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Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans is definitely an event for the bucket list, but party-goers have to be all in. Plane tickets are more expensive, hotels are hard to find, and there certainly aren’t a lot of deals going on during the festivities. Luckily for the cash-strapped imbibers, New Orleans isn’t the only Mardi Gras Mecca. Fat Tuesday turns into a month-long event in St. Louis, starting with family-friendly wintercarnivals in January and culminating in a grand parade and party the weekend before the anticipated night. Heading to this much more centrally located and not as highly sought-after destination will save you a pretty penny without cutting into the merriment of the festivities.

St. Louis skyline

St. Louis skyline. Photo: Dave Herholz – Flickr.

The weekend leading up to Mardi Gras Feb. 9 is a flurry of activity. It starts with the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball on Friday, Feb. 5, a black-tie gala with tickets starting at $150 and reaching up to $3,000. Attendees dawn their formal Mardi Gras garb and head for the St. Louis City Hall Rotunda, for a night filled with food, cocktails, entertainment and dancing. Proceeds benefit the Mardi Gras Foundation, which works to improve the downtown area.

Bud Light Grand Parade

Mardi Gras beads fly toward the crowd during the parade in St. Louis. Photo: Dave Herholz – Flickr

Next comes the Bud Light Grand Parade,starting at Busch Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday and ending at Anheuser-Busch Brewery. More than 100 floats will move through the streets, tossing more than 10 million strands of beads into the pre-Lent celebrations.

The festivities take over Soulard, St. Louis’ historically French neighborhood about two miles from downtown. Knowing about the stomping grounds is key to the Mardi Gras experience. The city’s oldest neighborhood, it is named after Antoine Soulard, who first started developing the land. He came to America as a refugee from the French Revolution in the 1790s.

Mardi Gras in Soulard

Mardi Gras festivities take over St. Louis’ historic Soulard neighborhood. Photo: Dave Herholz – Flickr

There’s a huge block party throughout Soulard Feb. 6, with tents featuring live music, beer and snacks in designated spots. Bud Light sponsored most of those too, so look for the beer signs.

If the weather isn’t as welcoming for a block party as you’d prefer, head for the Bud Light Party Tent in Soulard Market Park. It’s $100 to get in, but that comes with nine hours of DJs and open bars. They also allow re-entry, so you can jump around.

Saturday is the largest party day, but keep an eye out for Mardi Gras deals throughout town all weekend, especially at the bars and restaurants throughout Soulard.

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues win. Photo: Dave Herholz – Flickr

If you stay in town through Fat Tuesday, you’re sure to find some smaller celebrations throughout the week. The St. Louis Blues are playing the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Scottstrade Center, and the city has dubbed it Fat Bluesday. If you go to the Bud Light Tent Saturday and plan on going to the Blues game, you can get a combo ticket and save some cash. The concourse will be full of Mardi Gras-themed games and live music.

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Tagged: City, Festivals, Food & drink, FREE!, Holidays, Last minute travel, Seasonal

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The Big Easy might be “it” when it comes to Mardi Gras. But it definitely isn’t the only. Colorful celebrations happen across the U.S. — and they come with a lot of the same bells and whistles you get in the French Quarter. We’re talking Zydeco bands, great Cajun food and parades that seem to go on for days. Oh, yes, and beads. Lots of ’em. If you can’t hop a flight to New Orleans, save some cash and hit a party near you. Here are six of our top picks.

mobile alabama mardi gras

MOBILE, ALABAMA
NOLA’s southern neighbor hosts a dizzying 39 parades over 19 days. Standing idly byisn’t an option; onlookers clamor for beads or go for the ultimate catch: moon pies (chocolate-coated graham cracker cookies with marshmallow in the center). Apart from parade mania, touring the local Carnival Museum is a must and puts the partying in perspective by showcasing the history of Mardi Gras and how it originated in Mobile. For a real insider feel, grab a ticket to a Mardi Gras ball. It’s not uncommon for Mobillians to have a closet full of ball gowns and for men to own a set of tails. Most balls are invite-only, but some bigger groups, like Mystics of Time and Stripers, may open ticket sales to the general public. Mardi Gras celebrations are held through Feb. 17.

universal orlando mardi gras

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT – ORLANDO, FLORIDA
If you’re traveling with kids, this tamer celebration is the one to hit. After all, it takes place on Universal Studios property — home to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The spirit of N’awlins sweeps in from February 7-April 18, when days in the theme parks are capped off with Cajun food, a parade and live concerts. Every week there’s a major headliner, and this year’s lineup includes Jessie J, Kelly Clarkson and Trey Songz. On a smaller stage, New Orleans bands bring Bayou sound to the scene.

st louis mardi gras

SOULARD – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
On any given day, jazz and blues music steams from the many nightclubs in St. Louis’ Soulard neighborhood. It gets especially happening during Mardi Gras, which the historic French district actually turns into a month-long affair (January 6-February 17). Parades wend past the Anhauser Busch Brewery, Cajun cook-offs add sizzle, and even dogs get involved; on the second Sunday before Mardi Gras there is a pet parade (yep, the pups get dressed up, sparkly boas and all). Anyone is free to have a float in the parade, as long as you register your “krewe” (organizations, clubs or groups of friends). That said, it’s just as fun standing on the sidelines, cheering on the drag racers, musicians and costumed merry-makers.

MAGIC HAT – BURLINGTON, VERMONT
For 20 years, local brewery Magic Hat has thrown a Mardi Gras shindig, which is known for its parade down Main Street. Trumpets blare, jugglers wow, floats roll by and drums keep the beat as hundreds of people look (and drink) on. The parade is followed by after-parties on Church Street and throughout downtown Burlington. For true local flavor, venture a few minutes from downtown to Magic Hat’s Brewery and Artifactory, where tours are led and revelry is at a peak. Not only is this Mardi Gras a fantastic party, but it’s one with a purpose: This year’s proceeds benefit the Vermont Foodbank. Held Feb. 27-Mar. 1.

gaslamp district mardi gras

THE GASLAMP QUARTER – SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The second largest Fat Tuesday celebration in the U.S. is more street party than cultural immersion — but it’s alluring all the same. The GasLamp Quarter, with blocks of bars, clubs and restaurants, is San Diego’s major entertainment district. On February 17, it kicks into overdrive with five outdoor stages, DJs and a night parade with bands, floats, classic cars, belly dancers and Brazilian entertainment that could rival that of Carnival. Snoopadelic headlines the event, so crowds are expected to be thicker than a bowl of gumbo.

breckenridge mardi gras

BRECKENRIDGE MOUNTAIN  – BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
More than 15 years ago, a group ofNew Orleanians moved to this mountain paradise and brought a little bit of NOLA with them. Their modest celebration has expanded to the whole town of Breckenridge and includes live music, fire dancers and snow play. On Fat Tuesday, several blocks of Main Street shut down for a street party featuring Chris Daniels & the Kings, a jazz and swing act that’s performed with B.B. King. Larger-than-life puppets and harlequin-masked bon vivants light up the night as the sun sets behind the peaks of Breckenridge Ski Resort. New Orleans-themed food and drink specials are available at restaurants throughout town. Held Feb. 17.

Story by Kelly Aiglon

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Tagged: California, Cheap Tips, City, Events, Festivals, Florida, FREE!, Holidays, Last minute travel, Music, Off-season, Seasonal

Note: CheapTickets compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site.

Kelly Aiglon

Kelly Aiglon

Kelly Aiglon

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