Celebrate Mardi Gras Crested Butte Style – In the Snow!

Mardi Gras in Colorado? It’s not as outlandish as it may seem. While traditional Mardi Gras celebratory bashes will be plentiful, Crested Butte, Colo., is celebrating this traditional holiday in its own special way again this year: on the slopes and in the streets. Skiers and snowboarders and carnival lovers alike are invited to join the Mardi Gras fun in Crested Butte, Feb. 2 – 5, as the town prepares to send off Fat Tuesday with a bang.



Highlights of the festivities are a masquerade ball, parade, parties and, of course, bead and mask sales. Mardi Gras is a fund-raiser for Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, the longest continuously running community theatre in Colorado with more than 200 productions since 1972.



Masquerade Ball - Saturday, February 2

Kick off Mardi Gras in style at the annual masquerade ball to be held on Feb. 2 at Mallardi Cabaret, located in Crested Butte’s historic Town Hall at Elk Avenue and Second Street. Along with great live music for dancing and hors d’oeuvres catered by Crested Butte Brewery & Grill, there will be prizes for best Mardi Gras costumes. The party will begin at 7 p.m., with the band (to be announced soon) taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Tickets cost $25, with a cash bar available.



Mardi Gras Parade - Tuesday, February 5

On Fat Tuesday, Feb. 5, catch flying beads and trinkets and revel at the krewes during the colorful Mardi Gras parade travels down Elk Avenue in downtown Crested Butte, starting at 5 p.m. Numerous local entries and even some from New Orleans are part of the celebration. Past parades have included a 100-foot-long dragon and Crested Butte Mayor Alan Bernholtz jumping over fire on his parade float, with gently falling snows often providing a magical backdrop.



Before the parade begins, buy some beads and masks and drink a hurricane at a Mardi Gras pre-party held at the Depot (near where the krewes line up for the parade), starting at 3:30 p.m. Immediately following the parade, another party will be held at Mallardi Cabaret, with musical guests Jim Sandy and Steve Snyder, drink specials and great food. The cover charge is “pay what you can,” with a suggested donation of $15. The money will go toward upgrading the theatre’s lighting system.



“Mardi Gras is a great time to celebrate Crested Butte style. Enjoy a wide array of snow sports and off-mountain activities in the area during the day before joining locals for let-your-hair-down fun in the evening,” says Jane Chaney, director of the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association. “Visit the Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley to unplug and recharge!”

To register a krewe for the parade and for additional information, call Crested Butte Mountain Theatre at (970) 349-0366.