Mardi Gras Must-Dos

An insider's guide to Mardi Gras in Lafayette, Louisiana

Mardi Gras culminates with the City Ball.

Photo courtesy of Lafayette Travel

Mardi Gras is coming up quick — Fat Tuesday is March 4 — and Lafayette, Louisiana, is where you'll want to be to celebrate.

The travel experts there have compiled a five-day itinerary that's packed with local tips about where to eat, what to do, and how to catch all the Mardi Gras action.

Friday, February 28

5 pm: An early dinner right before the kick-off parade is a must, and staying in downtown means you only have to park once.

Quick meal: If you're running late or have the kids in tow, check out Central Pizza & Bar for wood-fired pizzas and seasonal cocktails, The Flats for burgers, fries, draft beer, and cocktails, with an outdoor patio to boot, or Sunday's Soda Fountain for a modern approach to the nostalgic classics.

Date night/out with friends: Perfect for setting the Mardi Gras mood, you'll want to head to Vestal for a welcoming, upbeat environment with open hearth cooking and deliciously crafted beverages. Pamplona sports urban elegance with rustic Spanish simplicity, serving flavors from traditional Spain fused with international tastes. Tsunami has fresh seafood and diverse Asian dishes with Japanese and Eastern flare married with its Southern roots.

Here for the cocktails: Places that are more drink-forward with some snacks include Hideaway on Lee for seasonally driven classic and original cocktails served alongside Americana-inspired dishes. Wild Child Wine Shop is your friendly neighborhood wine shop and tiny bar, focused on small production wines and conservas.

6:30 pm: The kick-off parade starts at Pontiac Point and provides local businesses and groups the opportunity to secure their own float, and for individuals to ride with University of Louisiana student-athletes and coaches.

9 pm: The parade may be over, but the live music is just getting started. Explore downtown's many dancehalls and music venues by checking out Lafayette Weekly.

Saturday, March 1

8 am: Start early on Saturday with Zydeco breakfast at Buck & Johnny's in Breaux Bridge, a short drive from Lafayette. The perfect marriage of breakfast and Zydeco, this unique event happens every Saturday with rotating Zydeco acts in and around the area. Doors open at 8 am, but there's usually a line to get in. Want to get a sneak peek? Check out their Facebook page, where they livestream the performances each week. It's also a great way to pick up some dance moves before your trip.

10 am: While in St. Martin Parish, a must-see is the Atchafalaya Basin, and there's no better way to explore this waterway than on a swamp tour. Whether you prefer a slow boat tour or a fast-paced airboat tour, you will see some amazing sites. The weather around this time is a little cold for alligators, but you will definitely see some birds and other wildlife, as well as the beauty of moss-draped cypress trees and other flora and fauna.

12:30 pm: Depending on the timing of the swamp tour, you should have time to make it back to downtown Lafayette for the Children's Parade. This parade is unique because it is comprised of children who serve as royalty for the Mardi Gras balls, similar to their adult counterparts. For more on this, check out this post.

2:30 pm: You may start feeling tired at this point, but here's something to spice up your afternoon: Head down to Avery Island for the full Tabasco experience. Start with lunch at Cafe 1868 or opt for the culinary experience or cooking demo, which is an hour-long exploration of the various foods and Tabasco flavors in the area.

After, explore the many stops along the factory tour where you'll learn about the history of the family, how Tabasco is made from plant to bottle, and even taste some Tabasco ice cream and soda in the Country Store. On your way out, be sure to check out Jungle Gardens, a driving nature trail through the area that includes a Budha statue believed to be from 1100 A.D. and a bird sanctuary.

6:30 pm: The Saturday Bonaparte Parade is the Krewe of Bonaparte, and it kicks off at 6:30 pm. If you're looking for a different place to view the parade other than downtown, make your way to Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette held at Cajun Field. With paid parking, carnival rides, games, and live music, it's the perfect place to catch the end of the parade.

8:30 pm: Time to refuel with dinner.

Quick meal: Dean-O's Pizza for pies and Italian dishes with a Cajun twist. Agave Mexican Grill & Cantina has a large patio with a lively atmosphere where Tex-Mex meets Cajun-style dishes. Mel's Diner is open 24-hours with daily plate lunch options.

Date night/out with friends: Alesi Pizza House for pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, ravioli, manicotti, chicken Parmesan, and so much more.. Cafe Habana City has Cuban cuisine and a mojito bar in a Caribbean-style atmosphere. Osaka is family-owned and operated, offering fresh sushi and Japanese dishes.

Here for the cocktails: Legend's on Bertrand is a bar and grill with outdoor seating. Adopted Dog Brewing is a craft brewery offering American fare.

