Best places to celebrate Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is on Tuesday, March 4 this year. How do you plan on celebrating?

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It’s a celebration that takes place before the season of Lent, a time when people may choose to fast because of religious beliefs. Whether you celebrate Mardi Gras each year or this is your first time, here are the best places to party on in 2014.

New Orleans is the best city in the U.S. to celebrate Mardi Gras. Parades begin on Feb. 15 and go until Tuesday, March 4. Dance to popular music, indulge in Cajun food and don’t forget your favorite mask of purple, gold and green to represent the holiday.

Visit the official Mardi Gras New Orleans site here >>

Don’t miss Universal Studios Mardi Gras Grand Celebration in 2014. Parades, floats and street performers will capture your kids’ attention, and the live music — including performers such as Barenaked Ladies and Robin Thicke — will capture yours. On the menu is spicy jambalaya, shrimp gumbo and grilled andouille sausage. Also, don’t forget about the after-party that lasts until 2 a.m.!

New Orleans heads west to Tempe’s Hackett House to celebrate Mardi Gras. Taking place on Friday, Feb. 28, this party is not one to be missed, especially if you live in the Tempe area. Live music, international cuisine, costumes, prizes and more will ensure a good time. Tickets are $30 ($35 at the door), and proceeds benefit Tempe Sister Cities.

Mardi Gras in San Diego takes place in the famous Gaslamp Quarter. Energetic street performers, acrobats, parades, floats and more will guarantee a good time. Make sure to arrive early as most bars and restaurants will be offering specials on food and drink all night long.

Mobile, Alabama, is home to the world’s oldest Mardi Gras celebration — dating all the way back to 1703. With over 200 years of experience, the city’s learned just how to throw the best Mardi Gras party of all. The season kicked off on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Midtown Manhattan’s 2nd Ave Mardi Gras Stroll is on Saturday, March 1, 2014. Second Avenue is transformed into New Orleans’s Bourbon Street for bar-hopping, food and drink specials and, of course, beads!

Mardi Gras Galveston is Texas’s largest Mardi Gras celebration. There will be 20 balcony parties, 23 parades, live music performances, plenty of entertainment and over 3 million beads thrown into the air! Get your tickets now as this is an event you don’t want to miss.

BeadQuest 2014 is Chicago’s premiere Mardi Gras party. What is BeadQuest, you ask? Well, it’s a giant pub crawl on Saturday, Feb. 22 where you collect beads and win prizes. Sounds like a good time to us!

How do you plan on celebrating Mardi Gras? Share in the comments below.

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