MILWAUKEE MAY NOT BE NEW ORLEANS, but we still know how to celebrate Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday! Whether you’re interested in a nice southern comfort meal or want to go all out with beads and beer, MKE has plenty of events for you.
1.
Sunday Funday Mardi Gras Party with the Hot and Dirty Brass Band
Sunday, February 23, 4-7p.m.
Kick off Mardi Gras with plenty of live music! The Hot and Dirty Brass Band isn’t your everyday brass band, so get ready to party. They’ll jam out for a few hours at Redbar while you can enjoy delicious food and drinks.
Cost: Free
Address: 2245 E Saint Francis Avenue
2.
Mardi Gras at Maxie’s
Friday, February 21 – Tuesday, February 25
Mardi Gras at Maxie’s is hard to beat. For the first time ever, Maxie’s is switching out their entire normal menu for five days of Mardi Gras specialties from now until February 25. Some delicious options include East Coast Oysters, Gulf Shrimp, Cajun Popcorn, Jambalaya, Duck Gumbo, and more. The Extra Crispy Brass Band will perform on Lundi Gras (February 24) and on Mardi Gras (February 25) in the heated party tent from 6-10p.m. Sounds like a whole lot of good old southern comfort!
Cost: dinner prices vary; event is free
Address: 6732 W Fairview Avenue
3.
Mission: Mardi Gras at the SafeHouse
Tuesday, February 25, 11a.m.-midnight
Mardi Gras can have plenty of surprises and missions, too. SafeHouse hosts an all-day Mardi Gras Mission featuring jazz music, a featured magician, happy hour deals, Fat Tuesday specials and more. They will even have a King Cake dessert and one lucky winner who gets the plastic baby in their sundae gets a $100 gift card. And, to get on your true Fat Tuesday, their OOMG Burger Challenge returns for one day – and includes a 15-patty cheeseburger, 2 pounds of cheese curds, and 64 ounces of beer. Wear your stretchy pants.
Cost: dinner prices vary
Address: 779 N Front Street
4.
Mardi Gras at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino
Saturday, February 22 – Tuesday, February 25
There are plenty of ways to celebrate Mardi Gras, and Potawatomi Hotel and Casino has quite a few of them. Enjoy four days of all things Mardi Gras! Some specialty food items include Gumbo, Jambalaya and Shrimp Po’ Boys. As for entertainment, Potawatomi has everything, from parades, a Tarot Card Reader, a Caricature Artist, Kathy Fry–The Queen of Creole, and more. You can really go all out four days in a row.
Cost: free
Address: 1037 W. Juneau Avenue
5.
Captain Pabst’s Fat Tuesday Party
Tuesday, February 25, 6p.m.-11p.m.
Even if you don’t want to go crazy for Mardi Gras, it’s always fun to spend some time out on the town. Bring your dancing shoes for live music from The Hungry Williams and The Door Stoppers at Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom. They’ll also be serving jambalaya from Great Lakes Galley and paczki, so you can get your New Orleans on.
Cost: free
Address: 1037 W Juneau Avenue
6.
Beignet Flight Pairing and Abita – Fat Tuesday at The Brass Tap
Tuesday, February 25, beginning at 11a.m.
There’s plenty of beer and wine food pairing classes, but how often can you match beers with beignets? The Brass Tap hosts a Fat Tuesday party featuring a flight of four beers with four mini beignets for $20. They’ll also be tapping five different kinds of Abita beers and serving Gumbo and Jambalaya. Sounds like the Big Easy to us.
Cost: free
Address: 7808 W. Layton Avenue, Greenfield
7.
2nd Annual $250 Mardi Gras Bead Contest
Tuesday, February 25, 9p.m.-midnight
Celebrate Mardi Gras with a bang! Dingers Pub hosts a bead bash featuring $15 all-you-can-drink, no cover, tunes by SOPPA, and lots of beads. You could also win $125 cash and $125 in Dingers Pub gift certificates if you collect the most beads by the end of the night.
Cost: free
Address: 6139 W Beloit Road, West Allis
8.
FAT Friday at Stubby’s
Friday, February 21, 5p.m.-11p.m.
There’s lots and lots of New Orleans spirit here! Celebrate the holiday at Stubby’s, featuring a New Orleans menu with Creole favorites, like Alligator Nachos and Jambalaya. You’ll also be entered into a raffle for a chance to win free beer for a year for every Abita Brewing beer you get from now until the event.
Cost: free
Address: 2060 N Humboldt Avenue
