Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Fastnacht—no matter what we call it, this traditional festival day (which falls this year on Feb. 17) offers the opportunity to indulge and celebrate. Historically, Christian cultures around the world observe this last day of sweet treats, parties, red meat, and other indulgences before the beginning of Lent—the pre-Easter season of austerity.
Here in Minnesota, you can find a bevy of fun ways to celebrate Mardi Gras, from music performances to traditional foods. As the Cajun phrase goes, laissez les bons temps rouler!
Courtesy of Masopust Montgomery
Things To Do
Get-togethers, concerts, and more
Masopust: Czech Mardi Gras
In the heart of Minnesota’s Czech-heritage region, the team behind summer’s Kolacky Days produces its 26th annual Masopust celebration. Activities include polka music from George’s Concertina Band, folk dancing, a costume ball, and a silent auction, plus traditional Czech foods.
Feb. 15, Noon-4 p.m.
Revival on Main, 213 First St. S., Montgomery; montgomerymn.org/masopust
Dance Your Brass Off
The Turf Club in St. Paul hosts a musical Mardi Gras celebration featuring Brass Messengers, McNasty Brass Band, and BrassZilla on two stages in its historic lounge.
Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
Ages 21+
Turf Club, 1601 University Ave. W., St. Paul; first-avenue.com
Courtesy of Turf Club
Mardi Gras Kings
Close your eyes and imagine you’re in New Orleans with the sounds of the Mardi Gras Kings. This beloved annual music performance is hosted by the historic Holmes Theatre in Detroit Lakes.
Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
Historic Holmes Theatre, 806 Summit Ave., Detroit Lakes; polarfestdl.com
Mardi Gras pARTy
This mini camp puts an artsy spin on Mardi Gras for kids, and features jazz tunes and the chance for young revelers to create their own masks or mini parade floats from recycled materials.
Feb. 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ages 5-11
$45 for a half-day session
ARTrageous Adventures, 2121 W. 21st St., Minneapolis; artrageousadventures.com
Dirty Shorts Brass Band Mardi Gras Party
This ensemble plays traditional New Orleans-style jazz year-round, but they’re especially suited to bringing authentic Mardi Gras vibes on the day itself. Check out their Fat Tuesday performance in St. Paul at the Minnesota Music Cafe.
Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Music Cafe, 501 Payne Ave., St. Paul; minnesotamusiccafe.com
Mardi Gras at Rail Werks
The Saint Peter St. Stompers jazz band comes to this Columbia Heights brewery for a Mardi Gras celebration, and the kitchen staff will serve up Cajun favorites like chicken wings, andouille sausage, and beignets.
Feb. 17, 6 p.m.
Rail Werks Brewing Depot, 4055 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; railwerksbrewingdepot.com
What To Eat
Beignets, king cakes, and more
Tri-color king cakes are typically shaped into an oval, and sprinkled or iced with green, purple, and gold—and may hide a trinket inside their crusts, like a tiny plastic baby. The person who finds the baby in their piece of cake earns good luck for the following year. Looking for a king cake to pick up for your own celebration? Check out Isles Bun and Coffee in Minneapolis, where you can preorder a whole cake, or Sarah Jane’s Bakery, also in Minneapolis.
For Cajun dishes that bring the spirit of a New Orleans Mardi Gras home to Minnesota, try a seafood-forward bite from Smack Shack or a seafood boil from Asian-Cajun fusion spot The Cajun House. Smack Shack’s Bloomington location hosts an oyster-shucking class on Mardi Gras this year, where participants can sip wine or beer and learn a delicious new skill.
Courtesy of Smack Shack
French cuisine is the hallmark of Minneapolis cafe St. Genevieve, and Mardi Gras is the perfect day to try their beloved beignets, fried and sprinkled with sugar. Farther out from the Twin Cities in St. Joseph, the team behind Krewe focuses on New Orleans-inspired flavors all year-round—including beignets, muffuletta, gumbo, and more. On Mardi Gras, they host a celebration with drink and food specials.
Courtesy of St. Genevieve
Sarah Jane’s Bakery and Kramarczuk’s are two of the Minneapolis bakeries where you can find pączki, traditional Polish doughnuts filled with jam or fruit and topped with powdered sugar. As in many cultures, Polish food traditions involve using up the last of the “rich” ingredients (like butter and sugar) in pancakes or doughnuts before the Lenten fast.
