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​​8 Great Places to Celebrate Mardi Gras in the U.S.​

Where to find Fat Tuesday fun beyond New Orleans (and beyond Fat Tuesday)

by Kitty Bean Yancey, AARP, February 23, 2022

Harlequin float in Mardi Gras Parade at Universal Studios

VIAVAL / Alamy Stock Photo

Universal Studios

En español

​Expect extra-jubilant pre-Lent celebrations this year, since in 2021, most were canceled due to COVID-19. Major international carnivals in Rio de Janeiro, Venice and Trinidad are out of bounds for cautious travelers, but beads will be tossed and good times will roll again in New Orleans and less widely known U.S. Mardi Gras locales. Check schedule changes and COVID-related regulations before you go.​ ​

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​​​Kitty Bean Yancey, a former USA Today deputy managing editor, is a travel writer and the winner of multiple Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers.​​ ​

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