A Mardi Gras Party is all about color, festivity, and excitement, offering the perfect opportunity to celebrate with friends and family in style. Inspired by the legendary New Orleans celebration, a Mardi Gras party brings together music, delicious food, and fun traditions for an unforgettable event. Here’s how you can plan your own Mardi Gras-themed bash!

1. Invitations

Set the tone for a vibrant, festive night with invitations that evoke the spirit of Mardi Gras.

  • Beads and Masks: Use beads or masks as part of the invitation design. You can send invitations in the shape of a Mardi Gras mask, with sparkling details or feather accents.
  • Carnival-Themed: Create invitations that resemble carnival tickets or parade floats. You could also send a bead necklace or a mini mask as part of the invite for a fun touch.
  • Purple, Green, and Gold: Incorporate the iconic Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These vibrant hues will help set the mood for a festive and colorful event.

2. Venue and Decorations

Transform your venue into a lively and energetic Mardi Gras celebration.

Traditional Colors

  • Purple, Green, and Gold: Use purple, green, and gold decorations throughout the venue. Hang streamers, balloons, and garlands in these festive colors. You can also create an entrance adorned with these colors to welcome guests.
  • Feathers and Glitter: Incorporate feathers, sequins, glitter, and sparkles to add a dazzling, carnival atmosphere. Think about hanging feathered masks or adding glittering confetti to the tables.

Beads Everywhere

  • Beads: Mardi Gras is synonymous with beads, so cover the venue in colorful strands. Hang them from the ceiling, scatter them on tables, or place them in baskets for guests to wear.
  • Table Settings: For the tables, use beaded table runners, golden plates, and sparkly napkins to create a festive look. Consider using gold cups or mardi gras-themed drinkware.

Masks and Jester Hats

  • Masks: Decorate the space with intricate masks. You can also offer guests masks to wear as they enter to complete the Mardi Gras look.
  • Jester Hats: Place jester hats or feather crowns around the venue or offer them as fun photo booth props.

Carnival Theme

  • Parade Floats: Create small parade float displays using cardboard, wood, or styrofoam for a playful touch. Decorate them with balloons, streamers, and glittery details.
  • String Lights: Use string lights to create a whimsical, carnival-inspired environment, adding to the atmosphere.

3. Dress Code

Encourage your guests to dress in their most colorful, fun, and festive attire.

  • Masks: Ask guests to wear masks or offer them at the door as they arrive. You can have a mask-making station where guests can decorate their own.
  • Bright and Bold Attire: Guests can wear purple, green, and gold clothing. Think sequined dresses, feathered boas, and sparkly accessories.
  • Costumes: For a more fun, interactive party, ask guests to come in full Mardi Gras costumes such as jesters, magicians, or Carnival performers.

4. Food & Drinks

Mardi Gras is all about indulgent, flavorful food and drinks, so offer a variety of delicious options that pay homage to New Orleans cuisine.

Food

  • King Cake: No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a traditional King Cake. It’s a colorful cake, often topped with purple, green, and gold icing, and traditionally filled with cinnamon or cream cheese.
  • Jambalaya: Serve a hearty, flavorful Jambalaya made with shrimp, chicken, and sausage for a taste of classic New Orleans.
  • Crawfish Boil: A traditional crawfish boil with corn, potatoes, and spices is a perfect Mardi Gras dish.
  • Beignets: These fried dough pastries, covered in powdered sugar, are a must for any Mardi Gras celebration. Serve them in baskets or boxes for easy snacking.
  • Po’ Boys: Offer Po’ Boy sandwiches made with fried shrimp, catfish, or roast beef, served on New Orleans-style French bread.
  • Gumbo: A flavorful gumbo with sausage, seafood, and okra is perfect for a hearty Mardi Gras meal.
  • Shrimp Cocktail: Serve a refreshing shrimp cocktail with tangy cocktail sauce or a spicy Cajun dipping sauce.
  • Hushpuppies: Serve crispy hushpuppies as a side dish or appetizer to complete the Southern experience.
  • Mardi Gras-Themed Sweets: Offer treats such as colored sugar cookies, cupcakes, or candied pecans in Mardi Gras colors. You could also serve chocolate-dipped strawberries with purple, green, and gold sprinkles.

Drinks

  • Hurricane Cocktails: The famous Hurricane cocktail is a New Orleans staple. Combine rum, passion fruit juice, orange juice, and a dash of grenadine for a sweet, fruity drink.
  • Sazerac: A classic Sazerac cocktail, made with rye whiskey, absinthe, and bitters, is a nod to New Orleans’ drinking culture.
  • Café au Lait: For a non-alcoholic option, serve a warm Café au Lait or offer a New Orleans-style iced coffee with a dash of chicory.
  • Cajun Punch: Make a big batch of Cajun punch with tropical juices like pineapple and orange, spiked with a little rum or vodka.
  • Mocktails: Serve fun non-alcoholic options like a Citrus Fizz (made with sparkling water, lime, and orange) or a Sweet Tea Lemonade.

5. Activities and Games

Incorporate some fun and interactive games that play on the festive Mardi Gras spirit.

Mardi Gras Parade

  • Host a mini Mardi Gras parade in your venue! Ask guests to march around with beads, masks, and props. You could even have music playing to get everyone in the festive mood.
  • Have guests participate by throwing beads or candy to others in the crowd, just like the parades in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras Trivia

  • Host a Mardi Gras trivia game with questions about the history of Mardi Gras, New Orleans culture, and famous Mardi Gras traditions. Offer fun prizes like beads, masks, or mini King Cakes.

King Cake Baby Search

  • Hide a figurine or baby (representing the traditional King Cake Baby) in the King Cake. The person who finds it can win a prize or be crowned Mardi Gras King/Queen.

Mask Decorating Station

  • Set up a mask-making station with plain white masks, glitter, feathers, ribbons, beads, and paint. Guests can create their own unique Mardi Gras masks to wear during the party.

Dance Contest

  • Play lively Cajun, jazz, and zydeco music and have a dance contest. This could include a swing dance or a cajun line dance competition with a prize for the best dancer.

6. Music Playlist

The right music will bring the Mardi Gras spirit to life. Play a mix of traditional New Orleans jazz, zydeco, and party anthems to keep the energy high.

  • “When the Saints Go Marching In” (Louis Armstrong)
  • “Mardi Gras Mambo” (The Hawketts)
  • “Do Whatcha Wanna” (Rebirth Brass Band)
  • “Iko Iko” (The Dixie Cups)
  • “Jambalaya” (Hank Williams)
  • “La Vie en Rose” (Louis Armstrong)
  • “C’est Si Bon” (Bobby Darin)

7. Party Favors

Send guests home with colorful Mardi Gras-themed party favors to remember the celebration.

  • Bead Necklaces: Give each guest a strand of Mardi Gras beads as a party favor.
  • Mini Masks: Provide mini Mardi Gras masks or decorative mask magnets as mementos.
  • King Cake Slices: Send guests home with a slice of King Cake wrapped in festive paper for them to enjoy later.
  • Customized Cups: Give guests Mardi Gras-themed cups or flasks with personalized messages or the date of your party.

With the right decorations, food, music, and activities, your Mardi Gras party will be full of fun, laughter, and plenty of beads. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a larger carnival-style event, this celebration is sure to be a hit!