How to Organize a Mardi Gras Party

It doesn't have to be Fat Tuesday or even February and March to have a Mardis Gras Party. Do you miss being in New Orleans or just want to experience what a Mardis Gras party is like outside of New Orleans? How about having a Mardis Gras Halloween Party or a Mardis Gras birthday party instead?

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mardis Gras costumes, including the masks
• Beads as party favors
• Music from jazz artists like Allen Touissant and the Dirty Dozen brass band

1. Create a competition for best costume and best mask.

2. Have a dance contest to various New Orleans style jazz songs that fit the Mardis Gras theme.

3. Encourage a potluck dinner or ask everybody to bring an item that can be put into popular New Orleans dishes like gumbo or gravy meals. Seafood is also a pretty popular meal to encourage your guests to bring.

4. Ask your musician friends to play Mardis Gras traditional music, assuming they know how. It'll give them the opportunity to show off their musical talent and be party entertainment for you.

5. Decide how risque you want this party to be. Should there be flashing involved? Can there be makeup across the chest? Make that plain on the invitation so nobody shows up and potentially ruins your G-rated party.

6. Distribute material on the origins of Mardis Gras, including what a krewe is. There's definitely a debate going on about whether Mardis Gras in the United States started in Birmingham, Alabama or Mobile, Louisiana. Distribute handouts for both.

7. Hire a bartender to make Mardis Gras drinks like the Bacardi Hurricane, Bourbon Old-Fashioned, Jazzmatazz, Mardis Gras Flasher and the New Orleans Hand Grenade. Whatever you do, don't forget the bourbon.

Resources

• Mardis Gras drinks
• New Orleans Mardis Gras
• The History of Mardi Gras