Fat Tuesday 2011 Mardi Gras and King Cake

Fat Tuesday 2011 is Tuesday, March 8. Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”, marks the last day of the Carnival season (an easy way remember this is its the day before Ash Wednesday, if that helps). The parades begin in January and continue until Fat Tuesday. Stay tuned for the 2011 parade schedule.

The parades! Grab some beads and don't forget your Bead Bag. Are you looking for a unique bead bag? Check out cafepress.com for some unique designs.



King Cakes
Who has the best king cake? Who's king cake ships the best? Just because it's a great king cake locally doesn't mean it travels well and still tastes great in Wisconsin. The debates will go on forever.

• Gambino's Bakery
  http://www.gambinos.com/
  800-GAMBINO
  
• Haydel's Bakery
  http://www.haydelbakery.com
  800-442-1342
  
• Randazzo's Bakery
  http://www.kingcakes.com/
  800-684-2253

2008 Mardi Gras Parades and King Cakes

HAPPY MARTY GRAW, Y'ALL, the Mardi Gras parades are a rolling. Here is the line-up for Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans and surrounding areas leading up to Fat Tuesday!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 6
• Phunny Phorty Phellows - Streetcar Route, 7 p.m.
• Alla - Algiers 1 p.m.
• Claude - Slidell, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11
• Brid - Lakeview, 6:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13
• Krewe of Slidellians - Slidell, 1:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19
• Krewe du Vieux - French Quarter, 7 p.m.
• Krewe of Bilge - Oak Harbor Marina, Slidell Noon

SUNDAY, JANUARY 20
• Little Rascals - Metairie, noon
• Perseus - Slidell, 1 p.m.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
• Oshun - Uptown, 6 p.m.
• Cleopatra - West Bank, 6:30 p.m.
• Pygmalion - Uptown, 6:45 p.m.
• Excalibur - Metairie, 7 p.m.
• Atlas - Metairie, 7:30 p.m.
• Eve - Mandeville, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANAURY 26
• Choctaw - West Bank, 11:30 a.m.
• Adonis - Metairie, noon
• Pontchartrain - Uptown, 1 p.m.
• Shangri-La - Uptown, 2 p.m.
• Caesar - Metairie, 6 p.m.
• Sparta - Uptown, 6 p.m.
• Pegasus - Uptown, 6:45 p.m.
• Olympia - Covington, 6 p.m.
• Mona Lisa and Moon Pie - Slidell, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27
• Alla - West Bank, 11:30 a.m.
• Carrollton - Uptown, Noon
• King Arthur - Uptown, 1:15 p.m.
• Barkus - French Quarter, 2 p.m.
• Rhea - Metairie, 2:00 p.m.
• Centurions - Metairie, 5:30 p.m.
• Nemesis - Chalmette 2 p.m.
• Dionysus - Slidell, 1:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30
• Druids - Uptown, 6 p.m.
• Thor - Metairie, 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31
• Babylon - Uptown, 5:45 p.m.
• Chaos - Uptown, 6:30 p.m.
• Muses - Uptown, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1
• Hermes - Uptown, 6 p.m.
• d'Etat - Uptown, 6:30 p.m.
• Aquila - Metairie, 7 p.m.
• Morpheus - Uptown, 7:45 p.m.
• Selene - Slidell, 6:30 p.m.
• Orpheus - Mandeville, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2
• NOMTOC - West Bank, 10:45 a.m.
• Iris - Uptown, 11 a.m.
• Tucks - Uptown, Noon
• Endymion - Mid-City, 4:15 p.m.
• Isis - Metairie, 6 p.m.
• Napoleon - Metairie, 6:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3
• Okeanos - Uptown, 11 a.m.
• Thoth - Uptown, 11:30 a.m.
• Adonis - West Bank, Noon
• Mid-City - Uptown, 12:15 p.m.
• Bacchus - Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
• Napoleon - Metairie, 5:30 p.m.
• Tchefuncte - Madisonville, 2 p.m.

LUNDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 4
• Proteus - Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
• Orpheus - Uptown, 6 p.m.
• Zeus - Metairie, 6:30 p.m.

MARDI GRAS DAY, FEBRUARY 5
• Zulu - Uptown, 8 a.m.
• Rex - Uptown, 10 a.m.
• Elks Orleans - Uptown, follows Rex
• Crescent City - Uptown, follows Elks
• Argus - Metairie, 10 a.m.
• Jefferson Trucks - Metairie, follows Argus
• Elks Jefferson - Metairie, follows Jefferson
• Grela - West Bank, 11 a.m.
• Lions - Covington, 10 a.m.
• Covington - Covington, follows Lions

Get out to the parades! Grab some beads! Don't forget your Bead Bag. Looking for a unique bead bag? Check out cafepress.com/iheartmg

Who has the best king cake? Who's king cake ships the best? Just because it's a great king cake locally doesn't mean travels and tastes great in Wisconsin. Share your favorite king cake tips.

Mardi Gras Music!

· Gambino's Bakery, New Orleans http://www.gambinos.com/
800-GAMBINO

· Haydel's Bakery http://www.haydelbakery.com/
800-442-1342

· Randazzo's Bakery http://www.kingcakes.com/

For Parade changes and cancellations, jump over to the NOLA Parade schedule on Mardi Gras.com. Missing a parade? Add your updates in the comments area.

Hey New York City: Light up the Empire State Building in Mardi Gras colors - Purple, Green and Gold

Empire State Building - February 28, 2006

Last year our efforts to encourage the group who manages the lighting of the Empire State Building started a little too late. Lets get organized, send in official requests and convince the ESB to light up in Purple Green and Gold on Fat Tuesday - February 5, 2008, and hopefully every year.

Remember that the Empire State Building receives tons of requests each year to become Lighting Partners. So the earlier, the better. Download the questionnaire, complete it and FAX it back.

Thanks for helping, and spreading the message to NY fans of New Orleans and NOLA in New York :) There is a lot of clean up to do in the Gulf Coast, and this is the perfect time to remind the world we're still recovering.

UPDATE February 1, 2008:  The Empire State Building has a conflict which prevents lighting in Purple, Green and Gold on Fat Tuesday. Please do not send in requests for Feb'08. See ya next year. Thanks!