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Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade

Travel Guides

Celebrate Mardi Gras At These Campgrounds

Mardi Gras festivities aren't only in New Orleans! Enjoy the celebrations at these campgrounds across the country.

Jeff Crider
Jeff Crider
3 MIN READ

The Sunbelt is famous for its sunny, warm winters. But winter is also the time when New Orleans and other Sunbelt cities celebrate Mardi Gras, the annual celebration with colorful parades, masquerade balls and festive cakes. Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday” in French, takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, when Christians begin a 40-day fast that ends on the Thursday before Easter.

While Mardi Gras was initially a time of enjoying rich foods on the eve of Lent, the celebration has since expanded to include several weeks of festivities, which include everything from parades and community celebrations to masquerade balls and the tradition of “king cakes.” which are a popular treat at Mardi Gras-themed parties.

Food, of course, is an important part of the Mardi Gras celebration. Visitors to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras period can expect to find street vendors selling king cakes, gumbo, po’boys, and other local treats. Additoinal details on the festivities are available on websites such as Bounce.com.

MardiGrasNewOrleans.com and NewOrleans.com have schedules with nearly 20 Mardi Gras-themed parades and other special events in New Orleans from Jan. 6 through March 15. Nearby campgrounds include:

Of course, New Orleans isn’t the only place in the country to experience Mardi Gras celebrations. Here’s a listing of several other cities across the country with Mardi Gras celebrations along with listings of nearby campgrounds that can be used as base camps to attend these events:

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parades: Mardi Gras-themed parades are scheduled for March 4 in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Nearby campgrounds include:

Mobile Mardi Gras: More than 40 Mardi Gras-themed parades are scheduled between Feb. 14 and March 4 in Mobile, which has been celebrating Mardi Gras since 1703, longer than any other city in the U.S. Nearby campgrounds include:

Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade
Photo courtesy of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

 

Pensacola Mardi Gras: Pensacola has numerous Mardi Gras-themed events from January to March 4, including masquerade balls and parades, with the annual Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade being the largest parade and the largest annual gathering of people in downtown Pensacola. Nearby campgrounds include:

Mardi Gras Celebration
Photo courtesy of Ash Simmons Photography, ashsimmons.com / instagram @ashsimmons

 

Baton Rouge Mardi Gras: Parades and other special events take place for Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge from Feb. 15 to March 4. Nearby campgrounds include:

Mardi Gras Events in Biloxi and other Coastal Cities: There are parades and other Mardi Gras-themed events in Biloxi and neighboring communities from Jan. 4 to March 4. Nearby campgrounds include:

St. Louis Mardi Gras: St. Louis has the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country outside of New Orleans. Mardi Gras events are scheduled from  Jan. 6 to March 4, including carnivals, parades, a Cajun cookoff and a 5K run. Nearby campgrounds include:

Mardi Gras Celebration
Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Mardi Gras Foundation

 

Portland Mardi Gras: While the northwest might not be known for their Mardi Gras celebrations – that doesn’t stop Portland from honoring the tradition. Each year they have a massive ticketed themed ball and a free parade down Mississippi Avenue featuring. Marching bands, hand-decorated umbrellas thrown from the floats, and costume contests are sure to provide entertainment for all-ages. Nearby campgrounds include:

Mardi Gras Galveston: Galveston has the nation’s third largest Mardi Gras celebration, with special events scheduled from Feb. 21 to March 4, including parades, headliner performances and dancing. Nearby campgrounds include:

Jeff Crider

Author

Jeff Crider

Jeff Crider, President and CEO of Crider Public Relations, has been involved in covering the campground industry for over 25 years. Jeff has worked as a freelance writer for publications such as RV Business, Motor Home Magazine, Trailer Life, Highways and other Affinity Group Inc. publications since 1995. He has also successfully pitched many of the nation's top tier media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Financial Times, Reuters, The Associated Press and National Public Radio. In addition to writing, Jeff is also a talented photographer and humanitarian.