Celebrate Mardi Gras Like a Local in Mobile, Alabama

The city of Mobile is proud of its heritage as the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the USA. You won’t have to spend long chatting with locals to find out that the city has been ringing in Mardi Gras, commonly referred to in English as Fat Tuesday, with over-the-top parades and larger-than-life entertainment for over 300 years. Legend has it that French settlers first celebrated the holiday sometime around the year 1703, when Mobile was the capital of the unincorporated Louisiana territory. Traditionally tied to the Catholic faith and the Lenten season, today Mardi Gras has evolved into a largely secular celebration welcoming revelers from all walks of life to embrace the season’s colorful festivities. You can take part in events like lively parades and luxurious balls during the Mardi Gras season, also known as Carnival – the exact dates change from year to year, but the season spans from January 6 to anywhere between early February to mid-March. Pay homage to Mobile’s festive roots at the Mobile Carnival Museum, where you can enjoy self-guided or docent-led tours of centuries worth of artifacts from the city’s Mardi Gras history. The museum is open year-round, but if you can plan a trip to Alabama during Carnival season, it will be well worth it – you’ll be greeted with live music and friendly hospitality around every corner.

During the Carnival season, you’ll find one-of-a-kind traditions and celebrations all around Mobile. Many of these social events are organized by mystic societies, local social clubs that promote the celebration of Mardi Gras by throwing elaborate balls and parades. Experience the opulent side of the season at a royal coronation: the Mobile Carnival Association and the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association both hold public ceremonies to install their “royal courts,” which each include a king and queen to preside over the festivities. These events are a chance for the city to recognize the community leaders who help organize Mardi Gras events – and a chance for you to don your fanciest attire and dance the night away.

Joe Cain Day, a local holiday celebrated the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, pays homage to a local figure who’s credited with reinvigorating the Mardi Gras tradition in Mobile after the Civil War when he started an impromptu parade through the streets. Today, Mobile residents celebrate Joe Cain Day with the Joe Cain Procession, a community-led march that’s also known as the People’s Parade since anyone who signs up can participate. Popular repeat participants include Cain’s Merry Widows, a women’s society that brings a unique blend of reverence and quirky humor by dressing as Joe Cain’s wives in “mourning,” and Excelsior Band, a marching jazz band that’s been providing the soundtrack to the city’s Carnival festivities for over 140 years.

Perhaps the most iconic and beloved of all Mardi Gras traditions, parades make up a huge part of how locals celebrate the Carnival season. Dozens of parades hosted by the area's mystic societies take place across town, and each boasts its own traditions and unique identity. Parade-hopping can be a great way to experience the city's different neighborhoods and nearby communities. While many of the largest and most well-known parades wind through the historic streets of downtown, you can find lively processions all across Mobile Bay, from idyllic Dauphin Island to the waterfront town of Fairhope. No matter which parades you choose to attend, you’ll want to arrive early to stake out a spot that will garner you the best views of the ornate floats – and the best “throws,” a nickname for the small keepsakes that parade participants toss to onlookers. Keep your eyes open and you could catch colorful Mardi Gras beads, souvenir cups and doubloons, or even Moon Pies (locally beloved snack cakes). Nighttime brings new life to the festivities, as mystic societies dress their floats up in dazzling lights and performers dance in illuminated costumes. Don’t miss a chance to admire smoke-breathing dragons as they dance down Government Street during the mesmerizing Mystics of Time Parade.

Fly into Mobile International Airport (BFM) or Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) and rent a car to start your Mardi Gras celebrations. Beginning in 2025, rail transportation will be available to Mobile from a number of destinations along the Gulf Coast (including New Orleans) via Amtrak.