Mardi Gras 2023 Guide for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Mardi Gras was first celebrated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the 1800s. After the Civil War It went on hiatus and would be revived and then disappeared again. It wasn’t until 1933 that the tradition of Baton Rouge really took off.

Today, thousands of visitors come to Baton Rouge each year to celebrate Mardi Gras. Baton Rouge Mardi Gras’ traditions are family friendly and focused on feasting and parades. Many restaurants have special menus for the festivities and almost every restaurant and bakery has its own special traditional king cake. You’ll also find king cake bread pudding, filled king cakes, king cake martinis, king cake calzones, crawfish king cakes and more.

Mardi Gras wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without parades. Here’s a list of the parades for 2023. Parents need to know the Spanish Town Parade is not for children but the rest of the parades are.

2023 Parades

  • Friday, February 10 – Krewe of Artemis
  • Saturday, February 11 – Krewe Mystique de la Capitale
  • Saturday, February 11 – Drewe of Orion
  • Sunday, February 12 – Mid City Gras
  • Friday, February 17 – Krewe of Gras
  • Saturday, February 18 – Spanish Town

Parties & Festivals

Baton Rouge is a great place to be for Mardi Gras. There are some fantastic parties, feasts and festivals. The biggest festival is the 10th annual Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival.

The Pre-Party will take place on February 16 from 7 pm to midnight at the Harry Turner, Jr. Listening Room in Baton Rouge. Hear authentic original music and get a taste of the Deep South. Click here to save $4 off the price of admission.

The Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival is happening on February 18, 2023, from 10 am to 7 pm. Admission is free. There will be a Food Court filled with festival food favorites. It’s lawn seating, so bring lawn chairs.

This annual celebration features continuous live music of various genres, including blues, R&B, soul, gospel, reggae, jazz, pop and rock plus comedy. Performers include

  • Henry Turner, Jr. and Flavor
  • Eddie “Cool” Deemer, comedian
  • Kelton Nspire Harper
  • Owen Scott
  • Ervin “Maestro” Foster
  • The Listening Room All Stars
  • Kasey Ball
  • Kevin White
  • Big Queen Tonya Sylvas
  • The Phoenix Rouge Dancers
  • Robert “The Juice” Lenoir
  • Teddy Johnson
  • Blues Messenger
  • John “The Bossman” Hall

There will also be a special screening of a documentary feature film narrated by Henry Turner, Jr., “We’re Doing Down To The Mardi Gras.”

There will be a Mardi Gras Mask Painting at Independence Community Park. Kids can paint their own masquerade masks with a secret prize for the best ones. This will happen on Saturday, February 18, 2023, from 12 pm to 2 pm.

If you’d like to get a Mardi Gras mask, costume, T-shirt or accessory, click here to find a great selection.

Baton Rouge Hotel Discounts

If you’d like to visit Baton Rouge during Mardi Gras, you should consider the following hotels. Click on our links and discover how you can save money on your stay.