Sunday, March 2

10:30 am: Sleep in on Sunday, but not for too long! The best way to kick off the day is with a hearty brunch, and Lafayette has no shortage of places. If you're looking for a complete list of brunch spots, head here. If you need some suggestions, see below.

Social Southern Table & Bar: Locally sourced cuisine with hand-crafted specialty cocktails.
Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant: Serving everything from fresh Gulf seafood to burgers with patio seating, perfect for drinking local beer, cocktails, and tiki drinks.
Johnson's Boucaniere: Continuing a tradition since 1937 with a full-service restaurant.

12 pm: After brunch, there's no better way to get moving than with a trip to Vermilionville Living History Museum. Tour the 23-acre site with historic homes and costumed artisans to discover the living history of the Acadians, Creoles, and Native Americans. You can opt for a self-guided or guided tour of the village. The best part? There's a weekly Sunday dance with Cajun and Zydeco acts in its Performance Center, one of the many historic dancehalls in the area.

2 pm: Though most visitors to Lafayette associate the area with the more famed Cajun and Creole culinary fare (think jambalaya, crawfish, and gumbo), it is the rice and gravy-centric plate lunch that fuels the people of Louisiana’s Acadiana region. Consisting of meat, a gravy-covered starch, a pair of vegetable sides, and a simple piece of bread — and often all served on a single plate — the plate lunch emphasizes speed, affordability, and caloric heft. Some suggestions:

Laura's II: The best Creole experience in Lafayette, serving barbecue, stuffed baked turkey wings, fried catfish, smothered okra, red beans, smothered cabbage, and more.
Ton's Downtown: Local plate lunch house serving up daily specials.
Lunch Box: From barbecue plates to meatloaf, chicken fried steaks, and lots of hearty sides.

5:30 pm: Sunday provides a little break from all things Mardi Gras, but that doesn't mean you still can't keep the good times rolling. Rock'n'Bowl combines live music and bowling in one amazing venue. With a dance floor in-between bowling lanes, you can either dance or bowl to the music. If sitting back and relaxing is more your speed, booths upstairs let you watch the action and also play old-school games with friends. If you find yourself having worked up an appetite, don't worry — they serve food and drinks as well.

Monday, March 3

7 am: You may have gotten to rest on Sunday, but Monday is going to be jam-packed so make sure to start with a hearty breakfast.

Dwyer's Cafe: One of the older plate lunch houses in Lafayette, serving a diner-style breakfast.
Five Mile Eatery: Farm-to-table restaurant serving breakfast and lunch.
T'Coons: Breakfast and plate lunch staple in the Lafayette area.

9 am: A Lundi Gras tradition, the boucherie at Lake View Park is one of the last remaining public boucheries in the area. Get there early for the full experience of the whole pig butchering, or plan to arrive a little later in the morning once things get cooking. You'll be able to purchase various items to taste from the boucherie as well as chat with cooks and butchers firsthand. The best part? There's live music all day and well into the evening, so no matter when you arrive, you're in for a good time.

6 pm: There's only one parade on Lundi Gras, and that's the Queen Evangeline's Parade, which starts from Pontiac Point. This parade uses the full parade route, so you can make plans to watch in downtown Lafayette (if you want to be done earlier), along Johnston Street, or at the final stop, Cajun Field.

8:30 pm: Time for dinner!

Quick meal: Hub City Diner is a 1950s all-American-style diner serving breakfast and rotating plate lunches as well as dinner. Prejean’s has been serving up delicious Cajun flavors for more than 75 years. KOK Wings & Things has wings, fries, fish, and more, located off the campus of UL Lafayette.

Date night/out with friends: Café Bella serves Italian-style food with a wide-ranging wine selection, intimate atmosphere, and attentive service. Marcello’s dishes up authentic Italian cuisine using the freshest ingredients.

Here for the cocktails: Whiskey & Vine is a lounge with nightly live jazz and blues music, spirits, and sophisticated cuisine. Bon Temps Grill serves swamp-edge cuisine in an urban Cajun atmosphere. Charley G’s is a Lafayette favorite known for grilling aged beef and fresh Louisiana seafood over southern hardwoods.

9 pm: If you're looking some late night Lundi Gras music and dancing, be sure to check out the Holiday Lounge. This historic dancehall rarely opens its doors for shows, but every year for Lundi Gras it hosts one of the area's must-see shows.

