Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras in Lake Charles is a run of Southwest Louisiana celebrations that build toward Fat Tuesday, with featured events mostly in Downtown Lake Charles and at the Lake Charles Event Center. The season opens with the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Queens Pageant, then picks up after Christmas at Twelfth Night. King cake, gumbo cook-offs, and beads from the floats are the signatures. The Saturday before Mardi Gras brings the World Famous Cajun Extravaganza and Gumbo Cook-off at the Event Center's Arcade Amphitheater, plus the Krewe of Omega and Krewe of Barkus parades. Fat Tuesday lines up the Second Line Stroll, Jeeps on Parade, Motor Gras, and the Krewe of Krewes parade. Families get a Children's Day of crafts, photo booths, and royalty before the children's parade, and the Iowa Chicken Run is the local chase on Mardi Gras Day.

Our take: If you want the food, aim for the gumbo cook-off at the Arcade Amphitheater; if you want the beads, stay through the Krewe of Krewes parade on Fat Tuesday.