Mardi Gras is next week on Tuesday, February 21st. If you want to celebrate Fat Tuesday in Champaign-Urbana, here are a few tasty ways.
Pre-orders for Martinelli’s Market‘s Mardi Gras holiday items have closed, but Martinelli’s Market will have king cake and paczki available in store. Stop by the Walnut Street bakery and deli Friday, February 17th, Saturday, February 18th, or Fat Tuesday to buy Mardi Gras desserts.
Starting at 4:30 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, Esquire Lounge in Downtown Champaign will kick off their Mardi Gras celebration with tarot card readings. The Vine Street Syncopators will play live Dixieland jazz from 5 to 8 p.m.. The restaurant will have food and drinks specials, and the catfish po’ boy with with honey jalapeño slaw, dirty rice, and collared greens sounds delicious.
From 5 to 7 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, Alto Vineyards’ Mardi Gras party will have music by DJ Silkee. The event will have food specials, king cakes, beads, and masks in addition to wine and beer.
At 6 p.m., doors open for Mardi Gras Drip at Canopy Club on Sunday, February 19th. The show starts at 7 p.m. with drinks, drag, contests, and beads. Buy tickets online.
At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21st on the U of I campus in Foellinger Great Hall, Carnaval! is a show of music, dancing, and revelry by Lyric Theatre @ Illinois to the accompaniment of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Tickets include an appetizer and drink in addition to cake at intermission. The guest who receives the special piece of cake will be crowned Sovereign of Carnaval! Wear your Mardi Gras mask and join the lobby party at 6 p.m. before the show for a parade of Marching Illini, acrobats, and the cast. Buy tickets here.