Tuesday, March 4

7 am: You made it all the way to Fat Tuesday, but the fun is just getting started. Kick off Mardi Gras with a Louisiana staple: boudin. With more than 50 places serving this regional delicacy, plus the Cajun Boudin Trail, it can be difficult to pick, but here are some of the heavy hitters:

Don's Specialty Meats: Porky and peppery boudin, with just a touch of liver and generous flecks of green onion throughout each link.
Billy's Boudin: Serving traditional boudin, pistolettes, boudin rollups (eggrolls), and boudin balls that have justly made Billy’s famous.
The Best Stop: Famous for its smoked boudin, there’s not much rice in these links but plenty of pork meat and spice, with a touch of liver.
Earl's Cajun Market: These links are definitive of the region: massive, grease-slicked, and green onion-y, with a higher-than-normal ratio of rice to pork.

8 am: The Faquetaique Courir de Mardi Gras is the only public courir in the area and is put on by a group of local musicians. While it is open-ish to the public, you won't find much information about the specifics online — and there's a reason. Driven by word of mouth, this courir welcomes friends both new and old, but you have to know who to ask. Here's a tip: It takes place somewhere along LA-758 in Eunice and is not a spectator event. You absolutely better show up in a costume and mask, ready to participate.

10 am: The King Gabriel Parade features large, colorful floats manned by the Krewe of Gabriel, which was formed in 1949 by many of the area's leading businessmen. Fun fact: Queen Evangeline, who gets her own parade the day before, is often the college-aged daughter of a member of this Krewe.

1 pm: Mardi Gras Indians pays tribute to Lafayette’s diversity and history with participants dressed in elaborate handmade costumes that take all year to create. Sit back and enjoy the walking performances that honor artistry and music at Pontiac Point (the corner of Simcoe and Surrey Streets) or see the judging contest at Clark Field at 3 pm.

2:30 pm: Just as its name indicates, the Independent Parade is open to all (though you do have to pre-register your float).

5:30 pm: There's no better way to end Mardi Gras than with some piping hot, seasoned-to-perfection crawfish. In Lafayette, there is no shortage of boiled crawfish places and you can check them all out here. Here are some suggestions that will be open and near the parade route:

Prejean's: Serving up delicious Cajun flavors for over 75 years.
The Cajun Table: Serving home-style Cajun cuisine from classic Louisiana dishes to boiled seafood.
Dwight's: Cajun home-cooked plate lunches.

8 pm: Here's the big finish: The Southwest Mardi Gras Association Pageant & Ball, also known as the City Ball. It is open to the public with no admission fee and takes place at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

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For an even more in-depth look at Mardi Gras in Lafayette, Louisiana, and answers to all your questions, visit Lafayette Travel here.

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Welcome Aboard

10 things to know about the new luxury cruise line sailing from Galveston

Photo courtesy of MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises may have launched its first homeported ship from Galveston this past November, but the cruise line is a giant in the industry.

For decades, Galveston has served as Texas cruisers’ gateway to the sea, but the arrival of MSC Cruises signals a new era. The MSC Seascape’s maiden launch from the island this past November marked the first time the Switzerland-based cruise line homeported a ship in Texas — a notable upgrade for travelers accustomed to shorter, more casual sailings from Galveston.
The MSC Seascape carries nearly 4,000 passengers across a seven-day Caribbean itinerary with stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatán, Honduras.

Photo courtesy of MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises may have launched its first homeported ship from Galveston this past November, but the cruise line is a giant in the industry.

MSC may be new to Texas, but it’s a global cruising heavyweight. The privately owned company is the world’s third-largest cruise brand, operating 25 ships that visit more than 300 destinations worldwide, with clear ambitions for continued expansion.

Here are 10 things to know before sailing away on the MSC Seascape. (Full disclosure: MSC Cruises hosted the author, but her opinions are her own.)

1. The MSC Yacht Club offers a ship-within-a-ship experience
For those seeking a more intimate stay aboard a vessel hosting thousands, there’s the MSC Yacht Club. One of the largest in the fleet at roughly 32,000 square feet, the Yacht Club functions as a luxury hotel inside the ship, complete with concierge staff, butlers, and an attentive housekeeping team. Located at the front of the Seascape, the private enclave has its own restaurant and lounge, outdoor bar and grill, sundeck, and pool.

While travelers might be tempted to spend the entire trip here, nearly 10 decks of amenities and fun encourage venturing beyond the velvet rope. Each Yacht Club guest receives a wristband that makes getting around the ship effortless, serving as a room key, virtual wallet, access pass to exclusive areas, and even signaling the ship’s elevators to prioritize their selected deck. Yacht Club stays aboard the Seascape range from approximately $2,000 to $7,000 per person, depending on the stateroom.

2. Yacht Club dining is flexible and personable
Freedom from scheduling is one of the Yacht Club’s biggest perks. The club’s private restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without reservations, with the head chef emerging from the kitchen and personally offering to prepare off-menu dishes if the rotating selections don’t tempt diners. Dishes range from comfort-forward burgers to refined plates like risotto with clams. There never seemed to be a wait, even on gala night, when the dining room filled for steak and lobster.

