Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, but the term is also used to refer to celebrations at any time during Carnival. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 21 this year, and the traditional colors of purple, green and gold -- standing for justice, faith and power, respectively -- will be flaunted all season long at parades and balls around the Southeast, particularly in the Gulf Coast region, where Mardi Gras was first celebrated in the New World, and in one historic town along the Georgia coast.
Lafourche Parish, La.
Bayou Lafourche Mardi Gras, Feb. 4-21
If you want to experience a less-crowded and more family-friendly Louisiana-style Mardi Gras celebration, bypass the drunken debauchery of New Orleans and head into Bayou Country southwest of the city. The towns of Lafourche Parish are situated along Bayou Lafourche, which stretches from the Mississippi River west of New Orleans south to the Gulf of Mexico. Communities along this narrow bayou stage parades and balls from different krewes in the area. The city of Thibodaux sits at the center of the action. Parades occur each weekend in February, with many more on Fat Tuesday. The communities of Larose, Golden Meadow, Lockport, Galliano and Raceland also have parades and other festivities during Carnival season, and the streets are lined with food vendors selling all kinds of Cajun specialties, barbecue and seafood. The area is easy to navigate, with state highways running along both sides of Bayou Lafourche throughout the parish. For specific, up-to-date info on parade routes, times and other activities along Bayou Lafourche, contact the Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission at 1-877-537-5800, or visit the website www.visitlafourche.com.
Stay
Dansereau House. Downtown Thibodaux bed-and-breakfast housed in an ornate and historic mansion that includes a family suite on the third floor. Rates start at $150. 506 Saint Philip St., Thibodaux. 985-227-9937, www.dansereauhouse.com.
Eat
Fremin's. Upscale restaurant in a building that once was a 19th-century drugstore. The menu features steak, seafood, pasta and Italian specialties, as well as more affordable sandwich-and-fries selections for the kids. Dinner entrees start at $17, sandwiches with a side at $8.95. 402 W. Third St., Thibodaux. 985-449-0333, www.fremins.net.
Pensacola, Fla.
Pensacola Mardi Gras, Feb. 17-21
The flags of five countries -- including the French flag -- have flown over Pensacola during its rich colonial past. Pensacola has a long Mardi Gras history, with the first official celebrations taking place in the 1870s. Today, the area is host to events throughout Carnival season, including the Pirates of Lost Treasure Flotilla off Perdido Key on Feb. 4 and the Kid and Kritter Krawl in Pensacola Beach on Feb. 11. But the weekend before Fat Tuesday is when downtown Pensacola and historic Seville Quarter really come alive. Arrive in town early enough on Friday the 17th to see the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade, a nighttime parade with spectacularly lit floats. The next afternoon (Feb. 18) is the Grand Parade, featuring many different krewes. On Sunday afternoon (Feb. 19), head across the bay for the Pensacola Beach parade. The culmination of the season is the Fat Tuesday Priscus Procession, a nighttime parade and celebration in downtown Pensacola. The Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has more info at its website at www.visitpensacola.com. Stop in at the welcome center in Wayside Park on East Gregory Street/U.S. 98 at the foot of the Bay Bridge after arriving in town for additional guidance.
Stay
Lee House. All-suite bed-and-breakfast inn with a view of the harbor from its large wraparound porch; located across the street from Seville Square. Rates start at $195. 400 Bayfront Parkway, Pensacola. 850-912-8770, www.leehousepensacola.com.
Eat
The Fish House. Seafood restaurant at the Seville Harbour Marina. Order the signature smoked Gouda cheese grits. Specialties served with hush puppies and two sides start at $19.95 for dinner, $10.95 for lunch. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. 850-470-0003, www.goodgrits.com.
St. Marys, Ga.
Mardi Gras Festival & Parade, Feb. 18
The small, historic seaport town of St. Marys doesn't have a long history with Mardi Gras, but that doesn't keep the townsfolk from throwing a spirited party each year. This year marks the 18th Annual Mardi Gras Festival and Parade in St. Marys. It's a family-oriented event along the waterfront area of downtown -- a National Historic District. The parade will feature floats and costumes centered around this year's festival theme, "All That Jazz." Jazz acts perform all day long at the waterfront music stage. A highlight of the event is the costumed pet parade after the regular parade, as well as the street festival between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. with kid-favorite amusements such as an inflatable slide, a climbing wall and a trackless train. There also will be numerous arts and crafts displays and a chili cook-off. Make a weekend of it by taking the ferry from the St. Marys waterfront to Cumberland Island National Seashore. St. Marys is the gateway point to Georgia's largest barrier island, where you can see wild horses frolicking along miles of undeveloped coastline. For assistance planning your trip to St. Marys, contact the St. Marys Convention and Visitors Bureau at 912-882-4000, or through its website at www.stmaryswelcome.com.
Stay
Riverview Hotel. On the waterfront downtown in a historic building and at the heart of all the Mardi Gras action. Rates $79-$129. 105 Osborne St., St. Marys. 912-882-3242, www.riverviewhotelstmarys.com.
Eat
Captain Seagles. Seafood restaurant and saloon located in the Riverview Hotel, frequented by locals as well as tourists. Entrees start at $9.95. 105 Osborne St., St. Marys. 912-882-2472, www.riverviewhotelstmarys.com/dining-st-marys-ga.
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