We think we know everything there is to know about Mardi Gras.
We’ve grown up perched on our dads’ shoulders at parades, danced under the shade of trees draped with beads and elbowed our way to the best throws more times than we can count. We’ve eaten every variety of king cake and sipped beer out of every size of plastic cup tossed off a float. What is there to say about Mardi Gras that hasn’t already been said?
In Baton Rouge, though—neighbor to the city most synonymous with Mardi Gras—the annual tradition entwines more deeply with our culture and history than many realize. Carnival season takes its own form here, and for many in Baton Rouge, it’s not just a once-a-year party but a way of life. While we’re sweeping up the debris at the end of the parade, our krewes are already planning their entire year around the next Mardi Gras, our bakeries wrapping up plans for thousands of cakes and our costume designers sketching out extravagant designs for next year’s balls.
