Here’s an update of what to do in Atlanta for Mardi Gras this year.
Atlanta never needs an excuse to throw a party, but when a legitimate holiday hits the calendar, Atlantans do as the city's unofficial motto commands: They rise up.
That's right party people, Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and we've got you covered with the best celebrations, bar crawls, Cajun food and drinks to kick it carnival-style.
Feb. 6
Big Easy Grille | Feb. 6 and Feb. 9, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
1193 Collier Road NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30318, 404-352-2777, www.bigeasygrille.com
Can't make it to New Orleans for beads, booze and general debauchery? Gather your friends and family at the Big Easy for a Mardi Gras crawfish boil, drink specials, bead-throwing and live music on Saturday with a special musical appearance on Fat Tuesday by Wasted Potential Brass Band.
Atlanta Bar Tours Mardi Gras Street Car Adventure | Feb. 6, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., $29.99
Registration at Sweet Auburn Curb Market, 209 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, Ga. 30303 or Park Bar at Centennial Olympic Park, 150 Walton St. NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30303, www.atlantabartours.com
Wear a crazy costume and tour the city's historic Edgewood and Fairly Poplar districts while the streetcar makes stops for Mardi Gras grub and themed drinks at bars and restaurants like Noni's Deli, Speakeasy, Joystick, Sweet Auburn Curb Market and Delightful Eatz.
Three street cars will be running throughout the day to take the beaded masses to and from locations along the route, so don't forget to grab a map when you register. Instagram your adventure using hashtag #MardiGrasStreetcarAdventure.
Operation P.E.A.C.E. Mardi Gras Fundraiser at Masquerade | Feb. 6, 9 p.m., $75+
695 North Ave. Atlanta, Ga. 30308, 404-347-4040, www.masq.com
What better way to send off the ill-fated Masquerade than with one last Mardi Gras blowout? Drink, dance and do some good for Operation P.E.A.C.E., which serves 150 under-served young people in the Old Fourth Ward and Bedford Pine through academic after-school programs.
Participate in the live auction and enjoy Cajun food, themed drinks and live music by jazz funk band, Pryor View Experience.
Feb. 9 - FAT TUESDAY
Atlantic Station Mardi Gras Ice Skating | Feb. 9, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., children $10, adults $13
1380 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30363, 404-410-4010, www.atlanticstation.com
Bring the family or grab your friends and head to Atlantic Station for an evening of Fat Tuesday ice skating, beads and jazz music under the glow of the city lights. Price includes skate rental. Weather permitting.
Serpas True Food | Feb. 9, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., $45
659 Auburn Ave. NE, #501, Atlanta, Ga. 30312, 404-688-0040, www.serpasrestaurant.com
New Orleans native chef Scott Serpas invites you to don your beads and join him for his seventh Annual Mardi Gras Bash. If you can't make it to the Big Easy this year, Chef Serpas and his team will wine and dine you New Orleans-style with live music, an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring fried oysters and gumbo, a complimentary Hurricane or Abita beer and, of course, king cake for dessert.
Additional drink specials available for $5 each and seating is first-come, first-served.
Avalon Mardi Gras Pub Crawl | Feb. 9, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Free
2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta, Ga. 30009, 770-765-2000, www.experienceavalon.com
Shop, eat, drink and celebrate at Avalon's second annual Mardi Gras pub crawl. Sample Cajun food, sip on fanciful cocktails and shop retail store specials as Avalon Boulevard transforms into Bourbon Street for the evening. Check in at the concierge for your pub crawl map and instructions.
Oakhurst Market | Feb. 9, 9 a.m to 8 p.m.
650 East Lake Drive, Decatur, Ga. 30030, 678-732-3109, www.oakhurstmarket.com
The market will provide revelers a Fat Tuesday supper special to take home as part of their weekly dinner series. Make your Mardi Gras meal easy and enjoy crawfish, chicken gumbo, andouille and red beans and rice in the comfort of your own home. Call the market to place your order for two to four people by 2 p.m. Pick up between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Meals sell out quickly, so be sure to order your Mardi Gras feast soon.
Atkins Park Virginia Highland | Feb. 9, 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
794 North Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30306, 404-876-7249, www.atkinspark.com
Head to Atkins Park in Virginia Highland on Fat Tuesday for a day full of beads, Restoration Pale Ale, po'boys, gumbo, jambalaya and king cake for dessert.
Feb. 13
"Tardi Gras" Cajun Dance Party | Feb. 13, 8 p.m to 11 p.m., $18, $5 students, $14 ACZA members
Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive, Sandy Springs, Ga. 30328, 877-338-2420, www.acz ada nce.org
Did you miss the revelry on Fat Tuesday? Join the Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association (ACZA) for "Tardi Gras" with authentic Louisiana Cajun music and dancing to the sounds of Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys.
Get there early for free dance lessons from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy Cajun and creole food from Fusions Catering. No bar.
If you're stilling looking for Mardi Gras shenanigans, why not build your own bar crawl? Order up an Uber, throw on your beads and hit the town.
