It’s that time of year when my family’s group text pings with selfies of my parents, smiling in their emerald and violet Mardi Gras krewe regalia. Carnival season on the Mississippi Coast looks different from the celebrations of my youth, catching beads in suburbia along the Northshore of Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain. But closer to the Gulf of Mexico’s lapping waves, you’ll find the charm that’s missing from the rowdy crowds crammed along the Crescent City’s streets for its super krewes.
“It’s a big deal down here, just like it is in New Orleans,” said Heidi Boyanton, a member of the Krewe of Diamondhead (and my mom). No matter where you are in the Deep South, when it comes to parades, “they’re all about having a good time,” she added.
This year, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. As tradition dictates, partiers along the Gulf Coast have already started ringing in Fat Tuesday weeks in advance with king cake tasting and children’s activities.
But there’s still plenty on the schedule. Noteworthy upcoming events include:
- Long Beach’s Carnival Association of Long Beach Parade at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22
- Bay St. Louis’ Krewe of Nereids Parade at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23
- Biloxi’s Krewe of Barkloxi Pet PAWrade at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23
- Biloxi’s Krewe of Neptune Night Parade at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1
- Diamondhead’s Krewe of Diamondhead Parade at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 1
- Gulfport’s Krewe of Gemini Parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 1
- Bay St. Louis’ Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse Lundi Gras Parade at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 3
- Biloxi’s Gulf Coast Carnival Association Mardi Gras Parade at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4
Mardi Gras is synonymous with New Orleans, although its American roots are actually tied to Mobile, Alabama—the site of the country’s inaugural Mardi Gras celebration. Mississippi’s Gulf Coast sits between the two cities, and Biloxi hosted the state’s first Carnival parade in 1908. That krewe was formed by the Gulf Coast Carnival Association, which still rolls today. It includes 24 association floats and numerous privately-owned floats.
Not every krewe is so extravagant. In lieu of floats, several parades feature decorated golf carts. But that doesn’t deter the crowds. For krewe members, the biggest challenge can be stocking their buggies with enough throws to satiate the masses.
At the Krewe of Diamondhead Parade, “if the weather is good, there’s a bazillion people out there,” said Carl Boyanton, a krewe member (and my dad). “They line the whole street.”
He’s noticed that folks from neighboring Louisiana make the trek to the Gulf Coast to enjoy what it has to offer. “Tourism is booming,” he said.
After Mississippi itself, Louisiana counts as the No. 2 state of origin for overnight travelers to the coast, followed by Florida at No. 3, and Alabama at No. 4, according to a profile by market research consultancy Longwoods International.
For a well-rounded coastal Mardi Gras trip, book lodging near the festivities. Out-of-town visitors and staycationers alike can look to the region’s largest cities—Biloxi and Gulfport—for seaside accommodations. The White House Hotel in Biloxi is a three-star hotel that melds contemporary luxuries with old-school Mississippi grandeur.
Carnival revelers could stumble across extra luck along the coast, which is home to a dozen casinos. Biloxi’s Beau Rivage Resort & Casino earned its four stars with headliners booked as entertainment, classy cocktail lounges, and an expansive pool. Down the street, Mary Mahoney’s Old French House is a community mainstay that diners have frequented for decades.
In Gulfport, Island View Casino Resort is a three-star stay, complete with a spa and a golf course. Mosey over to the Rack House Steaks and Spirits, with a high-end menu starring steak and seafood.
Travelers looking for peace and quiet after Mardi Gras merrymaking have met their match at The Inn at Long Beach, a three-star hotel located steps away from sandy beaches.
And in Bay St. Louis, the Pearl Hotel serves as a home base for its guests in the city’s Old Town, which is evolving by the minute with refined restaurants like Field’s Steak and Oyster Bar, Thorny Oyster, and Toro Sushi & Sake.
Experience Mardi Gras through new eyes on the Gulf Coast – where breezy beach towns meet holiday jubilee.
To learn more about events and traditions around the South, click here.
