By Kelsei Brianna
Medill Reports
Beads and bling, it is a Mardi Gras thing!
In the days before March 4, Chicago is following the feathers and beads to the bars.
Mardi Gras isn’t just celebrated in March. Carnival season starts Jan. 6, formally titled King’s Day, with parties continuing through Fat Tuesday, followed by Lent, 40 days of prayers and fasting before Easter.
You can get your Mardi on in Chicago too, y’all.
“One misconception is that they think Mardi Gras is ‘girls gone wild’ on Bourbon Street,” said Bobbi Mannino, a spokeswoman for Mardi Gras New Orleans. “That is not what it is. To us, Mardi Gras is a family day.”
Here are a few places to keep up the Mardi Gras mambo.
Ina Mae Tavern
1415 N. Wood St.
In 2018, Louisiana native Brian Jupiter, head chef and co-owner of Ina Mae Tavern, opened the soul food tavern, naming it after his grandmother. The James Beard Award restaurant finalist, serves hushpuppies, collard greens, red beans and rice, and other classic New Orleans dishes.
“Having the celebration of Mardi Gras all month in Wicker Park has been a really exciting way to bring together the community,” said Kim Harrigan, the Ina Mae Tavern chief of staff.
The Wicker Park staple hosts five days of Mardi Gras leading up to Fat Tuesday with happy hour, live music and bands, and a collaboration with School of Rock Chicago West.
“We’ve been able to bring the community a variety of different entertainment options for both children and families, and also the young adults in the neighborhood,” Harrigan said.
Ina Mae Tavern is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays, 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays. Find more events and lineup at Ina Mae Tavern here.
Nola Bar & Kitchen
3481 N. Clark St.
Sunny Lin, 34, is half of the Louisiana-loving duo who owns this Mardi Gras-themed bar in Wrigleyville. Umbrellas decorated with fleur-de-lis and glittered masquerade masks adorn the interior of the business.
Lin, who loves New Orleans, visited the city after attending graduations of friends and felt inspired to name the bar after the Big Easy.
“New Orleans just has this inviting energy where everyone just goes to be free,” Lin said.
Visitors can sit in the front row of a Mardi Gras drag brunch while sipping on a Hurricane cocktail poured straight from the draft. Nola Bar & Kitchen is Mardi Gras-themed year-round — except during Christmas, when the bar turns into a winter wonderland.
The bar will host a Mardi Gras party on Fat Tuesday with live music, carnival dancers, giveaways, beadS, and Cajun and creole cuisine.
The holiday “brings everyone together,” said Lin. “I’m looking forward to that.”
It is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Find more events at Nola Bar & Kitchen here.
Blue Bayou
3734 N. Southport Ave.
Mardi Gras Madness on Saturday. Find more information and RSVP here.
Branding Iron Bar & Grill
7036 S. Harlem Ave.
Branding Iron is hosting Mardi Gras “Sexy Bingo” with free beads, adult prizes and a Mardi Gras menu. Sexy Bingo starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Find more information and reserve a table here.
Delightful Pastries
5927 W. Lawrence Ave.
Pre-order season paczki starting Friday and enjoy Mardi Gras-themed doughnuts every day until Tuesday. Pre-order and find flavors here.
Hubbard Inn
110 W. Hubbard St.
Status Saturday takes on a Mardi Gras theme Saturday. Tickets range from $5 to $20. Purchase tickets and find more information here.
Junebug Cafe
4042 N. Milwaukee Ave
Pre-order king cakes and enjoy more comfort food this holiday season. Place pre-orders here.
Pen & Paper: A Joint Creative
6900 S. Stony Island Ave.
Up South is a Mardi Gras activation event with New Orleans staples from Hurricane beverages to jazzy music. Find more information and RSVP here.
Randall’s Pub
6341 N. Clark St.
Enjoy a Mardi Gras specials beverage menu until Tuesday. Find the full menu here.
Storyville
712 N. Clark St.
This sleek New Orleans bar will host Fat Tuesday with jazz band Mario Abney & The Hurricanes. Reserve your spot here.
How to DIY Fat Tuesday this year
If going out is not your forte, host your own Mardi Gras-themed party this year. All it takes is a little decor and a few staple drinks to turn your living room into 300 square feet of New Orleans. Celebrate with your community of friends, family or go solo with these five tips.
Wear something festive
Boas, hats and masks. Ask your guests to throw on traditional Mardi Gras colors to feel festive. The symbolism of the colors traces back to the late 1800s, according to Mardi Gras New Orleans. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.
Choose what resonates with you the most and wear one or all of the vibrant shades.
Put up dancing decor
Make memories with selfies and photo-ops in front of a bead-lined accent wall. Masks can dangle from the ceiling, and wall art can coat every crevice. DIY balloon arches can add to the decor.
Make (or order) food for the soul
Put a twist on traditional soul food entrees with bite-size fried shrimp po-boys, mini meat pies or small bowls of gumbo. Make it a potluck and ask guests to bring a savory or sweet dish.
Order catering from local soul food eateries such as Nola Bar & Kitchen, Nita’s Gumbo or Kitchen + Kocktails. You can also pick up custom king cakes from Junebug Cafe or more traditional Louisiana sweets from Akhira’s Coffee. Download simple King Cake, Hurricane cocktail (or mocktail) recipes and serve up a Mardi Gras-inspired menu.
Listen to Mardi Gras mambo
Set the tone of the party with funky New Orleans jazz, line-dancing Zydeco or native Louisiana artists. Find the ultimate Mardi Pardi playlist here.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Kelsei Brianna is a graduate student at Medill. specializing in magazine journalism. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X at @kelseibrianna.
