How to Throw a Phat Mardi Gras Theme Party

Mardi Gras: A Holiday That Literally Exists for Partying

Mardi Gras, or ‘Fat Tuesday’, is a historically Christian holiday celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which then begins the Lent season that culminates with Easter. It’s when we indulge in delights before a 40-day period of pleasure restrictions. It’s the feast before the fast that involves an enjoyable celebration of parades, music, and festivities. Whether your Mardi Gras theme party is the culmination of a day of parades or other events or whether it’s its own stand-alone affair to celebrate the holiday, we’ll cover plenty of Mardi Gras party ideas to make it an event to remember!

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How to Throw a Mardi Gras Theme Party

1. Create the Scene with Mardi Gras Decorations

A multi-coloured foil tinsel curtain hangs in front of a wall by a table covered in Mardi Gras theme party decor: glittery green and purple top hats, a carnival mask, and a decorative Mardi Gras sign — Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Mardi Gras symbols include the fleur-de-lis, carnival masks, jesters, crowns, and other related emblems. Mardi Gras colours are purple, green, and gold. Whatever type of decorations you prefer – garlands, centerpieces, confetti, banners – look for those colours and insignia. And don’t forget beads! One of the easiest ways to decorate for Mardi Gras is to string the classic plastic bead strands all over the place. Hang them from the ceiling. Drape them from light fixtures, house plants and door frames. Whether you are going for elegant or tacky, you can’t go wrong. Mardi Gras is all about being over the top!

While decorating can get pricy depending on how elaborate you get, you’ll find plenty of inexpensive party supplies if you know where to look. And, with a little time and motivation, you can almost always DIY your party decorations. If you worry that you just can’t afford to host a party, consider your disposable income budget and spending habits. Usually, having a party is a more cost-effective way to have fun! It all boils down to how you most enjoy spending your leisure time and how you rearrange your spending to prioritize that.

Three colourful carnival masks in gold, purple and green with sequined borders and feathers make excellent Mardi Gras theme party decor — Photos by Mikhail Nilov

A woman wears strands of gold beads and an argyle-patterned carnival mask in green, gold and purple — Photos by Mikhail Nilov

Here are several festive Mardi Gras decorations to get you started:

2. Prepare Mardi Gras Party Refreshments

Mardi Gras-coloured cupcakes are displayed on a metal platter against a yellow background with two Mari Gras masks displayed on the wall — Photos by Alleksana and Mikhail Nilov

Mardi Gras theme party table decorated with a shiny purple foil-decorated bottle with a glittery fleur-de-lis, plastic gold coin bead necklaces, glasses filled with a drink, a pineapple, and colourful plates and napkins — Photos by Alleksana and Mikhail Nilov

Whether you provide all refreshments or whether you request that guests bring a dish or drink potluck-style, food is one of the main events of a Mardi Gras party! Let your guests experience Mardi Gras through their sense of taste with plenty of traditional Mardi Gras-inspired dishes.

Mardi Gras food is all about indulgence. It is no time for diets or restraint. The food at your Mardi Gras theme party should be rich, decadent, and delicious! While there are plenty of options and directions you can take here depending on what you choose to serve (as well as you and any guests’ dietary restrictions or preferences), at least include a few festive staples such as king cake and Cajun fare such as jambalaya. Check out any of these recipes to try:

A painted carnival mask topped with feathers rests in a glass flute filled with decor and gold beads spilling out — Photos by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography and Polina Kovaleva

Three donuts in Mardi Gras colours and colourful sprinkles (green, yellow and purple) rest on a white plate overtop of a round pennant arrangement in Mardi Gras colours — Photos by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography and Polina Kovaleva

3. It Ain’t Mardi Gras Without Music: Prepare a Stellar Playlist

New Orleans jazz is a classic music choice for a Mardi Gras theme party! And if you want to delve deep into the musical traditions of Mardi Gras, there is plenty to learn about Mardi Gras music history (follow) for playlist inspiration. But the key is to in general play fun, upbeat music that makes your guests want to dance (or at least move a little). Whatever genre you and your friends enjoy, play something positive and high energy that feeds a vibe of indulgent abandon.

4. Add Evocative Scents

We covered the sights, the flavors, and the sounds of a Mardi Gras theme party. Now, consider the scents! To truly immerse your guests in a theme, engage the evocative sense of smell with scented candles such as this king cake scented candle. And these beautifully carved fleur-de-lis beeswax pillar candles (available in purple, green or yellow) add more of a visually decorative touch, but the pleasant aroma of beeswax adds a lovely scent as well.