A poolside buffet and bar fuel sunbathers, while room service covers everything from lazy mornings to late-night cookie-and-milk deliveries. At nearly any hour, a small cluster of cruisers could be found in the Top Sail Lounge, grazing on snacks, ordering from the full bar, and watching the sea stretch endlessly ahead.

3. Specialty restaurants can’t outshine Houston’s dining scene
It’s hard to wow Houstonians when the city’s dining scene sets such a high bar, so it's no surprise that expectations should be tempered for the ship's specialty restaurants. The teppanyaki grill provides entertaining hibachi theatrics, though dishes lack the depth of flavor found at Houston’s Asian restaurants. Butcher’s Cut, the Texas-inspired steakhouse, feels more like an upscale national chain than a local icon such as Pappas Bros. The Seascape's main casual eatery, Marketplace Buffet, stands out for its breadth of buffets, particularly its international offerings, including flavorful Indian dishes.

4. The thermal suite is a standout feature
From barber services to massages and manicures, the Aurea Spa has a full slate of wellness experiences. The thermal suite is a highlight where cruisers can reset after a day (or night) of indulgence. Guests can wander through a variety of saunas, steam rooms with sensory lighting, a snow room, whirlpool, and contrast-therapy showers — or catch a cat nap in the salt room. Access to the thermal area is complimentary for Yacht Club guests, along with a 10 percent discount on additional spa treatments.

5. The extra premium beverage package delivers
Included with the MSC Yacht Club, the extra premium beverage package demonstrates just why the term “booze cruise” exists. Cruisers can enjoy beer, wine, cocktails, top-shelf spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks anywhere on the ship, with a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages.

Cocktails must be priced at $16 or less to qualify — a frustrating caveat, especially at Butcher’s Cut, where drink prices exceed the threshold and provide another reason to skip the restaurant.

6. Service is attentive and highly personalized
Around-the-clock concierge and butler service may feel unfamiliar to many American travelers, but it quickly becomes a highlight of the trip. The level of service and attention to detail is immaculate, with staff members remembering preferred drinks, dietary restrictions, and room preferences, greeting guests by name in hallways and readily fulfilling requests. Shout out to Abbas, our dedicated butler, who tracked down a sunscreen that was misplaced at the pool, and John, who always kept our room's ice bucket fresh.

7. There’s less entertainment, but still plenty to do
The Seascape offers fewer large-scale entertainment options than some Gulf-based competitors, but boredom is unlikely. The Robotron thrill ride swings riders high above the water, while an F1 Simulator, sports court, ping pong tables, casino, and live music throughout the ship provide variety. Le Cabaret Rouge hosts interactive events and dance parties, and the Chora Theatre’s lineup includes stand-up comedy and stage productions. Not only are shows free — Yacht Club guests have reserved seating, making spontaneous attendance easy. The seats are located toward the back, so be aware that convenience might triumph over visibility.

8. Bring the necessities, shop the luxuries
Shopping onboard leans high-end, so essentials are best packed ahead of time. A kids’ shop offers LEGO sets and MSC-branded souvenirs, while the duty-free store stocks alcohol, nicotine products, and hard-to-find snack flavors like international Pringles and Oreos.

A stop at the chocolate stop is recommended, if only to view the oversized sculptures crafted from the sweet treat. Constant sales occur throughout the voyage, including big discounts on luxury perfumes and watches, so keep an eye on the daily itinerary if that’s of interest. A more expansive selection of basics, like allergy medication, would be ideal, but there’s always a remedy to be found in one of the port’s many drug stores.

9. Excursions make port days easy
For travelers who prefer a curated experience, MSC offers numerous shore excursions at all three ports. Costa Maya offers access to Mayan ruins like Kohunlich, which requires a two-hour van ride inland and rewards visitors with massive stucco masks honoring the sun god, dating back to around 500 A.D. For travelers eager to embrace beach life, each destination offers adventures such as snorkeling, boating, swimming, white-sand beaches, and tequila tastings. Independent explorers will also find the ports easy to navigate on their own, with shops, bars, and pools just steps from the ship, making it simple to tailor each stop to your travel style.

10. VIP treatment begins before stepping onboard
Yacht Club guests enjoy priority embarkation with a dedicated security line and private waiting area stocked with complimentary snacks and drinks. Disembarkation is also a breeze thanks to staff escorting guests off the ship at ports and at the trip’s end. From the gangway to the parking garage took less than 20 minutes, where reminiscing about the voyage immediately began.

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