Throw The Perfect Mardi Gras Party!
Whether you’re throwing a big party or just looking for a way to make your weeknight dinner a little more exciting, we’ve got you covered.
Celebrate with friends, family, or just pour yourself a delicious mixed drink when you get off work.
Check out this list of ideas for how to throw the perfect Mardi Gras party, and have fun!
((The History Of Mardi Gras))
https://www....of-mardi-gras
*** Throw The Perfect Mardi Gras Party ***
1. Find out the date of Mardi Gras this year.
In New Orleans, the Carnival season begins on King's Day (January 6th), and continues through Mardi Gras Day. Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) this year is on Tues, Feb 25th., with the main celebrations happening in the two weeks leading up to the date itself (Though unless you’re in New Orleans, the majority of US citizens just celebrate on Fat Tuesday)
2. Plan a date for your party.
Since Mardi Gras is always on a Tuesday, you will probably want to host your party the weekend beforehand. Plan your event for Saturday 2/22 or Sunday 2/23 and get your invites out, ASAP!
3. Get your costumes ready and encourage guests to do the same.
Mardi Gras revelers usually dress up, especially on Fat Tuesday. Make your Mardi Gras party a masquerade, and ask people to wear masks and costumes. You can pick a theme like a 17th century ball (the attire of choice for many of the Mardi Gras balls in New Orleans), favorite celebrity or even characters from comic books or movies. Or, you can simply ask that your guests come in their favorite costume without giving the party a specific theme.
* Consider a costume contest for your guests
OR
* Have them make their own masks as an activity at your party when they arrive (*more on this later)
4. Plan the food. Traditional food during Mardi Gras includes hot slow-cooked dishes like gumbo, red beans & rice, chili or jambalaya. Finger food is always welcome, as well as any food that is purple, green or gold. A King Cake is traditional; You can get the recipe here: https://www....g-cake-recipe
--- Check out these 23 Mardi Gras Party Foods That'll Make You Feel Like You're In The French Quarter:
https://www....food-recipes/
*Our favorite is the Traditional French Quarter Beignets
Light and fluffy with a coating of powdered sugar, it doesn’t get much better for desserts that beignets. Take advantage of this traditional New Orleans pastry and whip some up to eat, ASAP!
https://www....ecipe-2014039
--- Mixed Drinks Recipes:
-Mardi Gras Cocktail: https://www....ecipe-1923745
-Sazerac
The Sazerac is the official cocktail of the city of New Orleans. In the city, you can get a great one at the bar inside the Roosevelt hotel, which has been serving it since 1949.
https://www....ktail-recipe/
-Bourbon Hot Toddy: https://www....drink-recipe/
5. Decorate!
There are many ways to decorate your home or event hall for the party. You can hang purple, green and gold streamers and beads along fences or the stairs. Add a Mardi Gras faux chandelier to the ceiling. Have fun -- that’s what Mardi Gras is all about.
Think gold (yellow), green, and purple everything! Masks are one of the main themes and easy enough to find for decorations. Place masks, balloons, streamers, beads, and anything with colorful patterns around your home to invite the festivities of the New Orleans streets, indoors.
** For A Fun & Festive BACKDROP like the one in the photo above, you can head to your local party supply store and grab some colorful mylar streamers and balloons!
6. Plan the music and other activities
*Check out these 17 Mardi Gras songs to get the party started:
https://www....keep-it-going
*Some fun games to play:
— Gold Coin Treasure Hunt
Design three Treasure Chests (cardboard boxes – one painted gold, one green, one purple) and fill them with costume jewelry, play money and candy gold coins. Hide the boxes throughout your party space and write three sets of clever clues (bonus points for rhyming!). Divide your guests into gold, green and purple teams and give each the first of their set of clues. Solving it will lead each team to its next clue and so on. The first pair to find their treasure chest wins bragging rights!
— Mardi Gras Musical Chairs
This party game isn’t just for elementary school carnivals! Set up chairs (one fewer than number of players to start) and play the Mardi Gras tunes (Zydeco and swing bands are good bets). Assign someone – or yourself – to start and stop the music and let the crazy begin.
— Find the Baby (Again)
If you’re serving King Cake, ask the guest who finds the “baby” in his or her slice to hide it in the party room. The hider can encourage party guests with hints of “you’re getting hotter” and “colder, colder!” to lead party guests to find that baby a second time.
Games need prizes, so reward your winners with fun Mardi Gras trinkets such as gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins; feather boas; gold, green and purple strings of beads; mini bottles of favorite Mardi Gras spirits such as rum (age-appropriate, of course); and costume crowns.
*** DIY MASKS ***
You can’t have a Mardi Gras party without the star of the show: The Mask.
Here are some ideas for making your own:
* No Sew: https://www....i-gras-masks/
* Pipe Cleaner Mask: https://www....di-gras-mask/
* Printable Mardi Masks: https://ever...di-gras-mask/
* Lace Masquerade Mask: https://keep...ade-mask.html
* Handprint Masks the kids will love
https://www....t-mask-craft/
*** Let your guests decorate a mask when they arrive at your party. This is a great way to get them talking and creating and best of all: everyone will have a mask!