5. Plan Mardi Gras Theme Party Games

Three young women wearing decorative Mardi Gras masks over their eyes smile for the camera at a party while holding wine glasses — Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Time for fun and games! If any guests have trouble shaking off stress from the day/week/month (and six weeks into the new year is plenty of time for chaos to accrue), games can help to unleash pure childlike fun – a killer way to combat stress. While games aren’t necessarily required to make a great party, they can definitely make a more interesting and entertaining party! And when it comes to Mardi Gras party ideas, more is more.

There are plenty of fun digital Mardi Gras party games to keep everyone at your party well entertained! Check out any number of printables available from a variety of sellers:

BuyPrintPlay shop (17 products including scattergories, ‘drink if’, etc.)
CloudYayPrintables shop (10 products including ‘would you rather’, emoji pictionary, etc.)
Digitaltouchbysophie shop (15 products including drunk dice, candy dice, etc.)
Enjoymyprintables shop (11 products including ‘find the guest’ bingo, ‘what’s in your bag’, etc.)
JBMomsDesigns shop (9 products including ‘think fast’, human bingo, etc.)
KzzCreations shop (17 products including scavenger hunt, bucket list, etc.)
SimplyCreateAndCo shop (9 products including bunco, charades, etc.)
SwirlLifeDesigns shop (8 products including ‘this or that’, friendly feud, etc.)
TimeForAGame shop (7 products including parade scavenger hunt, multiple choice trivia, etc.)
VanillaMintPrints shop (12 products including ‘Mardi-Gories’, word scramble, etc.)
VZCreativeDesigns shop (4 products including fact or fiction, what’s your Mardi Gras name, etc.)
Mardi Gras trivia from Aprilmakesprintable
Mardi Gras 5-game bundle from baysideprintables
Mardi Gras 20-game bundle from MemoryLanePrintables
Mardi Gras 16-game bundle from IdoprintablesStudio

6. Establish Guest Participation

A young woman wearing a Mardi Gras mask relaxes on cushions with a drink — Photos by Mikhail Nilov

A young woman wears an argyle-patterned Mardi Gras mask in green, gold and purple — Photos by Mikhail Nilov

Guest participation involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. The most festive and traditional way guests can participate in your Mardi Gras theme party is to dress up! Invite them to come wearing a Mardi Gras mask, or in Mardi Gras colours of green, purple and gold. The more flamboyant, the better. Encourage accessories like feather boas, sequins, and anything wildly decadent. You can also opt to treat each guest to a festive wearable party favor like a Mardi Gras-coloured faux feather headband. Remember, more is more!

Of course, always choose your guests mindfully and with their interests in mind. Prioritize friends who you know would most enjoy a Mardi Gras theme party. But don’t shy away from others who may not already know much about this holiday. You never know, you may turn someone on to it!

Checklist of Items You Need

These are the things you need for your Mardi Gras theme party:

Mardi Gras decorations
Mardi Gras-inspired foods
Mardi Gras-inspired music
A delicious Mardi Gras-inspired scented candle
Mardi Gras theme party games
Mardi Gras masks/apparel/outfit

A vivid green mask adorned with feathers on the side lays over a surface covered in bright purple feathers — Photo by Sarah Pflug

Preparation Checklist for Your Mardi Gras Theme Party

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date:

Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well. The most natural option is the weekend before Fat Tuesday, but even though Mardi Gras is most traditionally celebrated on or just before Fat Tuesday (in 2024 it falls on February 13^th), the Mardi Gras season technically begins January 6^th (Three Kings Day, or Feast of the Epiphany). So you technically have most of the month of January at your disposal here (and I doubt anyone will turn down an excuse to party in the middle of January or early February)!
Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your awesome Mardi Gras theme party!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning:

Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep (securing and/or making food/drinks, etc.)
Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to prepare and set up)
Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
In your planned time slots, DIY any party supplies and decorations
In your planned time slots, acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
In your planned time slots, set up decorations
In your planned time slots, prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

Rainbow-coloured foil fringe and a gold fleur-de-lis hang above a yellow sign with 'Mardi Gras' written in sparkly green and purple paint — Photos by Mikhail Nilov and Polina Kovaleva

A purple, rich yellow, and green pennant banner hangs above a bright yellow eye mask and red eye mask for carnival — Photos by Mikhail Nilov and Polina Kovaleva

3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):

Prepare any foods/drinks that are too fresh to do any earlier
Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not up already)
Prepare ambience (music/candle)
Get dressed in your Mardi Gras party costume/outfit
Once everything’s ready, take some time for any preferred self-care routines to get in a good head space. You want to be a centered, energized, and happy host – both for yourself and for your guests, who will pick up on your contagiously good vibe and automatically be happier as well!

Bon Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is all about celebrating and indulging. So as you follow these guidelines and gather Mardi Gras party ideas, take the liberty to choose what would make you and your guests happiest at your Mardi Gras theme party. At the end of the day, the success of your party isn’t measured in swank décor or perfect plates of food. It’s measured in metrics like laughs, dancing and genuine connections. Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll)!