If you love bold flavors, bright colorful
costumes, beads, lights, and a party with plenty of drinks to go around, you
know Mardi Gras! Despite Mardi Gras in New Orleans being cancelled this year,
some of your favorite I-Drive attractions have been hard at work to create
safe, fun, socially distanced
Mardi Gras celebrations for everyone to enjoy!
If you find yourself on I-Drive during
February or March, be sure to get the party started at one of these
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Mardi Gras celebrations!
1) SeaWorld Orlando’s Mardi Gras
We’re starting with
SeaWorld Orlando’s Mardi Gras festivities for two
reasons - it is coinciding with their popular Seven Seas Food Festival, and
this weekend is the last weekend to get in on the fun, and we know you’re not
going to want to miss it!
February 19th through the 21st, from 12:30pm
to 6pm, head to SeaWorld to enjoy celebrating Fat Tuesday with sights, sounds,
and flavors right out of New Orleans!
Here are some things to look forward to during
your visit:
-
Pop-Up Parade: SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic Plaza comes to life as
entertainers, bead captains, stilt walkers, and musicians bring the Mardi Gras
spirit to SeaWorld during this special pop-up parade.
- Jazz Band: Immerse yourself in the music of New Orleans as this
band brings the Cajun sound and jazz classics to Orlando.
- Street Party: The sights and sounds of Bourbon Street will
fill the air in Wild Arctic Plaza with a DJ, street performers and physically
distant dance party.
- Gulf Coast Flavors: Enjoy classic Gulf Coast flavors as part of the Seven Seas
Food Festival including New Orleans favorites like beignets, po'boys and
southern libations.
11:30 am through park close.
But
of course, what is a SeaWorld celebration without a live concert at Bayside
Stadium? On February 20th and 21st, head to the Bayside stadium to catch live
music! On the 20th, a tribute to Smokin’, Renegades/ Best of Both Worlds will
take the stage, and on the 21st, Chris Janson.
Since
the
Mardi Gras festivities are being added to the Seven Seas Festival,
this is the ultimate foodie destination, with over 200 mouthwatering foods to
taste, over 75 craft brews and wines, and 50 unique and unexpected eats. Be
sure to check out their tasting lanyard options so you can sip and savor it
all, and get ready for a weekend of digging into delicious International
cuisine at one of your favorite theme parks in Orlando!
2) Next stop? Let’s just say, let the fun begin!
Fun
Spot America is making it possible to take your taste buds on a trip
to the Big Easy, right here in the heart of Orlando! Their HUGE Mardi Gras
celebration is going on now through April 11, 2021.
If
you head to Fun Spot during this time, you’ll definitely be feeling a French
Quarter vibe around the park, and some of the Mardi Gras inspired entertainment
and food is available around the park at no additional cost!
Enjoy
exciting jazz music, photo spots for you and your “Krewe”, mouthwatering Bayou
Bites, Nawline spirits, and even a mysterious Backwater Bayou Escape room!
The
rich and explosive flavors you’d expect for a Fat Tuesday celebration come to
life right here in Orlando at Fun Spot America with their Bayou bites. Dig into
food items like their Voodoo Chicken and Cajun Fries, Andouille Sausage Po’Boy,
a Fat Tuesday Funnel Cake just to name a few.
From
their Mardi Gras themed backdrops, festive decorations, music, and a children’s parade; Fun Spot America
has made it possible for the whole family to get in on the fun! The Mardi Gras
event is a separately ticketed event, so make sure you purchase your
ticket to enjoy the
festivities, as well as all of your favorite rides and games at Fun Spot and
get ready to party hard!
3) Universal Orlando
Go
global with your Mardi Gras celebrations with
Universal Orlando through March 28th!
From
a fleet of Pirate Treasure and Universal’s classically themed Mardi Gras
floats, to street entertainment, music, beads and more throughout the park;
Universal is also bringing excitement to the Music Plaza Stage. This outdoor
courtyard area is the perfect place to take a load off, relax, and enjoy some
good grub under dazzling lights!
Which brings us to the
main attraction - the FOOD, of course.
Not only will Universal Orlando be offering
New Orleans inspired favorites like crawfish,
shrimp, corn on the cob, red bliss potato, Andouille sausage, Beignet, and
Jambalaya but they have also put together a selection of International cuisine
for guests to enjoy throughout the park!
Enjoy the flavors of
Puerto Rico with items like Pernik & Mofongo, Picadillo Empanadas, Quesitos
and Pina Verde.
Then pop over to
Trinidad and Tobago for vegan Pholourie, Pineapple Trini-Chow, Queen’s Park
Swizzle, and Carib Lager.
Grab yourself an ice
cold beer as you prepare to indulge in delicious bites from Germany like Pork
Schnitzel Sliders, Bavarian Pretzel, Vegan Bratwurst and Beer Braised Onions.
And even Weihenstephaner Kristalweissbie,
a citrusy beer that will have you wanting more!
Once your full up, head
to the Mardi Gras tribute store before your departure to enjoy in-park merch
and photo ops in themed rooms like:
-
A hopping jazz parlor straight out of the 1920s with
dueling pianos and bellowing brass
- A flower-filled nautical cemetery, where many sea
captains were laid to rest
- A waterfront warehouse, where all manner of smuggled
treasures and trinkets are stashed
- A
firefly-lit swamp, where the remains of famed pirate Jean Lafitte’s long-lost
ship “The Pride” lie
And of course, finish
the evening with something sweet at the Tribute Store, where they’ll have King
Cake, Praline Cookies, Moon Pies, Mixed Berry Sour Gummy Skull and more!
Already siked to start planning your trip to
Universal during Mardi Gras? Get all the
details as well as updates about new events and activities, like a Mardi Gras scavenger
hunt, and buy your tickets today!
Mardi Gras calls for bright and bold decor,
beads flying through the air, mouth-watering international cuisine, drinks, and
non-stop entertainment; and if you’re in Orlando, you can see, taste, and
experience it all at these special
Mardi Gras celebrations right here on International Drive.