Here in Fort Worth, we’re already pretty purple (#TCU #GoFrogs). For Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday, March 1, we throw in a little green and gold, grab our favorite krewe mates, and away we go. Now thru next weekend, North Texas has a ton of New Orleans-style events. Here are eight to check out.
1.) Are you in search of the perfect King Cake for Mardi Gras? Cinnaholic has you covered. Each cake includes your choice of frosting flavor and Mardi Gras sprinkles in the obligatory purple, yellow, and green color scheme. Order in advance by calling or going to Cinnaholic.com. The locations nearest the Weekly include Fort Worth (817 Currie St, 817-203-2421) and Arlington (5001 S Cooper St, 682-414-9044), plus one in Mansfield (1671 E Broad St, Ste 105, 833-246-3726) will be opening very soon.
2.) The Foundry District and Fort Worth Bike Sharing (@FWBikeSharing) have partnered for a Mardi Gras-themed parade for the two-wheeled set. Tour de Foundry Mardi Gras: Krewes + Brews is 4pm-6pm Tue at Maple Branch Craft Brewery (2628 Whitmore St, @MapleBranchBrew). At the brewery, you will enjoy a pour of beer and decorate a Fort Worth Bike Sharing eBike that will be provided for you. Then, the parade will head off to Locust Cider (710 S Main St, Ste 100, 817-378-4483) for a flight of ciders and a slice of Gambino’s King Cake. The parade route then takes you back to the Foundry District for bites and cocktails at Tulane’s (2708 Weisenberger St, 817-615-9980). Tickets are $45 on Eventbrite.com and include the aforementioned snacks and drinks. Additional food and beverage items will be available for purchase at each stop.
3.) To celebrate Mardi Gras, Oak Highlands Brewery (10484 Brockwood Rd, Dallas, 469-802-9455) recently introduced its Bière de Fête Chicory Mild Ale, “as much a mood as it is a beer style,” they said. “Back when most beers were some shade or another of brown and mostly distinguished by strength and price, Mild was your everyday drinker. Low to moderate in alcohol content, body, and flavor impact. Ours is made traditionally by taking weaker ‘runnings’ from the same mash as a stronger beer, in this case, Porter, and boiling, chilling, and fermenting separately. We also added molasses and roasted chicory root, an ingredient made famous for its use in New Orleans-style coffee. The result is a deep brown ale with a medium-light body but rich flavors of dark chocolate raisins, hearty toasted bread, and a surprisingly crisp finish.” Try a pint noon Sat at the Mardi Gras Crawfish Boil. Enjoy authentic Cajun food, live Louisiana-style music, and 20 beers on tap.
4.) Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge (4120 River Walk Dr, Flower Mound, 469-451-5019) will celebrate Mardi Gras by way of decadent crawfish tacos served with remoulade slaw. They’re $15 per plate from Tue thru Fri, Mar 4.
5.) From 11am to 5pm Sat, head to the annual Race Street Mardi Gras Celebration at the 2900 block of Race Street. This family-/pet-friendly festival will include artisans with handmade items for purchase, a costume contest, food and drink vendors, live music, and street dancing, plus a parade that starts at 12:30pm. The event is free to attend, and parking is also free.
6.) Fat Tuesday is on Mar 1, but The Statler Hotel (1914 Commerce St, Dallas, 214-459-3930) is celebrating thru Fri, Mar 4. Party Gras takes place in the ballroom with a hosted bar, the dance band Party Machine, and light bites from the hotel’s restaurants, including Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge and Sfereco. Additional Cajun food offerings will be available for purchase. Tickets are $49 per person or $199 for a VIP table for four at TheStatlerDallas.com/Party-Gras. Also, Scout, the Statler’s sports bar playground, is offering a crawfish etouffee special ($17 for dine-in or carry-out) from Tue thru Fri, Mar 4. (NOTE: Due to a scheduling conflict, this event has been canceled. All tickets will be refunded.)
7.) At noon Saturday, head to Texas Live! (1650 E Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, 817-852-6688) for the Sailor Jerry Mardi Crawl Live party. Entry into Texas Live! is free, but you’ll need party passes and drink tickets. General admission party tickets are $15 in advance — or $25 the day of the party — and include two drink tickets. VIP admission party tickets are $25 — or $35 on the day of — and include five drink tickets. Enjoy crawfish boils, drink specials, Hurricanes, and live music all day and night.
8.) On Sat, Mar 5, Wild Acre Brewing (1734 E El Paso St, Ste 190, 817-882-9453) is throwing a Fat Saturday Crawfish Boil. To circumvent the madness, crawfish tickets will not be sold at the door. Instead, you’ll need to pre-purchase crawfish tickets ASAP thru Tuesday. Five-pound tickets are $45, and three-pound tickets are $30. Each ticket comes with crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage, plus live music by Terence Bradford and Congo Square. There will also be a dual beer release of Pinch & Twist Pale Ale and King Cake Golden Pastry Stout. Beer wristbands are available for pre-purchase thru Fri, Mar 4, but will also be available for purchase at the door. Buy your tickets at PreKindle.com and then head to the check-in tent to redeem them for wristbands.
