Mardi Gras is as good of an excuse as any to party. Elsewhere, look for family fun such as its admission-free zoo! Galveston, Texas The Gulf Coast city of Galveston throws another of the country’s biggest Mardi Gras celebrations each year. Imagine all the fun of a New Orleans style party on the beach with a hearty Texas welcome and you’ll have a good idea of what goes down during festivities here. The celebrations include the requisite parades — and a plethora of balconies from which to view the festivities — as well as a host of concert events throughout the month of February. Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time, as these popular events do tend to sell out. Rio de Janeiro Image via Flickr – CC BY 2.0 –Carnaval.com Studios Of course, the biggest Mardi Gras party outside of the United States is Brazil’s Carnival, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro over nine days toward the end of February. Rio just about goes wild this time of year with the world’s largest Mardi Gras celebration, including street parties and parades with local samba dancers performing in colorful costumes accompanied by marching drummers and elaborately decorated floats. While you’re in Rio, be sure to take a cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain to experience views that will leave you dumbstruck. Venice The most elegant of Carnival celebrations takes place in Venice, when the entire city dons masks and ornate costumes for the admiration and amusement of everyone. Events and exhibitions fill the calendar and the streets, bridges, and canals fill with thousands of partygoers every night. Once you’re suitably dressed, head out to one of the many grand balls that take place throughout the city during Carnival. If grand balls aren’t your style, you can check out the other events, like pub crawls, gondola tours, and cabaret shows. You may also like: Last-Minute Guide to N’awlins Mardi Gras Basel, Switzerland Referred to as “72 hours of madness” in a city that’s usually known for its tame temperament, Basel’s annual Carnival (known as Fasnacht) is one of Switzerland’s biggest outdoor events and a time for masked drum corps to parade through town in their boisterous wake. Art lovers will surely enjoy Basel’s festivities, as this charming city is illuminated with thousands of hand-painted lanterns! Sydney Sydney sees Mardi Gras as an opportunity to celebrate diversity, putting on one of the world’s biggest Pride events in the world with the hands down fun Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. In fact, in Sydney, Mardi Gras and LGBTQ+ Pride are virtually synonymous. It’s only fitting, really. The queer community is responsible for much that is truly fabulous in Mardi Gras celebrations around the world. The people have Sydney have simply made the association official. Past events have included drag brunches, dog shows, art exhibitions, and — of course — festivities centered around the iconic movie, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. San Diego How about some SoCal sunshine with your Mardi Gras parades and partying? Booking flights to San Diego so you can be at the city’s historic Gaslamp District is an absolute must if you want to get some West Coast fun on Fat Tuesday. It’s the city’s biggest street party of the year with plenty of live music and DJs, and events for everybody ready to have fun. Do you celebrate Mardi Gras? Where’s the party going to be for you this year? Let us know in our comments section below!
