Just because you aren’t in New Orleans doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Mardi Gras in style. There are lots of ways to celebrate Fat Tuesday in Pittsburgh – live music, New Orleans food and of course King Cake. Grab your beads and check out these events around town.
Mardi Gras Madness at Penn Brewery
Every year Penn Brewery plans a big bash Fat Tuesday and the weekend before Fat Tuesday. They have a special menu with cajun and creole specialties and live music.
Friday, February 17, 2012 Jerry & Alex from 7-10 pm
Saturday, February 18, 2012 Amanda Barton of Big Leg Emma from 7-10 pm
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 The Boilermaker Jazz Band 6:30-9:30 pm
18th Annual Mardi Gras Gala
Each year the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central PA hosts a Mardi Gras celebration. The event includes a five course dinner followed by dancing to the John Parker band. The night includes a crowning of a Mardi Gras King as well. More information is available here.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:30pm
The Westin Convention Center, 1000 Penn Ave, Downtown
Mardi Gras Grub – Pick up some paczki and a King Cake for your celebration
Polish Hill Paczki Sale – paczki is a traditonal polish baked good that is consumed for Fat Tuesday. Each year the Polish Hill Civic Association sells paczki as a fundriaser for the organization.
They have some extra paczki available for pick up at their office,
Saturday February 18, 2012 from 10 am-6 pm
Sunday February 19, 2012 from 11 am- 2pm
King Cake – stop by one of the the following Pittsburgh bakeries to pick up a traditional King Cake for your Mardi Gras celebration.
Bethel Bakery in Bethel Park Oakmont Bakery in Oakmont Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery in Millvale
Celebrate Mardi Gras All Year Long at Le Mardi Gras
Can’t make it to any of these events? Then you can always stop by Le Mardi Gras, where it is Mardi Gras 365 days a year. Le Mardi Gras is a bar located in Shadyside on Copeland St. While you won’t find any beads or king cake at Le Mardi Gras, there is some Zydeco music on the jukebox. This place is a Pittsburgh institution, which used to be located a block away – the origonal bar was demolished to make way for the parking garage, but Le Mardi Gras lived on in its current location on Copeland St. Legend has it that the new orleans scenes that are painted on the wall were painted by a Carnegie Mellon student who was unable to pay his bar tab.
Le Mardi Gras, 731 Copeland Street, Shadyside