If you need a break from your New Year’s resolutions, then you are in luck — Mardi Gras is around the corner, and there are plenty of places to celebrate in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is celebrated in many cultures and countries and dates back to Medieval Europe. The celebration offers a last opportunity for indulgence before practicing self-denial during the observance of Lent. However, for some celebrants, even those who don’t observe Lent, it’s a fun excuse to party.
Today Mardi Gras festivals are held around the world, including Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Galveston, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
If you can’t get to one of those destinations to join the colorful parades and lavish masquerade balls, there are ways to celebrate right here in Dallas starting the weekend before Fat Tuesday.
If you are looking for something for the kiddos to do, bring them to the “Dash for Beads,” an annual 10k and 5k run, and 1 mile walk at Kidd Spring Park on Saturday, February 26. You can register to run, walk, or spectate, and the first of the events kick off at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to best-dressed walker, runner, and pet.
Afterwards, you can stick around for their Mardis Gras party, where there will be mimosas and beer for the adults, as well as local vendors, food trucks, and drinks for the whole family. The organizers of the event are a nonprofit that donates its proceeds to area grade-schools to help promote healthy eating and physical activity.
For those who would rather go elsewhere after working up an appetite, head to the seafood bash at Lofty Spaces on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. for crab legs, salmon, and daiquiris. Tickets are just $5 a person.
Beginning a bit later in the afternoon, the fifth-annual Mardi Gras at Legacy Hall in Plano will run Saturday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be live jazz music all day and plenty of Mardi Gras-themed food. You can register for general admission to hear the tunes for free, or those 21 and up can purchase VIP balcony tickets starting at $45 that include food and drink.
If you’re looking for a classier affair, go for The Crescent Hotel, where they will be hosting a classy Jazz Brunch on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m for $75 a person. Visit their website to make your reservation and purchase your tickets.
DFW also offers festivities on March 1 for day-of Mardis Gras, Fat Tuesday fun.
For the kids, Dallas Public Library will hold a Mardi Gras mask-making class for children ages six to eleven on March 1 from 4 until 5:30 p.m. Register for free on their website.
Also on March 1, there will be a “Big Bead Bash” at Dibs on Victory at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $5 a person.
If you love crawfish, celebrate Fat Tuesday at the Dallas Farmers Market with a Crawfish Boil from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $40.
If you do observe Lent, Ash Wednesday this year begins the day after Fat Tuesday, on March 2 and ends on April 16.
