The Mardi Gras spirit is taking over the city, with a smorgasbord of festivities lining up from the Woodlands to Galveston. The Houston Chronicle has scoped out the go-to places where locals can indulge in everything from parades and live music to King Cake and hurricanes. In a city with a laid-back bend and a penchant for cultural celebrations, these Mardi Gras events promise the full N'awlins experience without the need to trek to Bourbon Street.
For suburbanites looking to revel, Spring's City Place Plaza has a Fat Tuesday bash chock-full of live tunes, a gumbo-filled food truck, and sweets from Common Bond Bistro and Bakery. Over in The Woodlands, the Children’s Museum is flipping the kid-friendly switch with face painting and noise maker crafting, sweetened by a slice of King Cake on the exit courtesy of Montgomery Bakehouse, as detailed by the Houston Chronicle. And Galveston grandly barreling into its 113th Mardi Gras hurrah with the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius parade — a conga line of dance teams and marching bands parading from 28th and Market Street right up to the Strand.
Meanwhile, for those who prefer to celebrate with a cocktail in hand, Razoo's Cajun Cafe is here to transform your living room into Bourbon Street's less-raucous cousin. Boasting a lineup of Mardi Gras-themed libations — from Crown Peach Lemonade to a Strawberry Rocks Margarita — the cafe showed off recipes promising to bring a slice of the Big Easy right into your glass. The icing on the King Cake, after the show, they're throwing up a video so you can mix these Southern sips right at home, as per Click2Houston.
The Galveston Arts Center is touting a quieter, membership-required view of the Mardi Gras hustle. Over in Kingwood, despite a slight delay, Town Center Park is prepping to dish out Zydeco beats from Leroy Thomas and awards for the top parade floats, surrounded by craft vendors and food-a-plenty. Each happening paints a portrait of a region eager to embrace a tradition that's as much about community as it is about throwing the biggest party on the block.
